Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-08-03
MORNING LEADER.
MONDAY MORNNG. August 5, is6s.


When Charles Sumner gave, in the
United States Senate, his disquisitiOn upon
the barbarie features and tendency of
slavery, the Shareholders gnashed upon him
with their teeth, and gave utterancs to
many fendish howl, while numerous
Northern conservative timidities, with
bated breath, deprecated his severity and
rashness, declaring the picture o7erdrawn.
But the developments Of tnis war, all along,
hsve shown that the picture was not over
drawn, and indeed could not be. The half
had not been told. The slavebolders' re-
belliOn has brought to light barbarous,
bloOd-thirsty and hendish cruelties, unex-
eelled by any act of savage atrOeity of
which we have any record. And, now,
the chivalry of Charleston, South CARROLL
na, add their chapter Of refinement in saw
age and barbarian practices AMI cruelties.
Late dispatches tell US that rebel officers
are excessively e1asperated at being at
tackled by the 54ih (colored) Massachusetts,
Regiment On being asked for the body of
Colonel Shaw, the rebel reply was: "He
has been burned along with his niggers."
And again:
The officers and men Of the 54th Mas
saehusetts (colored) Regiment will not be
given up to US, and unofficial reports say
the negroes have been sold into slavery,
and the officers treated with unmeasuTed
abuse. In fact all cur wounded at Charles
ton have been treated most baFbarously.
Opportunities to amputate we're eagerly
seized upon by rebel surgeons, and opera
tions Of the kind were performed in cases
of the slightest gun-shot wounds"
It is all right for the " chivalry' to en-
plOy negroes to fight their battles, and col
Ored men are being impressed into the
rebel service at Charleston, but for COlOred
troops to fight the battles of the Union is
highly exssperating' to the chivalry of
Charleston.
Neither they, nor their white officers, are
to be treated according to the acknowledged
rules Of civilized warfara-no quarter is to
be given to colored troops-they are to be
slaughtered, or sold into slavery
Bravery and intrepidity make no favor
able impression upon these semi bsrbar-
ians. The body of the gallant Shaw, with
those of his heroic troops, are refused hon
ors5le or decent sepulture. The reply to
the request for the body Of Colonel Shaw
is: He has been burned ,Oith his niggsrs."
And our white soldiers are hacked and
mutifatsd by rebel surgeons with all the
unfeeling, refined cruelty Of savage mon
sters.
This stste of fasts throws important and
grave responsibilities upon the United
States Government. If its warfare is with
savages, who ignore all the claims of hu-
mauity, and all the usages of modern, and
so-called civilized warfare, they must be
treated accordingly.
By what mode of retaliation these bsr-
barians may be successfully reached, it
may be difficult for Government swayed
by Christian, civilized and humane i'm
pulses to determine. But one thing is
certain, the Government by suitable retail
iatory measures, is bound in honor, in hu-
manity, and in justice, to protect its col
Ored batialiOns from the savage outrages
and atrocities heaped upon these victims
OF merOiless cruelty by an unfeeling, re-
lentless foe.
The Government should secure to its
oOlored troops the advantages which the
rules and usages Of ordinary warfare pre-
scribe; or, having neither the will, nor the
power 10 do this, it should cease to enroll
such in its ranks. No longer can these
barbarities be tolerated. The Government
must, and doubtless will, move promptly
in tho matter. For every eolored soldier
sold into slavery, q white rebel officer or
private should be consigned for life to q
Northern penitentiary, or some penal col
ony. But a rebel leg olnnot well be cut
off for every needless mutilation of a Union
soldier. The lea tqliOnis can scarcely go to
the extent Of an eye for an eye, and a
teeth for q tooth, and, yet, these rebel,
savage barbarians should not be, must not
be, permitted to run riot unchecked, in
the perpetratiOn of these horrid and devil
ish barbarities.
Charleston, par szesElsnes, the acknowl-
elged seat and model Of chivalric refine.
ment is pre-eminently the place, above all
others, for the atrOciOus spirit Of the op-
pressOrs Of men to crop out in all its hide
Gus deformity. IT, in the chances, changes
and fortunes Of war, this hot-bsd Of aris.
tocraey, oppression and slavery, this 70.
menter Of treason and rebellion, should be
raEed to the ground, blotted from the maj
Of existence, and salt sOwn upon its fouI
site, We feel that there would be no occa.
sion deeply to mourn.