Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-04-26

THE copperhead ptossss- are about a.
false aud malignant d human nature car
stand, bat We do not lind any Of, them
charging the guilt fine massacre at Fort
Pillow on the President of the United
States. It takes . RADICAL republican
ready to resort TO apy means to prevent
the re e!elsctiou Of Mr.s Lincoln, to do SO
unjust and every way ipe1plicablsa thing
as that. The Presidents guilt is made out
by saying that he neglected TO take meas
ures to prevent such ontragses. What
measures could he have taken,2 An order
was issued in July last laying down the
Law of retaliation d Witch this is spsct,
men: a E 90, is,tss5-r ~.
"For every soldier 1f The United States
killed 10 violation Inc laws Of war, a
rebel soldier shali % executed : and for
evetY one enSIASed 5 10 enemy or sold
into slavery, aTeb6l Sitter shhi lt6e placed
at hard labor on Il bile works. a1d
Iconttun6d az such labor uuttt tide 9th er
shall be released aud receive tho treat.
ment due TO . prisoner Of war"
This covers the outrages at Fort Pillow,
and previous offsnses of the rebels against
our negro troops. The rebel government
was furnished wish a copy of this order
and formally warned that retaliation woula
be made fOr'every violation of the usoges
of war. The President in his Baltimore
speech affirmed his purpose to aveugs tho
massacre at Fort Pillow. He waits only
authentic information of the facts and
fitting opportunity for retaliation. There
is nettherfeasOn nor decency ia assuming
that be will-pot keep his word, and no
truth in the STOCKING charge that be has
invited the last outrage by failure to do
auythingtu his power for the protection
of the cOlOred soldiers. Ifauybody knows
otherwise, let us have a specific statement
of the instances, and mot this loose and
Vipdictive imputation o., the worst faults
tOlIhsIP residsnt. fliicFiES 81 3}if
There afe limits which we cannOt pass
in acts of retaliation without incurring ma
tional dishonor, aud if the war should be
allowed to degenerate into mere mutual
sldughter1Ee civilized nations v would be
compelled'to unite to stop IL! N tiiswwotk
on the military code otcivilized nations,
Gen. HalIeck states these universally re-
cOgnized principles: "
"If the enemy refuses to shape his con-
duct by the milder usages of war, aud
adopts the extreme and rigorous principles
OF former ages, We may dR-t -the- same :. bot
n be exccedS muse extreme rights, and
becomes barbarous and cruel in his con.
duct, we cannot, as a general thing, follow
and retort upon his sfsubjects by treating
them in like manner. We cannot go be-
yOnd the limits prescribed by international
Law to the rights of helligeFenss y
Suppose aH enemy should massacre
ali prisoners of War, this would not afford
a sufficient justification for the opposing
belligerents to do the same. Suppose an
enemy should usO poisoned weapons, or
should poison springs and food, the rule
of reciprocity would not justify us in re-
sorting to the same means of retaliation
savage enemy might kill alike old men,
women aud children. bat no civilized power
would resort to similar measures ofcruelty
and barbarism, under the plea that they
were justified by the law Generalization" OF
/ The natural and proper course in the
Fort Pillow case will be TO demand of the
rebel government tho surrender of cer-
tain number of the officers and men en-.
gagged in the massacre for punishment,
with notice that if this is refused certain
prominent rebels iu our hands will'be ex-
ecuted at a fixed time. And when the
time comes let the expiation be made with
E-N