Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-10-14
The Spirit Of the Enemy.

The Spirit Of the Enemy.
This Il q war Of eX;erninatOn. The order Of Grant
70 Sheridan, executed By that Officer with rsmorselefs
severity, was not wanting to convince Us that the OBJ
sCE Of our easmy to e1sPate the Inhabitants OF the
Confederate States and to settle up the country with
Yankees ard negroes. The whole course OF the war
especially since the Emancipation Proclamation OF Lin
con bears nconsestAoe testimony to the-design which
ID further strengthened BY he revelations OF tAe North
sEn pres and the utsrGnoss Of every man connected
with the party nov paramount IN tia unry who mas
addressed the public since that event. Toe Yankees
are peculiarly sensitive to the opinion Of the world, and
II was 70 ihusnos thai opinion and 60 JUSTLY the fore
gone oOnel i'm of their Cover msnt that they IN
vented all tho5s fAlsshoods respecting the treatment
of their prisoners AMI The OF Gnelr negro sol
dlers To g. same cad Wss iaorolsd lbs arOciOus lie
with regard 70 Ehe ds4th OF ahlsTsn, who WAS killed
In night attack BY our troops, when ii was ~ dark
that /. was impossible 10 Distinguish one person from
another tu Who WAS represented by the Yankees as
having bsel deliberately murdered in Tie BROAD light u
day. To the same end A's the Yankee poFulAce coz
tnuay stimulated BY their press with tales OF COnfede
rate s!roSy, Whel, in min y -line Cut Of
hundred are pure Inventions ard in the hundredth
only true in 90 far Is the is oae o.
Yankees. Tle design is to get up case
which may justify aly excess Of orselsy they may
think 10 perpelrAts in sac eyes OF the Wor.d in
der that under iI Shelter, hsy az carry out their pre-
CO ermined schemes Of murder AID devastation. Ii
they can induce Elrops ID behave that each instances C
dsHbsEa.s alosiIy il only case Of jos: reIibu.ion
their vanity and ambition receives ample satisfaction
aud the Ysakes nation becomes the and rressl-
be Nsnsas o. the Continent treadng the path Of Vel
gssaes with swift and esrlin s.ep Sad with remorst
less justice CKls6ng Asoasmsnt from the wrong icer
even in the hggr OF bis triumph. II the Yankee pee
pe can pace them elves in that mpOenE attitude bs
fore the world, is vii Crafty their vanity no doub
bu. their hatred Of Us and hesr ST c.oa for on, pe
sessions, ara pass SzOlgsr With them than
their vanity. They are prepared to s1.erminate the
population Of those Safes regardless Of tbs opinion Of
mankind.
Our press hss been ia tbs hlbi. Of GsssDg tho Yam
KEGS with all name. Of abusive epihels. /. does no
pareleof good Whatever l. rather tickles their pride
to be told Of hair Atrocities since the very fac. that
they can commit them with inpani.g s a proof of their
power LIE. u cease teat prisoners of war those
msn Who who are sent here to burn mills snd WhsA
sacks, and to starve women and children. They
thre;ten retaliation upon prisoners, whenever We
attempt 70 ra;alAse upon them foE their cold booded
murders, their hOu,o-bu,ningl their destruction Of
cFoys, ami their erua.es 10 women And children
We feel dsspy for prisOasr, bu Is is evident that
Il We yield - threats Of tbs kind Wo shall never coz.
rect the terrible ev OF VII ca 40 re tbs victims We
do not believe that retaliation would cause the deA.h
of sngls prisoner, because We have in cur hard,
prisoners of hsis UPON whom Ee e,n vsiI everything
they upon u Bui shss 10 specially desire il to
10 see tasr country sJbjeted 20 tbs same sort Of
treatment hey visiting upon ours. l. cannot but
l1p9en tho ecuao Of the war, which promises to be
long enc, that shall Sglin become temporary mas
tiers of some portions Of their territory. should that
happsn We Should remember What cur couse has been
On former Ike occl3ols and What has been the Teuru
We hops not ons house. VII be lsit standing, or one
bads OF grass growing, hereafter, IN any Yankee dis
tic: that may ia in oar hauds. With regard to the
rlaudsrs of the Valley, and all such, convinced
taa, the only WsJ al with them 80 hang them IL
clush and TO give them qulrter the hsld of bat
ts. If are to be sI.erniaatei, lie. cur e1tsrmiBa-
ton o9s. the enemy as much possible Do not let
then clay us and not cay them in return.
The people Of the Valley have, in general, bssn true
pat.o.s. B It thero bsve been some among them WHO
would not cok a. Oonfsdsa.o mgney, and preferred to
let our army sisrye sher than lst them have barrel
Of aJur 70 be paid for in tina. currency We happy
aAy that such persons have met their reward. TIE
YAnssss arc no ds:ingushess Of persons. They took
sIerybOdys aour ard paid nothing 81 all Confederate
slrrsn,y Il, a. Least, good currency st all
Tais even tbs ,ar dealers ALLUDED to viii admit.