Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-03-24
-RKTALIATTSN IN KIND

aTHlIh6IAA
RUAIIATI9N IN KIND.
Tbs recVus ssssmpt Of the enemy to burn ana
- R,cbmoud has revived the policy suggest
Al hv Ms more than twelve months ago Tnon
tbs vandaIic prOPsnsities Of our Toe were
u,Ss kuowu BY their burning of our towHs, cities
and Southern houossesds. We thsn suggeS-
ii thst he North had mere 70 lose by eonhAgra-
lion and piIage than the South mas Il Sucn
-, thu chosen mode Of warfare adopted By our
.utasopist. We had no other alternative left put
"a .dout The same principles Snd policy
The iuvics and prcprie:y Of sHch retaliation
,hsrdly ever appreciated until the individual
IA, bssn made 10 feel, in his own person. NE
;uhumsnisy and fendishRess of the Yankee
DoIisy and practice. When the torch has been.
spulied to bis own town, city or dwelling, and
bs ,sss bis wife and little snes turned out upon
the cold charities Of the world, homeless and
vsuniless, it Is then he fOrgets the ethical rules
.sd principles Of civilized warfare and charges
ms soul with an oath of vengeance.
We s-s glad TO perceive that this subject has
Al Ieagth enesFsd the ~stteBh0n Of the Rich
mond press, whose conductors now seem 70
t.ks hold Of it In earnest. In alludiDg to 1t,
,bs Wkig remarks that the attempt 10 burn Rieh-
moud was no worse than the attempt which u
going on day after day, and night altar night
a b1rn Charleston. Oas was TO hsve been dons
9TH FIRE balls, turpeutne and tOrpsdoss-she
other is attempted to be don with bomb shells
snd Greek fre-oss By manual application Of
the torch, the ether by the proiscHle force Of ar
dIIerv. What is tbs difference in point of mo
ralityS The attempt upon Charleston is indeed
mere purely wanton and dsvilish thsn that on
Biebnond, for, IN the former city, there are no
prisoners 70 be released, no such important pub
lie establishments to be destroyed, as here-no
aach high functonaries to be disposed of-nor
yzould toe destruction Of Charleston give to the
enemy the least military advantage, for the bat
ieriss Of Bssursgsrd would still inssrPose their
vsto to the advance Of the foe.
We repeat, therefore, that what has been at
tsmpted against Richmond is no worse than
what, for months past, has been going on
against Charleston. The attempt here WAS
probably induced by the submission and hUs
mility with which the enemy saw thst we bore
Il there. The two together, with The additional
light from the blazing roofs Of numerous vii
lsges and countless barns, mills and residences,
wherever the ssYAges have been, make il as
clesr as the sun st noon day that the enemy
havs adopted the torch as = regular instrument
Of war.
Nov, what re desire to direct the attention Of
tbs Government authorities TO, is The fact that it
is not only lawful to fght the enemy with the
weapon be employs, bat it is idiodc to fight him
with any less effective, if that weapon can be
Obtained. No law, human OF divine, requires =
man to defend himself with any less force, or by
any less efficient means, than sre employed for
his injury or destruction. The enemy having
introduced the system Of burning cities, We must
bUa cities, too. We come out plainly and say
exactly Whist We mean. L is a gAme in which
the advantage is al ours. We can DO the sUe-
my an hundred fold more damage at it than they
can do rs. Their cities are far larger, far more
numerous, and the centsrs Of vastly more wealth
than GUS.
We may not, il is true, be sbls 10 send \ raid
ing party to dash into Philadelphia or New
York TO do the work nor have We artillery that
viii carry Greek Gre far enough to reach them
bat We have that which viii 90 farther lhaa
horsemen can ride, and will penetrate what
The mightsst artillery would make no impress.
sion or-Ee have money. A million Of dollars
would lay in ashes New York, Boston, Phila-
delphiA, Chicago, Piitsburg, Washington and
al their chief cities, and the men to do the bust
mesa may be picked up BY the hundred in the
streets Of those very Giles. If it should be
thought UNSAFE to use them, there are daring
men in Canada Of MORGAN's and other com.
hands, who have escaped from Yankee dun.
gsons, and would rejoice a. an opportunity Of
doing something that would make ell Yankee
dom bowl with anguish and CONSERVATION.
That what we are saying may be given 8 sill
more practical turn, we viii sid that we know
have talked with e msn-s vel known
o8ceT Of the amy, snd every way competent
and it-Who is ready and Euxious q. oncs 10
proceed to Canada ca this business. He knows
The risks be viii encounter, but be ID sure Of the
resBlts that viii be achieved.
We have addressed ourselves 10 the salhori-
lies Of the Government, because we feel not the
shadow Of . doubt that this mode Of warfare
would, under the circumstances, be jusli6Able,
legitimate and right But should they reject
he plan, Is we suppose they would, then We
Nish to remind the public that the scheme can
be as well executed by private enterprise Sc by
he direction OF eonnivERee Of The authorities. |
Richmond, for whom such = iste WAS designed,
Charleston, every day witnessing the dis
Of ths enemy in this regard, and
experiencing the hazard Of having their
,urPosss achieved, could easily rsss the money
needed for the accomplishment Of the design.
Honey will supply the men, and they, properly
and directed, Would easily and Ger
ainly DO the work.
r. The establishment by Sherman Of his
st Nashville, indicates pretty
leaTly the presence Of his forces in Middle
tennessee, IN position ready to eo-opeIAte with