The Portland daily press., 1864-04-28
The Murder Of colored Soldiers.

The Portland Advertiser of Saturday-the
Portland Advertiser, paper published in the
loyal, liberty-lovng State OF Maine-dares to
give utterance to the following infamous and
atrocious language in extenuation, nay, in d.
rect and unmistakable encouragement, Of the
inhuman and barbarous act OF the rebels in
numbering our colored soldiers at Fort Pill
low.
To attempt to characterize such language
were equally needless and impossible. The
utter rottenness and adamantine hardness of
the heart that could conceive, and the strange
perversity OF lips that conld give expression
TO sentiments SO base, would seem to settle
the question of total depravity in at least one
case in human history. Stripped of all its
guises the animus o. the following is sufli-
GENTLY patent and abhorrent:
"Dressing monkey in the uniform of the
government--even epauletts put upon his
shoulders, cannot convert the monkey into a
real soldier, and attach to him the rights and
immunities Of prisoner of war, if captured
on the field of battle. Now we don't under
stand the South as debating to the North as
to what classes of animated nature the latter
shall employ as soldiers. But we do under
stand the South as refusing 10 be dictated By
the North, into recognizing as soldiers every
such creature whom the North may elect to
employ as soldiers. When men are so en-
ployed, whose very nature and hatred as vic
tors incline them TO give no quarter, is it to
he expected that they will be accorded quar-
ter in return, when captured?
Suppose, as under Mr.. Van Buren's admin
istration in the Florida war, bloodhounds
should be employed to hunt the white men of
h. -
bloodhounds, If captured, seouid be spared
Or, II the man in command of them, and set
ting them on, were captured also, would you
expect him TO be spared by his captors% 1t
would be more than human justice dictates,
10 realize any such expectation.
Now we must look this matter square in the
face. Ii the United States elect to employ
barbarian means and agencies against the
South, they must expect barbarian usage in
turn, when the opportunity occurs for it, to
he South"
No wonder the South, in its mad endeavors
TO divide the Union, and destroy the temple
of liberty, now scouts the idea of help from
the nations of Europe. Aside from the ,ciu of
continental governments, the South has fully
learned that they dare not make the attempt.
Resting on a volcano themselves, las is mani
testify true OF the States of Europe) whose
heavings are plainly discernibe, the South
has at length discovered that affairs u home,
present and prospective, obviously require of
European powers theIy utmost vigilance and
the concentration ana husbandry of their
chiefest resources.
1t is vain, therefore, to look 10 that quarter
for substantial aid Nor is it necessary
Ample cooperation may be found on this con-
tinent. 1t is among the people against whom
the South madly contends. The Christian,
loyal city of Portland, baptized into the spirit
OF freedom, and ever rejoicing in the prog
ress Of human liberty, harbors and counte-
nances a deadlier foe to the North and to the
Union, and more effective fundamentally
for the South, than the bitterest and most i'm
placable enemy to our government that can be
found among the pampered aristocraces of
Europe.