Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1864-08-24
Southern View Of the Burning
Gs Misunderstanding.


The feeling Of magnanimous forbcar-
ance Is at length exhausted Over
wrought humanity has quilted the mercy
scat and givon place to the spirit o. re-
v,nrn. We are Christians, LONG sGtiag-
in and iarbearing Christians. We aTe
5o!ile.s, chira!roas aaI humane; Int we
are also luon, with ,he E.r.. ~, moral or
ij-at..1- u!i ri..E- 81 mon. !u.,a be-
fore have we ia;a.eI lennsy. .yuni:
tWioe he!@r" have ,,- captured Chambers
burg; twice ere ibis have we hs.i ,ila cp-
portunity to rctaliate upon Pennsylvania
the ten thousand cruel and inhusuan
atrocities committed by the Fedog"l troops
in the South.
On each occasion, in pursuance Of a
lust retaliation and without violating the
laws of war. we might have bnrnci her
cities and laid waste with fire and sword
the rich and bcautifad valley OF the Cum
bcrlani. In this densely poopled, hin@hly
improved and fertile valley We might have
destroyed and carried eff more private
property. burnt more houses, turned out
OF doors TO siarve. more women and chill
drcn, and inflicted. in every form, more
human misery and wretchcdness in a
week than could the Federals III : month
in any section Of ike extent in the South.
We macnanimously iorborc to DO so,
as we do not war upon women. HE
piteous appeals Of the weak and defense
less melt and unncrve the sterncst and
grimmcst soldiers, and we yield to pity
what we would not surrender to force
We are too proud to be cruel, too proud
to tread upon the worm; to break the
bruised reed, to insult and oppress the
weak and downfalen. On each OF the
former occasions we should, as an act OF
evcn-handed Justice, have rctalIated ON
PENNSYLVANIA the savage atrocities she
has helped to inflict upon the South.
We should thereby have taught the
North the salutary lesson that savage war
fare is q game that two can play at.
Had we done it Is probable that she
wonll have abstained in some measure
from parpetrating the murders, arsons,
rapas. and robberios that still mark with
inhimv the march Of her armies through
the South We may operate or her fear,
but not on her humanity or sense oi jus
t;re. We 10 doubt hoped that the eX-
ample of our generous aud Christian Tor
bearance, our chivairy and humanity, our
respect for the usuages Of civilized war
fare and national law, would not be lost
upon them, and that, in future, they
would initiate our example, and conduct
the invasion OF the South more like clIi-
lied men and Christious, and less like
demons and sayagcs-but we hoped IN
vain.
Their subsequent couIse has been more
IN Christian, more openly violative OF the
laws of war, the iniunctions of Christi
anitv and the feelings of humanity than
/ II was before we thus spared them y
course of duty-duty no longer TO be ne
elected or delayed-accounts for, and VIII
! forever Justify the burning Of Chambers
burg. This is but the beginning OF the
end. We know that this burning Will
render YOU more cruel than cyer-that
YOU will try to lay waste the entire SOUTH
to subiugate it, to confiscate our lands
to make your negro soldiers police guarc
to insult, watch and rule henative whites
Nine out of ten of our men and all o
our women, would prefer death to sucl
s,1biugation You have not made us dcs