Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-03-15
Address Of the General Assembly 10 the
Soldier. of Virginia..

| ne ara us QnttH WHICH IT, it''lc b""'
----
| Address Of thr General Assembly 10 the
Soldiers. Of Virginia..
AnOPTkD MAECH ., 1864.
<oili.r, Df "iIfg,"'a ~ lie Arm,.'gf the C"rtdT"'' Ndh'
II. now nearly three year. slace you left your homes
and hre.Ide. al he call Of your State TO rspsi tho 'n's'ion
Of he soil.
Y.;or. taking NJ nrm, every .nor, 10 obtain tho peIee
full enjoymea. CT your ;lgi;I under TIE Constitution h"'
been erha .s,ed. your sppea'- for justice .pnrnel With
coD.e- p,, and a war to suh;ugaie our Sister s'~'eh u u
South commsnred-by Abraham Lincoln.
Dy this axless proceeding the Federal Administrator
threw OF the mask Il had h ,h.rto worn. III such ron
.-., virginia could not rem ain An iad;!eren: .pec'sioI.-
| Hound by every lie Of b ood, sympathy, common Inter
es,s and common wrong, TO the States acains: whom fhii
hostile preparation was set on foot, she Withdrew AZ oh''
from az association which no longer respected 4 written
Constitution, aud resolved 10 receive OIL her own bosom
the Threatened shock Of Invasion. She Invoked you 10
rally 20 defend your homes, yonr al,.Ts aud Your honor;
and this appeal was no! made Ia van promptly ana
generously you RES onlcd TO 'he rsn - duty. Most '-i'i'
folly have you performed Il. In your long and arduou'
service you have shrunk f.em Ii toll, no danger and no
sacrifice. During yOnr assen { in 'Lc Held your "'
AMI little ones may hare suffered want; your homes been
r.,sycd and the fruits Of Industry destroyed by a ruth
| les ana tlrDtEou5 enemy. Du', ~ y p" 'N''
ton. you hav. never looked back Your eye has always
been Il cl on the foe ard you ear waiting !or the sum
mons to battle. Amid 'hO toll OF the march, the weary
watch, III. labor the hunger, the cold, the pTira!on' OF
the camp, you have never complained, but have always
ndsrsd a cheerfu' obedience TO the State whlca hoDo't
and cherishe, you with a mothers love.
You have been present In most OF the Important battles
ofthe war, and IL all your raOr has be,n eoE'pieuous.-
II ha, made you tn. theme o! praise sy your herols
| companions from ether States, and by the whole civilized
world.
M.py O. your co-ralss have fallen In battle, or from
disease contracted In service, and bsen transferred from,
the roll o. rfe TO thu, OF Immortality. There are many
more whose ur.ilated form >ite,; tlIsir honorable dtvo-
lion to their country.
In YOUR proloneed abssnc. from home, you. sacrifice OF
PERSONAL Interests aud Of hi tho enjoyn.snt' Of Re hal, 10.
deed. been great. 2he war, forced upon Us by the malice
OF peopl. whom We had not injured, has entailed upon
US Nil deep sorrow ard ersel suffering. Its unavoidable
c.lami,ie. have been greatly augmented by The refusal OF
the eneIny 10 respect the laws Of civilized warfare, aad by
their fendlsh attempt: to wre.t submission from Us by vs'i-
sing the most relentless harbsEiti's upon women and chill
dren, the ,sed and the helpless. Cnl'rlilel ice1I- has
been given TO their cunidi'y, untold millions O. pEop.T'y
h4r- been wan;oDly destroyed by iheir malice, or sH"iIeh
the cat re OF the pamper-i VILLAINS, who. un~l.ipt OF jus
Ii e. have been openly rewarded AID promoted Tor Their
AID and unohe aiding men have been dragged from their
h.. 20 drcary prisons and { litary labor. Refined and
Yirlu,us worlrn have been brutaNy 'nsultcd, and. mana
ri.i by rude, unfeelnr soiii. r., have been led captive
from thrir home, rs hostages for ntgrosa:
Farm. hav We been lesola,ei. dwellings have been laid IN
asha. UNPROTECTED wetnr n and helpless children have been
,ur..d out from thei homes v thout bread or shelIer. Inc
,n.nh, n, the gallaat lead have been robbed ard desc.
Grated by Sends, who have ruthlessly Invaded the sane
Try OF the grave and Outraged the se'i'ihilliss OF Inc
living.
pnnulation happier and more rir!uOus Than them elrs',
r'ey have sought to subject I, to a yoke more CALLING than
Within = few d.rs pn,t An e~sp.di'lon has been projected
and an shor'ire t.nI! made to carry in,o eIecu.l II With
minute lnsTu lions, einsna'!ng "a: we nave reason 10 DE-
i.ye, from the Cnyernment nj Warrington TO sack and
Are the ci,y ot Richmond, and, In the darkness Of niehi, 10
conslgu its inhabitants, without Il ERom-nt's warn NJ, to
Sane. sai 20 dentl. For us purpose a 'pscial burning
uar;y". Was o rani1ed, y divided with Implements. OF de-
sruc,TOr, and orders 10 Ca'ry into execution te FELL de-
,i.u. 1,oons H.. blarin. ruins the released prisoners from
He'll. Isle" and "Thr Libby were to units with the band,
Of T. ahl.rel and fitzpatrick In dealing GU death and
slaughter erpoa uunrcndtn- and peaceful citizens. AID Ia
ii ting outrage upon pure an! unprotected women more
hor-l'le Than death.
