Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-03-08
The Spirit Of the Enemy.

This IS a war oil extorm inatfop. TEa NUMBER
less and unnumbcrel atrocities Of SHERMAN en-
his march through Our gtato, nerpetratld BY him
and his subaterns With rchiorsoless cruelty and |
barbarty, were not :.antinS to convince us that !
tthe object of our enemy is 10 c-tirpatc ihs ir-
habitant5 of the Confederate States, and to settle
up tho country with Yankees and negroes. TLs
whole course Of the war, especially sin:e the
Emancipation Proclamation Gf Lincoln, bears
inaontestable testimony to this dcsisn, which is
further strengthened by tho revelations Of the
Northern press aud The utterances of cyery man
connected vii the party NOM paramount in that
country, who has addressed tho public since that
eyont. The Yankees ere peculiarly sensitive to
! tho opinion Of the world, and it is 10 influences
that opinion, and to justify the fprosone conclus
sion of their Government, that they iuyent oil
those attrssious lies respecting tho treatment Of
their prisoners md the wanton nassdere of their.
negro SOLDIERS And TO the same cad are the
Yankee populnce continually stimulated by their
press with tales Of Confederate atroci;y, which,,
| in n;nety-niue cases out Of one hundred, are pure
inventions, and in thohundrcdth, are only true in
50 fur as the il one of retaliation for bruta-
ties perpetratcd by the Yankees.
The design is to get up case which may justi-.
fy any e1ces, of cruelty they may think fit to
perpetratc, in the eyes of the world in order that,
under it's shelter, they may carry out their prsdc-
! termined schemes Of murder and devastation. II
they can induce Europe to believe that each in
stance of deliberate atrocity is only case of just
retribution, their vanity and ambition receive
ample satisfaction; md tho Yankee nation be-
l,comos the stern and irresistible Nemesis of tie
Continent, treading the path of vengeance with
swift and certain steps, and with remorseess jua-
tice c1acting ntohement from the wrong-doer,
even in the hour of his triumph. If the Yankee
people can place themselves in that imposing at
titudq before the world it will crafty their ysni
ty no doubt; but their hatred of US, and their
I affection for our possessions, are passions even
stronger within them than their vanity. They
are prepared to exterminate the population Of
these States, regardless of the opinion of man
kind. =,
/ Our press has been in the habit Of assailing
the Yankees with all manner of abusive epithcts.
It does no particle of good whatever. 1t rather
tickles their pride to be told of their atrocities,
since tho very fact that they can commit them
with impunity, ia proof of their power Let
us cease, at once and forever to treat asprsonera
of war those mon who arc sent here 70 spply tho
torch to villages and towns, to send tender chill
dren aud hnary yoars out in the nitiless storm
to boggary and starvation, to insult and outrage
unprotected females, to plundcr and desecrate,
and leave nothing in their path but misery and
f ruin and devastation aud death. They threaten
retaliation upon our prisoners whenever We at
tempt to retaliate upon them for their blood
ed murders, their house-burnings, their dcstruc-
lion Of crops, and their crucliies to our women
and children. wo feel deeply at all times for orr
prisoners; but it is evident that if ne yield to
threats of this kind, We shall never correct fhs
terrible evil Of whchwe are the victims. We
do not believe that retaliation. would Cause the
death of single prisoner, because We bave in
our hands prisoners Of theirs uper whom we can
visit everything thoy innict upon us. But what
VIC specially desire ID to see their-omn country
subjected TO tho same sort Of treatment they are
visiting upon eurp. ItcsnnoS hut happen, in the
course Of tho war, which promises. to bo long
ono yet'that we shall again become temporary
n1sas;ers of some portions Of thoir territory.
Should that happen, We should then remember
what.our course has been on former like occn-
i .ions, anu what has been tie return. Vie hope
not ono house will bo left standing, or one blslt
Of grass growing, hcrOaftcr, in any Yankee dis
tr;ct that may fall into our hands. With regard
to such demons and maraulcrs a, SHERMAN has
lately led through our state arl all aaaa every
where, We are convinced tha. the only way Il
deal with thom is to hang them if caught, and IA
/, give them no quarter on The field Of battle. II
we are to be e1tcrminated let our extcr,ninatio.
cost the enemy aa much possible. Do not lei
thom slay US and not Say lhcm in return.