Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-08
DAILY LEADER.
The Richmond VVnIg on Tne Attempt
10 Burn New York.
From the Richmond Whig, Dec. 2.

ANAA thl AA4NAAA0LA WAA5f 6Nea -
We are rather sorry that the man with
the black valise commenced bus operations
in New York We may say that we, are
sorry he tried his hand On New York ct
all, or at least under present circumstan-
ees. Had he succeeded, be would per-
haps have effected the destruction of
| great part of the commercial metropolis of
Yankeedon but it is not against the
commercial metropolis of Yankeedom that
Southern hostility is at this moment dir
eetsd, Ifthere Is any place in the North
that ought 70 be spared, that place is New
York. Not that its population is over
friendly TO US but that IT. is undeniably
hostile to Lincoln and his government.
Lincoln was beaten just about two to one
at the late election in New York city :.
and this fact, let us interpret AIcClellan's
views IS we please, takes the people Of
that city out of the category of those san
culinary foes of the South who are preach
ing universal murder and exterminatioR,
and who wildly applaud the savage war
fare waged against this eonfederacy by
such men as Butler, Sheridan, Sherman,
Turchin, Payne and McNiel. New York,
by voting for Mcclellan, expressed her
disapprobation Of the kind of warfare that
Lineoln's party urges and that Lincoln's
generals wage. New York may be in
favor Of war but she would conduct war
on civilized principles and consequently
has not made herself liable to that Just re-
tribution which ought to be visited on the
other. Yankee cities. We hope, therefore,
that the gentleman Of the black valise will
resolve to let New York alone, and turn
his attention 70 cities more eninently de-
serving it-Boston, for instance, or Phila-
delphia. The destruction Of places like
these would be something like an approx
innate equivalent for the atrocities that
-Xazlzoo- -azzaina -haza committed in the
South. It would show that the South has
means of defending herself against the
system of universal arton employed by
the Yankees which would prove, perhaps,
even more efficscious than the direct pun
ishment of the perpetrators. OF course
we do not intend to enter into any argu-
ment as to the right or wrong of this mat
ter. We know that arson is a yery
wicked thing but we know likewise that
it ceases to be wicked when employed in
their own defense, by people who have
been made its victims for three long aud
weary years. From one end of this con.
federacy TO the other, the eharred and
blackened ruins of homestesds and towns
bear testimony to the unsparing ferocity
of our enemies in the use of the torch But
when their cities are threatened, their
own property imperiled, their own homes
in danger of the consuming fire, they dis
cover that arson is very horrible crime.
1t is a pity they had not made the discov-
cry sooner. The man with the black
valise is among them, and will not be exor-
cised. He is ubiquitous. He can be at
eight different New York hotels in one
night and there is no reason why he
shonld not be in half 3 dozen Yankee |
cities at the same time. &
They may imagine for q moment, that
they have caught him; but he will eluds
Their grasp, aud defy their vain efforts
either to arrest his person or bztie his at
tempts His plans are sOslL laid bat l0s
cannot help expressing the wish thai he
l0iH not again try to coasHmmate them
in NeaO York for the present @