IN. h ar sick 10 al the contemplation Of the enormi'ie.
thu, WOuld have bean committed had NE he'ai!ou'
scheme succeeded. No prayer for mercy would nave neeh
hoard; no .cre-in -or help would have been hrsd-d. Ere
rspins, %slaqEhte! snd lust would have Heid uh"'ra'"d DO
lainiOn in this fair city.
may know more clearly the character OF our Zoe; ana
that he may be held up 10 the od'un and e1ecra'''h Of
mankind.
In .haIne'-s. d. csard Of MI the rule. OF civilized war
far, rour Chief Magistrate ani hi, Cabinc, were, by spe-
c+l directions. TO i. denied tie rights Of prisoners 81 war,
and killed IN cold blood.
Every specie, .! pui,Nc ,ui pri7at. property was to b.
de., Dyed, and The entire couLtry within 'Icir reach laih
waste.
STIMULATED and encouraged BY the Irecep;s and example
OF their leaders, this band o! robbers and mIrdere-s en-
tered private hous :, broke open ladies' vardrohss, de-
srroysd Of their rich contents What they could not appro-
priatc, carried 90 Jewels and plate, consigned 10 III. harne'
torres Of provisions. burn, mills and other houses, dr.ola-
ted some Of the fairies. hoacs or the State, and left whole
families without food.
Thank. to The gallsn,ry Of a cIt,r., ,oldisry, they were
routed and repulsed, IN The midst Of this carnival o.
crime, which nust ou'rng- the s~nsioiiti.s OF the civilized
world. Many of them, with awakened conscieu meas (
their deserts, now contemplate thor doom within the wallis
Of q prison from which they hoped TO release their c -npsis.
~ nrenelns Col suddenly summoned thsIr atrocou,
F1sader from tho scene OF his wicSedness TO the bar ofjudg-
snenr, a. on hi, slain body we're found his asrociouI in.
,truc,Ion,, stained with hi. own blood. The name Of
Dahjgr.n will bs handed dswn-to history as n Mt associate
In iniamy with Butler and a host OF lesser criminals, who
have di.graced humanity and shocked the moral SENSE Of
tho world.
n ADJ we're needed. or continued service nnd fresh sacri-
hce-. VIRGINIA takes no step backward. Every cons!d-ra'
iion Of honor, interest, duty and safety demand that We
.hall so forward In ;he grand struggle for human rights anu
hum al liberty, so hEavely begun. and SO manhilly main
,.Incd.
Alter al that We have suffered and endured, suljuSs''on
or submission 10 the cruel foe, would reduce us 10 a degree
Of degradation and misery which has no parallel In the
history Of civilization.
The sacrifices OF blood and treasure ,hs, W. have s1-
pended, the m mories Of The noble martyr who have fr RELY
given ;heir lives for the achievement of our independence,
( rJd shat We ,h 'uld needlessly thTcr away what has been
ltlUy u - NuC 1h hoie w po'oi''as 80 W ~
Nothing bu, wr.,chednes. and untold misery await US, IL
We so ,hori Of the unconditional acknowledgment Of our
independence. This your Valor will surely command. Men
OF Virginia you are soldiers Of q renowned Common
gsailh, whose fame you hav Illustrated and borne alof. on
svery battle neid. We need not unfold TO Won the MIMI.
neuts OF your right tn selfgorernment. We are assured
that you fully COM rehsnd the necessity Of q successful a.
s.rtlon Of that, right, land tha, yru win never lay dorn |
your arm. until y-u have secured l.. Born 10 an lnheri. |
tsuce Of { esdorn, you cannot he.itate TO choos. betseen
slavery or death, submission TO an enemy who has eZ-
..,.l 90" nfsnap f-ns SEA arAn II slOr yky. bHs 4
were We base enough to desire peace upon any terms l.-.
shan the unquai!n-d re rsni;iou Of or inde?sr den e. self. |
Interest sone would teach IL. the folly Of relyinc upon the |
forbsarance OF 4 natl N, " ho have shoTn in every step Of
the war Tia their faith Is peri iy, and their Only policy J..
rsrine, plumber and oppression. The whole history ~ usr |
former association with The Northern States adm uishs, Ms |
that In = common gnVernmen;. they will never .ail 20 ~ |
sent malice springs chiefly from bsiied cupidity. Blu. -nr
th!. ra 1cr passion Of taeir mature, an honorable AMI
ppee ,yprace would-be easy. TIE war has fully dcvelo I'd
all their pur9 osrs, and you nov know the fate that araits
,ou In tbe even, Of ubjusa;ion. Your liberties will utterly
perish: YOUR Stale equalization will be blo,tei ont; all
your ,-np-rty OF every drs riptian will he roG1sca;ed, for
en oi pa have pxrtic ipnr ed In the rernb1; on: your lands
Will no divided ru, among the bandi,tt from the North and |
from Euro sc. who have Nnvaded our 81 t.; a 'ree negro
ropuls lion win he established IN you. mids. who will Ia
your social equals and military governors; negro guard
val, at iheir plea'ure, give you passes snd safe conducts,
or arrest You, 10 be tr ed aId published BY negro comman-
fants. AMI ma gitra;rs. And 10 these yourselves, your
wives and children will be mental lshorers and slaves, sI-
espt those Of you whom the malice OF your enemies sf-H
reserve for the dungeon or the gallowS.
such Il N. doom announced for the people " the South
by the wicked race now Esrriug upon s. Rut we lnos Il
IAN 4" rrrbe executed. An army OF veterans have resolved
bat thrr country skGN nor h. eilsisved; and while their pnr-
Among ysn thsrs u one sp:rif-;hat of eager and re1olute
liberalization. The leuprr Of The army has reached the I
,sopls Ct bonn, kRd inspired them N.h a fresh coura &c snd
more assured confidence Everywhsfe4 We see multiplied
= -. a-A.-~ - ri nFhtatnu 1r ali - Y