The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-11
The Rebel Army Brutal and Bloody
Punishment,


Amongst the proceedings of the rebel
Congress, on the 26th of January last, we
find the following;
Mr.. Perkins, of Louisiana, introduced
a resolution of inquiry, touching the pro-
ceedings of certain courts martial, and
requesting the Secretary of War to state
under which of the rules and regulations
for the government of the army of the
Confederate States, private l.. B. Sey-
mour, Company T., 50lh North Carolina
Regiment, was sentenced for desertion, 10
receive thirty-niDe lashes on his bare
back every three months for the period OF
the war; TO be branded in the left hand
with the letter ID, and to be put 10 hard
labor in Richmond, with ball and chain,
for the balance Of the war.
Mr.. Perkins, desire to know whether
such punishment as that indicated 10 the
resolution is in accordance with law or
not. If there is any law to justify it,
then say such law is disgrace 10 us,
and oulrages the cOmmonest sediments Of
human nature. The case referred TO in
the resolution was only one Of number
Of the same sort. He had been informed
that the like disgraceful and inhuman
punishment had been adjudged in ten
cases by cOurts-martial.
We hope the secessionists Of Nashville,
subject TO the rebel conscription law, who
are solicitOus for the recapture of Nash
vile, by the brutal BRAGG, will not fail
to "read and inwardly digest the state
meut of Mr.. PEREINs. Ten consc1pts
sentenced to receive thirty mine lashes
on their bare backs every three months
for the period of the war; TO be branded
in the left hand with the letter d, and TO
be put to hard labor, with ball and chain,
for the balance of the war; and for no
other offence than attempting to escape
from an involuntary servtce--from chains
forged at the instance of despotism
which shames the age in which we live
Death, even such death as the murderous
BRAGG vouchsafes to those who violate his
orders, were preferable TO such fate.
No human creature, with the least spark
of manhood left, could hesitate as to a
ohoice. No wonder REUBEN DAVIS de-
clared in the rebel Congress, he would
rather be a negro than victim to the
conscript law!
Whilst Mr. PERKINS is making inquir-
les relative 10 the ten cases he cites, he
should, if his heart is honestly in the
work, turn his eyes TO the West and
Southwest, the theatre Of BRACES opera
tions, and ascertain whether that officer
has done nothing to "outrage the COM
monest sentiments of humanity" On
the trip last year from Tupello to Ken
lucky and back into Tennessee, he had
several men shot, at Murfreesboro' he
had five others executed, and we learn of
several other victims to his thirst for
blood, sin'e, at Shelbyville. In some of
these cases the offence was trivial, in
others desertion. Let Mr.. PERKINS take
BRAcG in tow also. If ever man deserv-
ed the halter, he does.
The submission of the Southern peo-
pie to the CONSUMPTION law, aud to these
punishments, is one of the saddest COM
mentaries on the degeneracy Of the Sec
ton. II has been the boast Of the South
erner that his section possessed more than
an ordinary share Of the spirit Of indie
pendenee and freedom. But they bow
TO the oppressive law aud the tyrannie
punishments of Military upstairs with
a measure of humility that raises a
doubt whether they be indeed sons Of
the brave men who resisted British OPP
preston. They appear TO have yielded
up their independence Of freedom with
out an effort to maintain it, It is sad
thing to see a once noble people thus de.
scend from their "high estate" II they
would avert the doom which awaits them
the deprivation, for all future time, Of
their liberties, they must hasten to take
shelter again under the @gis of the
Union under which they prospered as
man never prospered before, and whose
authority bore so lightly upon them
that they never felt its weight.