Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-08-09
INrERESrlNG ooRRESPoNpyNCE.

ASI cArTURED PARTISAN RASGIES 10 lEEATED AS
PRISONERS OF WARY
The following has passed between Gen
Dllie! Rugglss, Q. S. A. and Peayure Butler
IElrQEs lsr DISTRICT,
Dep't East Louisiana and Mississippi,
Taugi shO La July Is, 1852.
To Ysjor General BUILER, COumudig linked States
force, New Orleans, La:
General have received peti''cn, from officers Of
the lst regiment Louisiana E5rsIan Ringers touch
ing the case OF Henry Castle, private O company b.
Of tia. regiment, and also application respect
Thomas Q. Pennington private OF Capt Wilson Tates
company, Of the sane regiment, and deem exped-
81; 20 request y,us early consideration OF The ecL
Il aaCe.rs tha: private Cas- le captured by detach
next OF Federal troops IN The vicinity Of Baton Rouge
on or about the Of the present month, and private
P,nLi go1 on Or about the zSh day Of June tina; they
Wtre taken to Nes Orleans, A1d are now held either
there or az Of the fors in The vicinity IN close con
fnsmrut With the threat that they 10 be tiled and
exert nbers Of military crganizston not sane
toned BY the laws Of civil zed warfare Ii to be OBJ
served that the hrst great law OF nature the right OF
self d,tnce is Inherent in communities as vel as ind-
viuAls.
No hr condemns tie individual who Stays the robbie
or ess4ssc. And no lst law can condemn q community
for usrg all lie power 70 resist the invader and drive
him fer 5er soil The exercise Of this right so uuiver
sally recognized becomes au imperative duty When tie
Iva Ter has been the with the Federal troops II
ghs dsct dsregards those rules OF warfare rccogo
nc r,srecei by ell ciyiEsd paCts end adopts that
lode which has htretoioTs been confined the ruds
sLysgs The proof Of this unfortunately too abundant
in the vicinity Of Bson Rouge. Il is attested by help
les, w.neu and children hyiDg from their burning
homes and by dCsolon Of p's1ta.icns, by the purdr
Of pryse property, and The Waaton destruction Of grow
Ing crops Such scs crimes against humanity and
Justify an men 10 taxing up arms against their petpers
lor4 Toe Independence OF nations has rarely been
achieved by regular armies.
Oar owa reyolu on-thst revolution which successful
y established the CREST principle for which the Coniede
rate ates are now contendi1g, "tst all Governments
rive their JUS powers from the consent Of the govern
ed-wis manly fought out BY men who left the plough
A. the news Of the enemJs approach, and returned to
| yhen Re had been driven back. |. may be conceded
that in Europe where the Governments msinly rely up
on large standing armies, which much sible
d clcueced wish the people, aud Wnere the policy is
I 10 prevent the people from bearing arms usder al
n ost any circumstances very absurd ref men
on tss sugret have been asserted and TO some extent
lsra,ed But such doctrines have never been reccg
Esd on this continent The United States especially
hay- FepuiiatGd them.
Ts various revolutions which have sgitated the Gen.
trail aud Scu American States have been couducad by
he people, frequently vi houL orgauzlion and without
leaders other than those chosen upon the spur OF The
occasion to direct single enterprise. And 10 recur to
the revolution Of iorefatuer the history Of that
immortal struggle Abounds with instances where the
hardy yeomAn--as at Lexington and Bunker Hll-Were
Ike the ClAntuen Of ChLcu ACVuCcIr
ed signal to some Limerick Mead" and there select
their officers upsn the very field Of battle But what
ever difference Of opinion may exist on this point IL has
never been claimed by the most stringent adVo-
Gates of legitimacy that belgerent has any right to
complain Of the name or form which the other may
| choose 70 give to It's military organization.
The RICH; TO adapt these to the peculiar service re-
CURED has been universally conceded so far, indeed,
6ss this practice been carried in naval warfare that pri-
vateersmen "the militia Of the seas with charters "a
broad tho oceans bounds recognized as legiti-
among belgeronta And now, indeed, the extra
ordinary spectacle is presented to tho contemplation Of
civilized IN this boosted nineteenth century OF the
Christian world Of nation claiming TO be civilized in
violation of It's constitutional obligations, inaugurang
deliberately seryilo by stimulating the hSlfCivzsd
African 10 raise hs hand against bis master aud beneiao-
tor, and thus make upon the Anglo Saxon race
var human nature. This with the Federal Govern
ment legitimate warfare but the defence Of their lire
sides by Southern citizens is treason and murder.
! In military OrgsuzIions the Polish LSncers, French
Zousves and British corps of scouts and guides In he
late East lndan war, in point The Confede.
rate States claim and have exercised this undoubted
right The formation Of companies bstAIons, and reg.
Of partisan rangers has been specially authorized
by act Of Congress The officers Of this CORPS are
commissioned The gularly mustered into SER
vice receive pay ratons and equipments from the gov
s1nnsnL and are entitled to the same privileges and