The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-04-08
1897

IRSDAY, APRIL 8. 1897.
that It was "to the interest of the United
States" This alone you offered to MS and the
civilized world as IN all.sufhcielt reason for
disregarding the laws Of God and man. You
say that "Gep. Johnston himself very wisely
and properly removed the families all the way
from Dalton down." 1t is due to that gallant
soldier and gentleman to say that no act Of his
distinguished carees gives the least color to
your unfounded aspersions uron his conduct.
He depopulated no villages, nor towns nor
cities, either friendly or hostile. He offered
and extended friendly aid to his unfortunate
fellow-citizens who desired to fee from your
fratcrnal embraces You are equally unfor-
tunate in your attempt to find justification
for this act Of cruelty. either in the defense OF
Jonesboro', by Gen. Hardee. or of Atlanta, by
myself Gen. Hardee defended his position in
front Of Jonesboro' at the expense Of injury to
the houses an ordinary, proper, and justihable
act of war. I defended Atlanta at the same
risk and cost. If there was any fault in either
case, it was your own. in not giving notice. es-
pecially in the case of Atlanta, of your purpose
to she'll the town, which is usual in war among
civilized nations. No inhabitant was expelled
from his home and freside by the orders OF
Gen. Hardee or myself and, therefore. your
recent order can find no support from the con-
duct Of either of US. / feel no other emotion
other than pain in reading that portion OF your
letter which attempts to justify yonr shelllng
Atlanta without notice under pretense that l
defended Atlanta upon line SO close TO town
that every cannon shot and many musket- balls
from your line Of investment. that overshot
their mark, went into the habitations of women
and children. l made no complaint of your
firing into Atlanta in any way you thought
proper | make none now, but there are hun-
dred Thousand witnesses that you fred into the
habitations of women and children for weeks,
firing far above and miles beyond my line
of defense. have too good an opinion, founded
both upon observation and experience; OF the
skill of your artilerists to credit the insinua-
tion that they for several weeks unintention-
ally fred too high for my modest feld-works,.
and slaughtered women and children by acci-
dent and want of skill
The residue Of your letter is rather discus.
sion. 1t opens wide field for the discussion of
questions which do not feel are committed to
me. am only General of one of the armies
of the Confederate States. charged with mill
tary operations in the field, under the direction
of my superior officers, and am not called upon
to discuss with you the causes of the present
war; or the political questions which led to or
resulted from it, These grave and important
questions have been committed to far abler
hands than mine, and / shall only refer to
then, 80 far as to repel any unjust conclusion
charge my country with daring and badger
ing you to battle" The truth is, We sent COM
missioners to you, respectfully Offering peace
fnl separation, before the first gun was fired Oh
either side. You say we insnlted your flag.
The truth is we fred upon it, and those who
fought under it, when You came to our doors
upon the
MISSION OF sUBJUGATrON
You say We seized uporiyour forts and arsenals
and made prisoners of the garrisons sent to pro-
tect us against negroes and Indians. The
truth is, we, by force of arms drove out inso-
lent intruders and took possession of our own
forts and arsenals to resist your claims to do
minion over masters, slaves, and Indians, all OF
whom are to this day, with nnanimty unex-
ampled in the history OF the world warning
against your attempts to become their masters.
You say that we tried to forco Missouri and
Kentucky into rebellion in spite of themselves.
The truth is, my Government, from the Begin
ming of this struggle to this hour, has again
and again offered. before the whole world, to
leave it to the unbiased will of these States,
and all others, to determine for themselves
whether they will cast their destiny with your
Government or Ours; and your Government has
resisted this fundamental principle of free in
with the bayonet and lsbOrs daily,
by force and fraud, to fasten its hateful tyranny
upon the unfortunate freemen OF these States.
You say we falsiied the vote OF Louisiana.
The truth is, Louisiana not only separated
herself from your Government by nearly
unanimous vote of her people, but has vindicated
the act npon every battlefield from Gettysburg
to the Sabine, and has exhibited an heroic de-
votion TO her decision which challenges the
admiration and respect of every man capable
of feeling sympathy for the oppressed or admi-
ration for heroic valor.
You say that we turned loose pirates to PLUM
der your unarmed ships. The truth is, when
rohhod NJ of 0ur nal RI of the buiIt
and bought few vessels, h0isted the flag OF our
country and swept the seas in defiance of your
navy around the whole circumference of the
globe. You say we have expelled Union fam
lilies by thousands. The truth is, not single
family has been expelled from the Confederate
States that l am aware Of; but, on the con-
trary, the moderation of our Government TO-
ward traitors has been fruitful theme of de-
nunciaton by its enemies and well-meaning
friends of our cause. You say my Government
by acts Of Congress, has cOnfscated "all debts
due Northern men for goods sold and deliv-
ered." The truth ia, our Congress gave due
and ample time to your merchants and traders
TO depart from our shores with their ships
goods, aud effects, and only sequestrated the
property of our enemies in retaliation for their
acts-declaring us traitors and confscating our
property wherever their power extended, either
in their country or our own. Such are your
accusations and such are the facts known of all
men to be true.
you ORDER INTO EXILE
the whole population of a city; drive men,
women and children from their homes at the
point Of the bayonet. under the plea that it is
to the interest Of your Government, and on the
claim that it is an act of kindness to these
families of Atlanta" Butler only banished
from New Orleans the registered enemies of
his Government, and acknowledged that he
did it as punishment. You issue sweeping
edict, covering all the inhabitants of city,
and add insult to the injury heaped upon the
defenseless by assuming that you have done
them kindness. This you follow by the as
sertion that you will make as much sacrifice
for the peace and honor of the South as the
best born Southerner." And, because / char
acterize what you call kindness as being real
cruelty, you presume to sit in Judgment be-
tween me and my God; and you decide that
my earnest prayer to the Almighty Father to
save our women and children from what you
call kindness, is sacrilegiOus, hypocritical
appeal"
You came into our country with your army,