The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-08-21
British Treatment of Rebels.

N-e NAASaS" Ataftrtt a. ttuuclhk lhe
hypocritical articles Of certain English
newspapers on what they call the Cruel
~ of the Federal Government, serves up
the following dish Of British outragos
for the benefit Of the Pharises Of the
London press
The itshpresses still harp ON cruelty
and ferocity which our loyal comman.
ders are said 70 exhibit in their conduct
| of the w~ury No proofs arc given 20 sus-
tain the gations, which, we observe
are not recalled, even when the rumors
on which they are professedly based
have been proved destitute of truth
These things are only important as show
ing the spirit of our foreign accusers
And 20 put this in a clearer light, SAYS a
cotempoary, let us glance at some OF
those well known proceedings of British
armies which have never received the
condemnation of these British statesmen
and presses The City Of Badaios was
gallantly defended by the French against
Lord Wellington's troops, but was at
length captured. The consequence is
thus related by Colonel Napier
"NOw commenced the wild and des-
perate wickcdness which tarnished the
| lustre of the soldiers herOism. Shame
less rapacity, brutal interference, savage
lust, cruelty and murder, shrieks and
piteous lamentations, groans, shouts aud
imprecations, the kissing of fires, bursting
from the houses, the crashing of doors
and windows, the reports of muskets
used in violence, resounded for two days
and nights in the streets of Badajos. On
the third day, when the city was sacked
| when the soldiers were exhausted by
! their own eXcesses, the tumult rather sp5-
sided than was quelled. The wounded
men were then looked to and the dead
| buried"
These atrocities, il should be remem-
bered, were perpetrated, not on the
French, but on the innocent inhabitants
the allies of those who captured the city
and ought to have protected them. And
yet, men who never said word in public
about such affairs as this, have prOnounc.
ed General Buffers course at New Or.
leans as infamous" But Wellington
fought many years ago, and as our Eng.
lish friends insisted, in the Mason anC
Slidell case, that the precedents of old
times were good for nothing, we will
come down to the present day. Within
a few years England has had to subduc
a rebellion, just as we are doing now
Let us see how she went to work, anC
what example she set us. We have
sufficient authority in DIR. Russell, whC
has, in part, described both wars.
In his book entitled "My Diary in In.
dia," DR.. Russell says a French Officer
had complained of certain violences at
tributed TO some British officers in colo
blood. "But he should know" says tn,
Doctor, that there is no cold blood a
the sight of rebel" He then adds:
"When Neill marched from Allahadl lC
his executions were so numerous and in
discriminate that one of the officers at.
tached to his column had to remonstrat,
with him on the ground that ifhe depop
ulated the country no could get no sup
plies for his men,"
At Delhi a certain house was held BY
the rebels with a resOlute bravery which
DIR. Russell says, was worthy of beinJ
chanted in national song. But after th,
house had been completely perforated
by artillery, and entered, and most of th,
few remaining inmates dispatched-th
narrative proceeds thus:
zone of their number was dragged ou
TO the sandy plain outside the house; ht
was pulled by the legs 20 a convenient
place, where he was held down, pricked
in the face and body by the bayonets Of
some Of the soldiery, whilst others col.
loctcd fuel for a small pyre, and wher
all was ready--tRe man icQs roasted alire
There were Englishmen looking on
more than one officer saw il. No one Of
fered TO interfere. The horror Of this in.
ternal cruelty was aggravated by an at.
tempt Of the miserable wretch 10 escap,
when half burned TO death BY sud.
den effort he leaped away, and, with the
flesh hanging from his bones, ran for
few yards ere he was caught, brought
back, put on the fire again, and held
there by bayonets till his remains were
consumed
DIR. Russell refers 10 the hanging Of ,
relative Of Hindoo Prince, "under cir.
cumstances Of most disgusting indignity
while a chaplain stood by among th,
spectators" and he adds:
"All these kinds Of vindictiye, unchris
tian, Indian toTtures, such as SEWING
Mahommedans in pig-skins, smcarinl
them with pork fat before execution, ant
burning their bodies, aud forcing Hin
docs 70 deiile themselves. They ar
spiritual and mental tOrtures, TO whicl
we have no right to resort, and which u
dare not ps'Petrate IN the face Qf Eihtpe"
What a confession Is Ibis But wha
reader Of these extracts will not feel tha
it is 90 trueY To proceed, however,
Here are two brief extracts
"One of the civilians Of the station
who visited me, JOaste3 that he had hange,
fifty-four men in a few hours for plum
dering a village
la two days iorty-tWO men wer
hanged on the roadside, and batch q
twelve men were executed because thei
faces were turned the wrong way whe
they met on the march, Al the village
in his (Renaud's) front were burned whe
he halted
Recording a visit TO a particular Ia
cality, DIR, Russell says "Iheard a stor
which astonished mo-not the tale 5
much, for have heard many Of them
as the way il was told" This Is it, an
we think It will astonish others:
On a certain occasion a place wa
strongly occupied by the enemy. Ou
men carried il with great gallantry, an
bursting in, proceeded 10 kill all whol
they found inside, The work was nearl
completed when the officer perceived
number Of Sepoys crouching upon u
J fat roof Of the enclosure. They ha
been firing on our men, but seeing n