Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1864-01-21

houses of suspected persons at any hour of
the day or night. A house is entered at
midnight by police guard; the inmates
| are ordered to rise out of the bed III order
| that the beds and mattresses may be search
ed for gln-locks, or barrels or stocks, or
else bayonets, pixies or other weapons. II
any part Of any such weapon is found, the
father OF the family is carried off in hand
cuffs to answer for his defence.
We are not here simply specializing up
! on what might possibly be done in this
country, but relating what is the actual
and frequent practice in another country,
| held in subsection by military force; Meth
er do we mention~it in the way OF blame.
| II country is toxbe held on that princi-
pie at all, such code and such practice
are the mere necessities Of tine case; and
we suppose it is safe to assume that the
Conf derate people would be quite as dan
gerous to their masters, In this condition
OF a subjec population, and would need
as many precautions and restrictions to
keep them down, as either the Poles, or
the Venetians or the Irish.
It is hardly useful to remark that the
post office also-as in those three other
countries would be made a bureau OF es-
piouage, IN order to know the secrets Of
suspected persons, and to find out with
whom they correspond either at home Or
abroad. In Ireland, upon the mere order
OF the lord lieutenant, Or of any member
of the privy council, the whole correspoD
dence Of any person or personsvall let,
tiers whether to him or from hlm--may be
and often are, examined and copied III tbs
office, and then ~re-sealed with a counter
felt of the original seal and address, and
forwarded, as if nothing had happened. -.
Then, also, would be the reign OF "Com>
missoners OF Forfeited Estates" whose
operations would be extensive, and their
would not be confined to distinguishing
between the oath taking loyalists and re-
cusant malcentents one good time and so
lapses from this species of loyalty, (and
we know the offered terms of pardon re
quire the oath not only to be taken, but to
be persistently observed,) and Yankee
claimants would be instant and greedy,
and inforners Jealous and we'll paid, and
courts aud juries complaisant and accom-
modating.
It takes no effort Of imagination to con-
ceive this state OF things in all its details;
there is no Imagination at all IN the mat
ter. When the sun sets, it is not by i'm
agination, but by induction, we know that
clouds and darkness will come over u.s.
Neither conld the liveliest fancy ever
hope to equal the real facts of the case as
they have been perfected by the ingenuity
OF centuries, and practlced with invariable
success In many lands.
In short, if this Confederacy should be
defeated, or should consent, on any condi
tons, to lay down her arms, before having
assured and established complete separa
ton and independence, all the evils that
ever lay heavily on conquered nation
would be hers. Being weary of the ssHor-
rors OF War" she would find that she had
rushed into the far more horrible horrors
OF Peace. Peace hath her victories, and
the yictories Of such a Peace as this would
be won over the proud hearts and manly
spirits OF a once naughty people, until they.
should almost accept their place in that
sad procession OF oppressed races, which,
clothed With humi iliation as with a gar
ment, and with heads bowed and faces
veileo, follow the triumphal cars of their
conqnerors in the great march Of the ma
tions down the broad highway Of history.
And our masters would be the ankee|
nation! Think Of No high, imperial
House Of Romanof- no eagl brood of
the blood-royaI of kings-Would be onrs
snzerins and taskmasters but q mean mob
of the lowest of the white races of the earth
creatures whom we once keld little higher
than our negro slaves, and with whon we.