The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-03-07


that the sun of hope had set forever in
blood and carnage. The peace mcu
warned them, but in vain. They
impiored them to pause and make
terms with Mr.. Lincoln, but the only
answer was new conscriptions, heavier
taxes, and more grinding despotism.
Mad with revenge and fanaticism, they
plunged forward through blood anil
over the dead bodies Of their brethren,
until all was lost. The Editor Of tho
Sentinel, DR.. Deems, and their assoc
ciates, were the authors of all these
horrors. They could have it so. They
regarded those who differed with them,
and who strove to avert these horrors,
as traitors and enemies to the country.
Our skirts are clear. The "sheeted
dead" may haunt others in their dreams,
but they do not disturb us. The
widows and orphans, the limbless sol.
diers, the ruined plantations, the i'm.
poverished families everywhere and of
every class, may rend the bosoms of
some with remorse which they will
carry to their graves but these things
excite in us only sorrow for the suffer.
ers, and lively Indignation against
those who steeled their hearts against
peace and mercy, and persisted in q
course which they must have known
would devastate and destroy their
country.
So far as Maj. Gee Is concerned, wo
repeat what we have heretofore said
If he is guilty, let him be punished
We believe he will have fair trial.
We do not want his blood. He had
hard masters to serve, and limited means
to render the prisoners in his charge
comfortable That there was, terrible
restitution and suffering in the prison
pen at Salisbury we all know. That
there were cruelties we all know. Scores
of North Carolinians were also in that
pen, deprived of liberty, and tortured
in filth and yermin, on the vague charge
of " disloyalty" preferred by the tools
of power. They suffered equally with
the federal prisoners. But one of the
witnesses, Surgeon in charge, has
sworn "that the authorities at Rich
mond were kept fully advised of tho
condition of the prison." Mr.. Davis
knew, Gen. Lee knew, Mr.. Seldom and
Mr.. Breckenridge knew, the command
ing Generals in this State knew all about
this prison, and how the prisoners were
treated. If they were starved, or shot,
or frozen to death, they knew it, and
they are responsible for it. If officers in
charge hated the "Yankees"-if the
people hated the Yankees" they had
imbibel much of this hatred from Mr..
Davis; for he lost no opportunity to
infiame the South against the North,
having even gone SO far in one Of his
public speeches in Richmond as to pro-
nounce the whole Northern people "a
set of hyenas." We are speaking now
of the big fish. Wire has suffered
death. He was but an instrument
Mai. Gee was but an instrument. II
guilty, he will most probably suffer
death also; but does it become great
people to punish the obscure and the
Insignificant, while the chiefs and leaders
of the revolt are allowed to go unpun
ished?
We were disposed at one time to fayo
universal amnesty. We had hoped tina
the rainbow of peace would weave al
its huss from the light of mercy. Blu
that hope is gone. The secessionist
and latter-day war men have rendere
universal amnesty impossible. 1t
their fault, not ours. Let the law tai
its course. They mould have it SO, an
on their heads, be the consequences.