Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-09-11

federdte founded Their Treatment,
ETC.
To the Editor Of the Neo York Times
ARE WE A CHRISTIAN PEOPLE. AND AS SUCH
RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTS OF RULERS?
To one whose conscience is not wholly
scared, and whose heart yet throbs to SEN
timent Of honor. this question is very i'm
portant one We call ourselves Christian
.natiot, and we profess to follow the max
inns Of our Great Head, who enjoins bis dis
ciples, Love your enemies, bless them
which curse you, pray for them which des-
pitefully use you All Of the Abolition
lists Of the present DAY pretend Ii Base their
faithsdpcn tie Golden Rule. but the Ad-
riilnistratioD they have placed in power
make an important change in the law as
laid down by Moses and repeated by Christ,
and act upon it as if given in this form
DO unto others (f negroes) as ye would
that they should do to you To white
"rebels," as they are called, this rule is not
supposed to apply. Let us take few in
stances in point to prove this. We CON-
mence with the department of General
Schenck. Perhaps it may be considered
hardly fair to take him as the tetepsenta-
tive Of tie views OF the Administration, but
who upholds him in his power? Is not Mr..
Lincoln responsible for thu acts Of lis sub.
ordinate, particularly when he is fully en-
lightencd as to what these acts are? No
one has denied or attempted to palate his
course in regard to blind John Glenn, who
was arrested on the merest suspicion and
sent South Without even being allowed a
servant to lead him. Although forced to
90 to City Point, he refused to take the
OATH of allegiance to the South. claiming
that lie Vas citizen Of the United States,
and was, consequently, sent back to the
tendet inercies of General Schenck. who has
not vet decided what further cruelties are
IN store for him.
The ca Of the causeless turning; out Of
doors Of Col. Waring and his family is fa-
uiliar 10 all. and bis recent exploits Of ar
resting all the mourners quietly attending
The burial of Confederate officer, and
marching them through the streets to his
headquarters for daring to show that mark
Of respect to a deceased friend, and detain-
ing them there without shadow of cause, to
crafty his spleen, has excited even among
bis own party, feelings Of profound contempt
which they fave not beet allow to express.
Fine would fail to record one 1.-THE Of his
deeds, which brings disgrace upon us as
people. Is the heaping of Insult and indig
nifty on every arrested person part of our
national programme? Must the attempt
be made to disgrace gentlemen in the eyes
)of the mob merely because they are gentle
men? Take the case Of Mr.. Colin Maken-
zie, the son of one Of the first physicians Of
Baltimore. He was arrested on the suspi-
cion of being about to raise a company to &c
South Not a shadow of evidence could be
found against hini; yet be was kept in con
Gncment BY Gen. schenck, and ordered to
clean out the area in frort of the Gilmore
Houss, facing one Of the most public duares
of tie city Does this come under the bead
Of military punishment fdf persons arrested
on suspicion Can We wonder that Mr.
Mackenzie should send back word: sSchenck
can put baynot through ME at pleasure.
but caunot force me to clean that area )"
aud can we wonder. knowing General
Schenck. that this Vas folldNed by his sep
ara.on from his family, and expulsion to
the South? Yet is there law or justice, or
even decency, in this.
But, perhaps, NO case Can compare in
wantoh uialignity with that Of the treatment
Of the Rev Mr.. Harrison, the father in law
of the Rev Dr. Hoge, and brothgr in Law
Of the Rev Dr. Backus, the we'll known
Union clergyman ofthe Presbyterian church
in Baltimore This reverend gentleman
pays large taxes on property in. the United
Statesg but upon being asked if he had prop
erty in Virginia. and answering in the AFR
native he was required to make out a list
of it that it might be taxed also. On pre-
senting it to the official, he made the remark
that it seemed rather hard that he should
pay taxes on property from which he derit-
ed no incothe He was arrested on a charge
Of Unreasonable utterances, confined 10 a
small room with six others. kept there for
! several DAYS was tried, but allowed to en-
plo1 no counsel If he attempted to speak
for himself, Don Piatt. tie worthy tool of
his prototype. Gen. Schenck; shook his fist
in his face; cursing him aud calling hiul
focl and liar. On Sunday, betweea one
and two o'clock P NJ , this venerable min
lister, sixty three years Of age, was marched
down under broiiing sun, With a gang of
deserters, to Fort McHenry, distance of
between two and three miles from the Gil
more house When be reached there he
was SO utterly exhausted that be dropped
to the earth, where he was suffered to lie,
without morsel Of food or drop Of water,
till the following morning. Well may We
exclaim, as we read Of tie treatment Of this
gray haired preacher Of the Gospel; .sOh,
Christianity. where is thy blush p
| If We turn to the treatment Of wounded
prisoners in our hospitals, shame must man
tie our checks when Fort Delaware i
brought to our recollection Between 10
and II, 600 prisoners are there confined
aud these have been dying at the rate d
from seven to Is per day. because COMPEL
ed to drink the brackish ditch water, which
insures disease aud almost certain DEATH
Such strong representations have been made
by Federal surgeons Of the brutality Of thi
measure that some water is new dali
brought from Ire Brandywiue, though no
near enough to supply tire prisoners. Fhet
| il not sheet or pillow in the hospital
there. and the sick and wounded prisoner
are only supplied with army rations --har
t,nly ond f.t c..lf Anrk ssTf tbino ano,yl,