The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1864-01-13
president Davis MISREPRESENTATION.

on that subject meetmy concurrence.
| cannot close this messagV without again az
vart;no IA the SAVAGE ferocity which still marks
the conduct of the enemy in the prosecutor OF
the war. After their repulse from the defences
before Charleston they first sought revenge by
an abo1tiye attempt to destroy the city Win an
incendiary composition; thrown py improved Si
tillery from distance Of four miles. falllng IA
This thew changed their missiles, but fortunately
have thus far succeeded only in killing two Wo-
men III the city Their commanders, Butler,
Mcneil and Tnrchin, whose horrible barbarltleS
have rendered their names widely notorious ana
everywhere execrable, are still honored ana enc
rished by the authorities at washington. Inc
first named, after having been Withdrawn irolh
the scenes Of cruelties against women prisoners
of war in reluctant concession to the demands OF
outraged humanity in Europe, has just peeh put
IN d new command at Norfolk, where helpless
women and children are again placed at MS
mercy
Nor has less unrelenting warfare been Waged
Nv these pretended friends of human rights and
liberties against the unfott innate negroes
Wherever the enemy have been able to gam ac-
cass they have forced into the ranks or thelf ar
INV every able-bodied man that they could seize;
and have either left the aged, the women ana the
children to perish by starvation, or have gatner7
cd them into camps where they have beeh WaSteo
bv a flightful mortality. Without clothing or
shelter often without food, incapable, without
supervision, of taking the most ordinary precau-
tinns AGAINST diseases those helpless dependents,
accustomed to have their wants supplied by tne
forethought of their masters, are beng faplaly
exterminated, wherever brought In contact WIN
the invaders. BY the northern man, on Nnos oS.
deer rooted preiudices no kindlier restraining
influence is exercised, they are treated with
aversion and neglect There is little hazard IN
nredictng that in all localities where the enemy
have gained temporary foothold, the negroes,
who under our care increased SIX told IN NUMBER
since their importation into the colonies OF UreaG
Britain. will have been reduced by mortality
during the war to not more IMAM one A"l Un0A
previous number.
Information on this subject derived not only
from our own observation and from the reports
of the negroes who succeed IN escaping from the
enemy but full confirmation is afforded by state
InentS published in the northern Journals oy hu-
name persons engaged in making appeals 70 the
charitable for aid in preventing the rayages OF
disease. exposure and starvation among the ne
gro women and children who are crowded into
encampments.
The frontier Of our country bears witness to
the alacrity and efficiency with which the gener-
al orders of the enemy have been executed IN the
devastation of the farms, the destruction OF the
Agricultural implements, the burning or the
houses, and the plumber ofeyerything nov cable.
Its whole aspect is a comment on the etnlcs OF
the general order issued by the United States on
the 54th of April, 1868, comprising '.nstructons
for the government ofarmies OF the United States
in the field" and of which the following IS an eX-
ample:
"Militarv necessity admits of all direct des-
tructian Of life or limb Of armed enemies, and OF
other persons whose destruction IS incidentally
unavoidable in the armed contests OF the war; u
allows of the capturing of every armed enemy
and of every enemy OF Importance 70 the hostlle
government or of peculiar danger to the captor;
Il allows of all destruction Of property and OBJ
structions ofways and channels of traffic travel,
or communications and Of all withholding OF the
appropriation Of whatever an enemys country
affords necessary for the subsistence and safety
Of the army; and of such deception as does not
involve the breaking OF good faith, either posi-
lively pledged, regarding agreements entered
into during the war, or supposed by the modern
law of war to exist. Men who take up arms
against one another in public war, do not cease
on this account to be moral beings responsible
to che another and to God"
The striking contrast to these teachings and
practices presented by our army when invading
PENNSYLVANIA illustrated the moral character Of
ourpeople Though theirfOrbearance may have
been unmerited and unapprecated by the enemy,
it was imposed by their own sefrespect, which
forbade their degenerating from christian war
riors into plundering rufians, assaihng the pro
pertv, lives and honor of helpless non-combat-
ants II their conduct when thus contrasted
with the inhuman practice four foe, fallto COM
1nand the respect and sympathy Of the civilized
nations in our day, it cannot fail to be recogns-
ed by their less deceived posterity.
The hope last year entertained OF an early ter
mination of the war, has not been realised
Gould carnage have satisfied the appetite OF the
enemy for the destruction cf human life, or grief
have appeased their wanton desire to inlet hu-
man suffering there has been blood shed enough
on both sides and tWe5 lands have been sufficient
" darkened by the weeds Of mourning to induce
a disposition for peace.
If unanimity in a people could dispel delusion,
it has been displayed too Enthusiastically not to
have silenced the pretence that the southern
States were merely disturbed by factious in
surrection, and it must long since have been ad-
mitted that they were but exercising their re-
served right to modify their own government III
such a manner as would best secure their own
happiness But these considerations have been
poWerless to allay the unchristian hate of those
who, long accustomed to draw large profits from
a union with us, cannot control the rage excited
by the conviction that they have by their OWE
folly destroyed the richest sources other pros
perity They refuse even to listen to proposals
for the onlv peace possible between us--a peace
which. recognising the impossible gulf which
divides US, may leave the two peoples separately
to recover from the injuries inflicted on both by
the causeess war now Waged against US.
Having begun the war in direct violation Of
their constitution, which forbade the attempt to
coerce a State, they have been hardened by
crime, until they no longer attempt TO ven thelr
purpose to destroy the institutions and snbTert
the sovereignty and independents ofthese States
We now know that the only reliable hope for
peace is in the vgor of our resistance, as the ceS-
sation of their hostility is only to be expected
from the pressure Of their necessities.
The patriotism of the people has proved equal
to every sacrifice demanded by their countrys
need. We have been united as people never
were united under like circumstances before
God has blessed us with success dSproportlon-
ate to our means, and under his Divine favor,
our labors must at last be crowned with the re
ward due to men who have given all they pos
sessed to the righteous defence of their inalien-
able rights, their homes, and their affairs.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.