Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-03-31

One would suppose, to read the Republi-
can newspapers, that there had never before
been waged a war in this country in which
an old authority was struggling to main
tain itself, and new one to establish itself.
1t would scarcely do for any one to deny
that the cause for which Washington fought
was sacred; but even q sacred cause finds in
numbers even of its well-wishers very many
who are anxious that their neighbors should
give, and that they should keep.
Pennsylvania was State full of the fire
of freedom; but her farmers were by no
means insensible to the superior value of
guineas to continental currency, and while
Washington's troops starved and shivered
at Valley Forge, the British managed to
get supplies in abundance.
The letters of Washington to General
Lacey, disclose the fact that human nature
is not made Of such very stern stuff gener-
ally as prefer the ''empty praise" of the fu-
ture to the "solid pudding' of the present
II am well informed that many persons,
under pretense of furnishing the inhabit-
ants Of Germantown and near the enemy's
lines, afford immense supplies to the Phila-
phia markets, a conduct highly prejudicial
to us and contrary to every yorder."-W ash
ington TO General Lacey.
las soon as approach within eight or
ten miles of the enemy's lines, the inhabit-
ants having their horses concealed in by
places, mount them, and, taking their way
through the fields and private paths, re-
pair directly to the city with the intelli-
gence that the rebels are In the neighbor-
hood. Not one word Of intelligence can
we procure from them-not even the direc-
ton of the roads."-General Lacey to the
Council.
Now these things occurred in l77s, within
the first two years of the war. Any man
reading of them in England would have
been pretty well justified in supposing that
Pennsylvania was really kept only from
resuming her allegiance to King George by
a merciless soldiery under such orders as
an extract will exemplify:
'sIf your parties should meet with any
people going to market, or any persons
whatever going to the city, and they en-
deavor to make their escape, you will order
your men to fire on the villains. You will
leave such on the roads, their bodies and
their marketing lying together."-G General
Ldceys orders to his scouting parties.
The excesses of Wheeler's cavalry are
spoken of. How patriots, real patriots, be-
haved under the pressure of want, may be
seen from the cool and considerate WASH
ington:
military coercion Is no longer OF any
avail, as nothing further can be collected
from the country in which we are Obliged
to take position, without depriving the
inhabitants of the last morsel. This mode
Of subsisting, supposing the desired end
could be answered by It., besides being in
the highest degree distressing to individ-
uals, is attended with ruin to the morals
and discipline of the army. During the
few days In which we have been obliged to
send out small parties to procure provis-
/ ions for themselves, the most enormous e1-
cesses have been committed"
We have had a great deal too much of the
operations of war not to know what IL
means. We do NOT believe there has ever
been so great war with so little cruelty to
persons, nor with so little destruction oi
property; but there might have been much
less suffering, and much less spoliation, il
there had been either more head or more
heart in this Administration.--Ne,o York
World. ao z