The Portland daily press., 1862-08-23
The Rebels object to their own Medicine

The Rebels object to their own Medicine.
Our readers are familiar with the recent Or
ders of Gen. Pope against guerillas and those
who, not wearing the garb of soldiers or be-
longing to the organized forces of the enemy,
contrive to get in the rear of our lines to rob
and murder struggling Union soldiers. They
are also familiar with his stringent orders in re-
lation to those who molest our trains, destroy
bridges and telegraph lines, and commit other
outrages disgraceful to civilized people and re-
voting to humanity.
They know, too, the retaliatory measures
set on foot by jeff Davis; his order to make
Pope and his subordinate officers outlaws, and
to deny them, in case of capture, the ordinary
treatment of prisoners ofwar, to put them in
close confinement, and to put them to death
in case any rebel guerilla suffers under Popes
order.
Now this is refreshingly cool on the part of
Davis and his associates, in view of their own
acts Of infamy and inhumanity. Who that has
read Brownlows recently published book, and
noted the barbarites perpetrated in East Ten
nessee by authority of the Confederate govern
ment, is not familiar with the brutality to
which the Union citizens of that locality were
exposed, for no crime except that of venerat-
ing the old flag, and betraying willingness to
die in its defence!
The following is one of the orders issued by
the Confederate Secretary of War, and it is
needless TO say that it was acted upon in all
its disgusting and infamous details:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Richmond, November IS, 1861.
STR:-Your report Of the goth inst, is re-
ceved, and now proceed to give you the de-
sired Instructions in relation to the prisoners
taken by you among the traitors of East Ten
nessee
First. All such as can be identified in having
been engaged in bridge burning are to be tried
summarily by drum-head court-martial. and, if
found guilty, executed on the spot by hanging.
IL ocoutd be tceif TO iedre their bodies hdnginq
in the vicinity Of the burnt bridges.
Second. All such as have not been so en-
gagged are to be treated as prisoners of war and
sent with an armed guard to Tuscaloosa, Ala
bama, there to be kept imprisoned at the de-
pot selected by the Government for prisoners
of war;
Whenever you can discover that arms are
concentrated by these traitors, you will send
In no case is one of the men known to have
been up in arms against the Government to be
released on any pledge or oath of allegiance.
The time for such measures is past. They are
to be held as prisoners of war, and held in iail
till the end of the war. Such as come in vol
unfairly, take the oath of allegiance, and sur
render their arms, are alone to be treated with
leniency.
Your vigiant execution of these orders is
earnestly urged by the Government
Your obedient servant,
j. +. BENJAMIN, Sec'y Of War.
Col W. B. WooD, Knoxville, Tenn.
L. S.-Judge Patterson Col. Pickens, and
other ring-leaders of the same class must be
sent at once TO Tuscaloosa to jail as prisoners
of war.
Commenting on this infamous order, the
Washington National Intellengencer says:
Nor was any lenity shown in East Tennes-
see to the women and children of such Union
men as had fled the State. In proclamation
which we have before us, addressed "to the
disafected people of East Tennessee by Col.
w. M. Churchwell, Provost Marshal at Knox
vile, 1t is ordered under date of April 23 1862
that all refugees who fail to return to their
homes and accept the amnesty offered on con-
dition OF laying down their arms and acting
as'loyal citizens" shall shave their wives and
children sent to their care in Kentucky, or be-
yond the Confederate State lines at their otrn
expense" 1t is added that the families of all
who leave after the date of this proclamation
Twill be sent Immediately after them.v The
women and children must be taken care of bv
husbands and fathers, either in East Tennes-
see or in the Lincoln Government. Such are
the tender mercies" of the Confederate mill
tary authorities, and such their respect for the
right of domicil ofinoflensiye women and chill
dren who have husbands or fathers in exile for
their loyalty to the National Government.
In the face Of such an exhibition we submit
that Gen. Davis should make some public re-
cantation of his past policy before he proceeds
to arraign Gen. Pope on the charge Of 'inhu-
manity." For the credit of the nation it is to
be hoped that neither party to this contest will
permit it to degenerate into "a violent and re-
morseless revolutionary struggle" But if this
latter is to be prevented guerrilla raids, and
the private assassination of sick soldiers like
Gen. McCook, must be abandoned in the in
terest of the Confederate Government, and, il
Gen. Davis hopes to procure any relaxation of
the stringent orders of Gen. Pope, we may be
permitted to suggest that he is more likely to
attain the end by instructing his subordinates
in East Tennessee to change their cruel prac-
-tices than by threatening to retaliate on men
who-and it is the worst that can be said
against them-are merely borrowing the
bloody Instructions" which he has already
taught.
Franklin County Republican Convention.
The Republican Convention for Franklin
County, for the nomination of State Senators,
and County officers, assembled at the Court
House in Pennington, at 10 o'clock A. NJ, on
the 2lst inst.
The committee on credentials reported one
hundred and twenty-five delegates present.