Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-01-08
ALEXANDRIA.
THE TYRANT's PLEA OF NECESSITY, Is

constantly used, in certain quarters, to pal
late or excuse, the enormities committed
during the late war, and, in some instances,
shortly after its close, by, or under color OF
military authority, upon the rights Of cltl-
zens, their liberties and their property
These outrages cannot be denied, but it IS
sought to apologize for them ty constantly re-
iterating the stale cry Of the necessity there
was, Of "crushing out the rebellion" In
niae eases out of ten, the proofs would show
that there was no "nece=sity" whatever tor
these acts--but IN the contrary. that they
we're wanton. malicious, and unnecessary, and
designed solely for the purpose OF annoying
and punishmg people who did not think as
their oppressors thought: Or pretended to
think. For instance, let the memory run
back over the four years Of the war, and call
IN the scenes and incidents that occurred Z"
this place; surrounded as it was by Gordon
of Notifications and whole armies OF L. 5.
troops-garrisoned by U. :. soldiers, govern
ed and controlled by Military Governors, and
Military Provost Marshals, and Military
Judges, and Military everything else, which
would bring poUer and sa'aTles;-hlled with
Government detectives;-the old citizens,
comparatively few; and without the power II
they had had the will, to do any harm to the
government-held as prisoners OF war. and
so considering themselves what were
then called the - Union men, doing almost
all the business, and occupying every place
of control. Recollect all this We say, and
then remember the arrests, the imprison-
ments, the seizures Of persons and property,
the burning Of houses, the dragging Of q
minister from Church. the searching ct
dwellings, the enforcement Of obnoxious oaths,
the confscation Of property, the robbery OF
residences, the conveying" away Of furni-
ture, the train guard on the railroad to pro-
tect it from Mostly, the driving out from the
stockades-and the final consummation OF all
these enormities-the order for the exile from
their homes of men, women, and children
who can ever forget that July day:-remem-
Der, we say, all these things, and then ask
where was the NECESSITY No. 1t was
all-whether ordered, permitted: or winked
at-wicked-and much of it deyllish. \
distinguished gentlemen who has visited Al
exandria since the war, and has had to ill.,
quire into some business matters which IL
quiry opened to him, at least, glimpse into
the proceedings carried on here during the
war, declared that he believed that, consider
ing the comparatively limited field here.
there had been more rascaIity perpetrated in
Alexandria. on citizens, both with regard to
their rights and their property, than in any
other place in the whole country--and there
was less excuse for it here than any where
else in the Scuth." O! it WAS a time, in
which corruption and villainy We're rampant
in our midst, And then, too, those who were
the authors or the perpetrators of these out
ragos for four years, were, with few excep
tons, official and unofficial, private citizens,
and public officers, as rude, as impudent, and
as insolent, as they were exacting and cruel.
Verify, they deserve to be remembered in
Alexandria