Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-02-09

African Church and elsewhere, requesting the at
tendance and participation of its members, ~ .
On motion, the House adjourned, ~, a.il
TIE MORALS OF WAR. s8s
AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BKroRE THE YoUSo MkSs cHRfs.
TIAS ASSOCIATION OF RcHaoSD fEB. q 1866, BY cHAs.
W RUSSELL, REPRESENTATIVE N CONGRESS. ef..if
-t~ Published BY Regaestl
The Association which has invited me to address this
audience devoes much Of its benevolent to those
who are afflicted by the msfortunes Of war Il would
feed aud cohe those who are starved and stripped by the
Iayages Of invasion 1t would comfort the SEX and the
wounded the widow and the orphan. II would mfnge
theineense OF charity with the smoke OF battle lsit
true then that war which tampes the christian prn-
cpe OF peace WHITES the christian virtue Of charity2
War Il calamity Unjust Is the sum Of Oil crimes
Just war is tle~most sacred duty OF nation IN war
men and women sink into abyss Of ev or rise to a
pinnacle Of goodnss Through every scene of the tragic
drama good and evil virtue aud vice, purity and pol.u,
ton confront each other and strive for mastery When
suerings multiplied by violence charities abound
as when the earth u wrapped in night myriad lights Of
heaven before unseen, begin TO shine Courage the yr
tusOf manhood aOurishss y aelds Of danger Patriot
ISM the virtue OF citizen becomes heroic inresisng
conqueror In puts forth whatever Is most mag
nncent with all that Is most teifc In his nature and his
power In these conflicts might often seems to prevail
over rights but even in them we can recognise the excel
hence and final supremacy OF right That eternal law
which regns among these extreme contrasts and these
violent commissions IL subject Of profound interest
With ligh and cuIsory hand shall touch upon some
of its manifestations in directing your attention to few
topics connected With the xoEALs OF WAR 81 D.,
/ certain rules which have. obtained the sanction of
usage and opinion fDYerenfly styled laws otSar
They are GENERALLY Deductions from the principles OF
raty and aid in applying those principles to pract
cal affairs But laws they bend too often under the
scribe the conduct Of bcgeent nations towards each
other and towards neutalA and they are narrowed by
the necessary assumption that neither nation can derive
any privilege from the real asserted righteousness OF
its cause Morality has wider scope and scarcely less
efficient sanctions. ia,e4 - =
In moral judgment the origin of war communicates
is quality of justice or nIatce 70 al The
tribute the blame among individual memeen Of an Of
fending Government nation. There may be cases in
which It Is the duty Off citizen 70 light eyen IN war Of
ruin of his country the enemy should inhicf upon ma
ton etrbution beyond the enaty due TO the offence Of
Government. For like reason, II Is possible for
bcligeren 10 expiae BY suffering his Original wrong,
and Tor his adversary TO transfer good into bad cause
by cruel and extreme prosecution Of hostlities Ret
ributon has its measure What offence Ior example
could Justify the determination or the subjug alton aud
ensavement of free, civilized gallant and Christian
people BY more powerful neighbOr OF the same race,
the language the same creed and the same inher
lance Of freedom Though the entire decaogue OF ma
tional morals had been violated by the victim punish
men 10 that excess would be objectionable crime. IL
is fae which bat pirates or sayages could ever
deserve II Is generally, however in the origin of war
that we must seek for that quality of justice or ljus
tire which, IN spite OF fortune entities nation 70 honor
or condemns IL 10 disgrace Not the most splendid VIE
Ire most
processons nor heroic yalor ITSELF redeem from in
fanny nation which want0ny inicts innoce nj neigh
bors the horrors of this bloody ordeal Among all the
causes of war there is which by the consent Of
mankind is more honorable than the defence Of national
independence and more criminal than the ambition
10 snbjugate free people -ssbEE ufft ~. 4
II sometimes happens, in the course Of long war,
thatthe motives Of It's origin give place 20 others,
which the conflict itself has engendered, The tremen
dons shock Of alters the relations Of the parties aud
they are driven by the passions excitedn the struggle OF
drawn by the interests which il creates tempted by
the chances whch IL Offers 20 turn the sword TO uses for
which it had not been drawn These new motives then
give character TO the war; q ia, i,.t.tL 5il. "a.
Ii is thus, perhaps in our present war From the be-
ginning of the controversies between the North and South
the attitude of the South hs always been defensive so
character Of every controversy determined
kr the nature Of Northern ASSAULTS Whatever was the
obect OF attack when this war began IL 4 manifest now
that all have been reduced 10 the single "
sue Of ney wac noIs ass Wssa :. our
States and ~ nccifu for that end 20 destroy our afes
snbyet society to massacre or starye our mies
and to extennae our people We stand on onr de-
ence-and here Is the present issue Of the Whoever
looking back into old disputes about slavery or State
rights or sectional equality OF CONSTITUTIONAL guarantees
or any other subject Of the past with hope OF discover
ing basis for peace In the future d hudig ark after
the deuge Peace is not In the plan Of our enemies
.You hear rumors of peace Trust them not We shall
have peace on our own terms of equal usuce pnt not
yet For while longer wo must trust our only pea CO.
maker-he sword Onr enemies believe that Are ready
TO submit and that unless they take us In The mood we
VIII soon recover our h"p Ous
TO IA eQavoca signs OF pretended peace tempting us 70
submission. But peace not now IN Their Plan lnhat
plan not peace but submission Is 10 end the war Thcy
offer ns II we cease to ghtnot peace but seytude They
leave us no choice but war for freedom OF epose In say
cry They are resolved that By our admission the go-
fies of nationality which has deed them through four
wears of war shall Be quenched in the gnoiny Of rebel
lion For the brave men whom they have slain in battle
we must consent 10 write eptaPh recording that
fellow citizens who have died for Justly executed
for their crimes against paternal government, We
must Ngree that the honorable Of surviving sol
,,rs shall he worn as the bland Of Cain to denote crim
nails who have killed their brethren, whether their broth
ers were native Yankees or stolen
slaves We must consign our lands 70 coniseaiion and
accept our servants for rulers We must confess that
% lave mot onrre TO defend the liberty which we have
Inherited from rfathes for which ou brothers have
died We must hequeath to posterity the inany OF
our names with perpetual hefikgc Of bondage When
we shall consent to all this our themies VIII cease 70 en-
counter us in battle and begin 70 consodate their empire
by exertninating all opposition, Then we shall Under
stand that after this there never can be any feat
between Us and our present. enemies except that oetween
Independent nations that between conquerng and
conquered rlce Thus in addition 10 the principles which
always defendehe sovereignty OF ouf States and the
supremacy of the white facsour enemies compel rs 10
fight for property and liberty for homes and families
life and homer Better fall with honor than survive
with dshonor.
III, "Since all must life resign III
The sweet rewards that decorate the brave,
lis folly to decline, =
And steai inglorcus to the silent grave.
Such people as ours Sighting and fighting with that
spirit viii not fail That as certain az any moral law