Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-15
FRIDAY MORNING. JANUARY 10, 1864.
CIVIL WAR.

from tine to time, by those epithets when
m .rk the resistance OF subjects to their law,
ful sovereign First it was sedition, next
aa nsurr-clion, aud OF les. i: has been for
naliy desi ,nstedj IL the annual address Of
th. President OF the United States, ~ "a ciTii
wac" We re, also, that the Queen Of
E ,giau3. in similar State paper, has EN-,
pl.ssd Tho same term Of description. 'Ac-
cord.ns CO the ground impudently assumed, ny
ou: cnen.sS, the war corresponds with the
d,faiticc OF the Law Of nations: when u
party il formed III State. who no longer
obey the sovereign, and are possessed OF sur'
lie eat strength TO oppose him-cr when, in e
Il pubGt, The ,.icn Is divided into two oppo.
size taeIiuns, aud both sides take up arms,
.ais is Gale; "a civil war; "Wheu nation
becomes divided into two parties absolutely
Independent. and no longer acknowledging n
souroa superior, the State is dissolved, and
the wu1 between Tie two parties stands On the
sllIe grounds. in every resrecs. IS Il. public
wer between two nsti0us.' "rhns there
exist 10 the same STATE two separate bodies
who Or, tend 10 absolute Independence, AMI
between uhcm there Is no ju;g,. They decide
their quarrel by arms, as two different nations
would d. The obligation to observe the
c,mn,n laws OF war towards each other il
therefore, absolute -indispensab!y binding on
both PARTIES, aud the same which the law c.
nature :npnses on all nations in transactions
between Site and State"
A. il bas bern thus laid down by the high
ct authority tha. the war between the two bel
lseIsntS etaLds oulhe same grounds. in every
re4, ect,asa pablo war bet cen two nations
't he, ONES proper 10 examine the application
.; the laws of war &c some points of m men
toaJ im portance TO our citizens. We will de-
no msTe than aliu l. to the treatment Of pris.
on'Y', VIII has been the occasion Of such
able and c nsla>ire exposition a. other hand.
i; is Sufficient 70 say upon that topic, that, il
The Y...ketS respected thelaw- Of natinns o.
OF humanity, they would at once resume n
regular Car 81. ard alleviate. by, every means
in her We, the suFr nys of those WHOM
The caaac:s Of wGr may have thrown into
their power, We pass, however, to another
subject.
Tao SOS o. HaT prohibit. and The jus.ics
Of oDsiise! nations viois with eternal oppro.
br.vn. those powers which lay waste, wan.
only. the country which they invade, and
4 stroy Il e works Of art and edit les of pub.
Ii. worship OF h .rity but the lnws Of war
aiosT il ja,iss which viii cripple the resources
Of an en.my, and, under the term booty"
tolerate r Ltery and thcf:.
TIE Yankee Governm ent however. whilst
prJ:csSiuc to treat the war as one waged for
che purpose iieating republican ins.itu
iious--s hiic il boa is that no incentive is ne
ce.saIs 70 FIJI its rank, save The holy spirit 0.
pasri0,i3m- takes care to assure it's citizens
and 10; daolders that they shall be indemni-
fed for the v2s: expense Of the war by gen
era, co f,caEion Vf The property Of the South.
err p9>ple, aud a'lures the nercenaries of 9TH
err lands By highly wrought pictures of The
plai DE-: 70 be derived from a devastated oaun.
Try. ) 1.-the accumulated plumber OF cam-
Ps:gn dcss not accrue to the government which
o,ncuctss,. ritit did,wouid IL ey fora day.
march Of The invading forces. 1t is wasted
10 e1e"ssFs, or goes TO increase the pay or i'm
prove Tie ratlons of the private soldier. Blu.
We prep Sc to consider the assumption oF
the enemy, US indicated in the passage Of VA
ri W. ar!. ot c5niscasion ard proclumatiors
aar.h:!a;ing tislo; that they have right
/, sriza aud grant deeds to tho real es-
ta,e of the people OF the South. Upon this
pr,oosition the law Of nations is just as e1-
llics as upsn others to which We have alIu-
id;
d, "The corgneroe, VINO takes a town or pro-
vince from his eusny, cAnaos justly acquire
over it any Other rights than such az belonged
10 the sovereign ag!inst whom be has taken
mp arms. Wsg adthor;z % him to possess
himself Of what belongs to his enemy; if he
deFrives hin Of the sovereignty of that town
or provirce, hs acquires it such az il is, with
all It's linitat tons snd notifications"
in the coaqueats Of ancient times" says
tho same authority "even individuals lost
their lands" 'BaS, at present, war is lees
dreadful in its cons quenccs TO the sutject.'
u ,,ters src conducted with more humanity:
The c)nqlsrer se;5es on the possessions of
tie Safe, The pubic property, whilst private
indisiGusls are permitted to retain theirs"
IN t,eaung this sahj .ct the virtuous author
breaks Into the allowing just nnathema
against those Hho may, contend for differ
oct d, ct:ipe: !"Svme, i,sys he, have dared to
aivancc the mnnstrcns principle, tho: the
esIQueror is absolute master Of Ills como uest
that ne may treat it as he pleascs; that he
mty treat &c "a his property; 'and hence
try derive cue Of the sources Of despotio gov
e,ime,t." But dieregerding such writers
who reduce zen TO the state Of transferable
gods cr beasts of lurdsn, let US argue on
prir cipl.s counseranced by ,easons, and con-
f.rma,le 10 humanity"
We have ciud these authorities 10 show
that ercn up: u the insane prerensions of our
eLemy, any idea that the spoNe of New Or
i.ans Of Ale1sndris, OF Memphis, Of Nor
folk, CT eur plantations upon thu Mississippi"
oh CD Andy johnson, ct Tennessee, proposes
TO besttw upon Immigrants, to be cultivated
with free labor, could never legally, under the
law of nstiJns, vest any title in tho robbers
and tyrants who may bessow them upon their
lawltss followers.
We night, If we deemed the suhjec. of
sufhciert consequence, go on to prove that, if
Lincoln should succeed, according tothe wild.
sn scht dule Of success ever contemplated by