The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-05-14

The barbarian It Richmond u wofse
than that Of the darkest corner Of The ~.
eldom. The confederate leaders arc mem
ferocious savages than the most ignorant
and debased Of their soldiers. The mea
who massacred our troops at Fort Pillow
it in the heat Of passion ut the stu6bos1
resistance, the loss inflicted upon then,
and the fact that they were fighting mso
who were lately slaves. That they mahe
this apology shows at least some sense u
the monstrous cowardice. and cruelty u
their bloody deeds. But the Richindhd
leaders, looking at the scene from dis-
lance, not only fail 70 ofier any excuse q
apology, but cody and deliberately justify
and applaud 1t. The Richmond EsqsdrT
and E1aminer represent the opinions and
feelings Of the rebel leaders, and they
sneer at the indignation Of the loyal pres
over the atrocities at Fort Pillow, and de.
clare that "they dihnsed . warm and
soothing glow through the veins Of every
lure is this Of southern civilization, u
southern chivalry, drawn by the South j.
self. Prisoners Of war MANNED and slaugh-
tered with every ingenuity of torture, and
a whole people, calling themselves civil
lied and Christian nation, approving and
exulting in the crime. In truth, We are
fighting with savaGes. We may call them
QUIZ 1OlSRUlOoU OOUtUeIU OIetOIOUs
hope for reconciliation and Peace. but thsss
can be neither peace nor safety till the men
who are capable Of such atrocities are ex.
terminated or thoroughly subjugated. The
poor whites of the South, who are but -
instruments Of the rebel leaders, may -
capable Of civilization under better ini3u.
ences, but the men Of intelligence and ~
Gro Of prisoners and urge on their dupes y
crimes that astonish the civilized world
are beyond recovery. They are like infur3-
ated beasts, and the general safety requifts
their speedy destruction. "fs4a -
Admitting every possible plea for the reb-
els for the outrage at Fort Pillow its essen
@ thar y No. see sns s
zens, traitors 70 the confederate cause and
deserters from the confederate armies, and
the negroes their own slaves in insurrec-
ton against their lawful masters, they
should at least have treated them accord
ing to their own civil and military codes.
After their surrender, if these men were
what the rebels claim, they might have
tried and shot those who were really de-
serters, dealt with SUCH OF them a. were
proved traitors to the confederacy accord
ing 10 law, and given up the fugitive slaves
to the tender mercies of their masters, sor
punished them according 70 law, if there ID
law to meet the case. There is nothing in
the cOnOltlOn Oh eltnef class that OeQ0& 10
Justify or palliate their murder while pris-
oners of war, even if we admit all that the
rebels claim. a stv n.t4.t
There can be no doubt now that the rebel
leaders have fully. determined upon this
ferocious style of warfare, and that the
slaughter at Fort Pillow will be repeated,
wherever Southern Union soldiers. white
ar black, fall into the hands Of the reb0ls.
It Is the means deliberately chosen to in
timida'e our Southern and negro soldiers
and drive them from the ranks. And it
will have that tendency unless met byAhe
boldest retaliation. Retaliation NAV in.
crease the evil for = time, but there is now
no other course. The government cannet
the services of thousands Of Southern white
men and negroes, and it must compel the
rebels to treat them a. legitimate soldien
No matter about the laws Of war. II he
rebels insist that they have right % make
distinctions between the different clasD0 Of
our troops. We cannot stop to discuss tho
question now. The, matter has passed out
Of the region of discussion, and must b
settled by main force. We must protect
every soldier We employ, and We must
make this purpose manifest at once, or .the
sebel savaGes will grow holder still In their
cruelty and revenge. Let not The govern
ment be too careful and delibeeato 1nt.thi
matser. Everything depends upoA. -
striking back quickly and heavily. II ~
are 70 have Moody massacres instead Of
battles leg them net all b On ons sids.-
nprssOsesd Repsoaeas. tsl senos