New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-12-06
WAR AND ITS BEVASTATIONe.

| military commander has no more rlglt 10
take life or property wantonly than prae'
Whatever carnage or devastation he may peIpe'
pirate or authorize can be justified only by the
fact that it directly conduces, or is fully believed
| BIZ him to conducc, to the main purpose OF over
looming the armed resistance OF the enemy. II
| he burns or rifles q house, or authorizes any
subordinate to burn or rifle it, when no military
end is thereby subserved, be is as much
brgand as though be had never held commits
sion. He may justlfiably take food or forage,
fuel or timber, or whatever else may contribute
to the efficiency and progress of bis army, or
may cripple the operations Of his foe; but he
has no more right generally to plumber ard
| burn, sack and ravage, in hostile country than
| in his own native town. For War has It's laws
as well as Peace and their object is to attain
great and necessary ends at the least possible
cost.
We believe these truths have been very gen.
orally respected By the commanders on both
sides throughout our great Civil War. The sack
by Quantrell of Lawrence, (Kansas); the burn
prised, unarmed peaceful, delenseleSs citizens,
furnish the most conspicuous exception TO the
general rule. II was very fragrant outrage,
which in no manner subscryed any legitimate
military end while it doubtless damaged the
Rebel cause by its wanton barbarity.
Speaking generally, the main Rebel armies have
not marked their course through loyal S.ates
| By needless devastation. Maryland has usually
suffered less than might fairly have been antici
pated by two successive grand invasions under
Lee. They took food aud forage, of course;
they gathered up horses and cattleto the extent
of their ability; but they rarely destroyed prop
erty when no military end was thereby achieved.
The burning Of Hon. Thaddus Steyens's extern
siye iron works near Gettysburg was probably
justified by the nature of their product-ron
being a vital element of military strength
while the con1agratiOn Of Chambersburg was
lpaced expressly on the ground OF retaliation 10!
the alleged deYastations of Gen. Hunter. Yet
Gen. II. ayers that no act Of wanton devastation
was committed or authorized by him-that he
DESTROYED only Confederate munitions of war;
save that Gov. Lctchcr's house was burned
because no issued proclamation calling on
lctizers not in uniform nor under military
J organization TO "bushwack" our army, firing
ct any stray soldier from the shelter Of thickets,
woods or fences-a practice which no command
er ever tolerates. Yet this was made by Rebels
the pretext for burning the country house OF
H. u.oJc.rJ ,oar Il ojt;,noro aud fh AZ nj Post.
Master General Blair, just out Of Washington.
Yet it has not seemed possible TO make the
Rebels understand that tho rights Of war arc
reciprocal-that whatever one party may JUST.
fably do may as properly be done by the other
that, if the Union accords the rights of war to
Rebels in arms, they must accord them like
wise to those fighting on our side; that il roc do
not hang captured Tennesseeans, Missourians
or Georgans, as rebels, they must practice equal
forbearance and 80 to the end Of the chapter.
Very early in the struggle, the village of
Hampton, Virginia, was reduced to ashes. Sup
posing this ~ be the work Of our forces, clamOr
against its reckless barbarity was raised by the
Rebels, until it transplred that it was ordered
by Gen. Magruder as measure OF annoyance
to our side, when it was deemed all right
When Gen. Sherman commenced his advance
from Chattanooga into Georgia, they compelled
nearly the entire population TO accompany or
prccede their retreating armies. Not a human
being, white or black, was willingly left behind
that could be Of any use to US; and Of course
no food was left that could be carried of or
destroyed. This was rather harsh, but it was
war, and we did not complain. Yet when Gen.
Sherman, having captured Atlanta, ordered its
inhabitants to eyacuate it, alleging q military
necessity therefor Gen. Hood raised a howl
against the order as one Of une1ampled ferocity
Having conscnpted every able-bodled white
into his army, and left their families TO be sub
sisted by us, he thought it their right to remain
and our duty to subsist them just where they
could burden and annoy us most. Every ont
, had free choice to come North or 60 South; al
= who chose to come North were proiered trans
T pcrtstioa 10 Nashville or Louisville; everything
was done that could be to soften the rgor Of thu
{ e. action; yet Sherman was denounced ant
, berated as on, who delighted in agony ant
+ wrctchedness.
, So row, when Gen. Grant directs the rcmova
of oil families In the rear of his lines irem stril
,IGye miles IN Width, q cry is suat ID BY tn