Washington sentinel., 1900-08-11
MiIitarp Despot-
ism In the
Uniteo States.

Uniteo States. eampsirn
will be to de-
feat Mckinley, the representative Of the
Republican party and mtlitarism.
Military despotism is no new thing In
this country We have had 1t as long
as the Republican party has been in
power; il has cost the people OF the
South, as we'll as the North, thousands
OF human lives, through starvation and
cruel treatment; and, as we will see 1t
has in the past been the greatest and
most cruel enemy to our soldiers, Just
as 1t was in the war with Spain and now
in the war in the Philippines, and most
likely will be in China.
The war between the Beers and Eng
land is an exact pattern of the war
between North and South, In both cases
it was a struggle for expansion and
power. Liberty had nothing to do with
either struggle, Tor the war for the Union,
was not a war for liberty, but to gam
supremacy, for the Republican party
over the Democratic party, as the war
with the Beers is for a like object Tor
England.
The Republican party won over the
South by superiority OF numbers and
greater wealth and power. II the Beers
succumb to the English it will be for the
same reason. Both the English and
Boer soldiers fought bravely, vet, as
long as there is anything like equality
in numbers, the Boer soldiers will
beat the English, as they have done thus
far, because the English Generals are
not equal to the Boer Generals. The
latter was the case in the Civil War.
AS long as there was equality of numbers
between the Northern and Southern
armies, the latter won the battles, be-
cause the Northern Generals, all Re
publieans (at least practically so)
were far inferior IN strategy and gener-
alship to the Southern generals, Over
whelming numbers therefore won. That |
is the reason why General Grant won in
the end and 1t will be for the same
reason iFLord Roberts comes out vic |
torious. Not greater ability or bravery |
broke up the Southern Co Oliederacy.
The Republican party, after fighting
unsuccessiully for three years, as a last
resort and knowing the weakness Of the |
South, took most cruel and unheard Of |
means to attain their end Civilized |
warfare was abandoned entirely. Wher-
ever their armies went, they destroyed |
everything on their way wide Sheri- |
danle roidA And eO ror,,Dlafa v.,ae - air
destruction that two years after the war
Congress had to appropriate several
millions to keep the people from starva-
tion. Medicines were declared contra.
band OF war and the whole South was |
so impoverished that the Soutu could I
only with difficulty sustain the lives OF
its own soldiers,
TOincrease the misery Of the Southern
people and hasten their downfall. the
Republican Generals stopped exchange
Of prisoners, OF whom at that time there \
were at Andersonville--wher most OF
them were stationed-no less than $4,000
Lack OF medicines and provisions soon
made 1t impossible for the South to
prevent the misery and mortality among
the Northern prisoners thev held. In
vain they appealed to the North for the
exchange Of prisoners: 1t was refused
them by the cruel Republican leaders,
who thereby expected to impoverish and
weaken the South so quickly that 1t
would be obliged to surrender.
Plying the misery of the Northern
prisoners, the Southern leaders permit.
ted them TO send men to Washington 20
see Stanton and describe to him the
misery in which thev were. But on
arriving in Washington the delegates
we're not given a hearing and were
threatened with court martial by
Stanton himself,
The Southern Generals then offered
to pay gold, or, what was the same at
that time, cotton, for medicines to the
North, to be used exclusively for the
Northern prisoners, for which purpose
they asked for the aid Of Northern
surgeons to distribute the medicines
among the prisoners. The following
touching appeal was sent by the Ander
sonville prisoners to the Republican
rulers at Washington:
ReS0IOsd. That while we would
declare our unbounded love for the
Union, for the home of our fathers, and
for the graves Of those we veneTate, we
would beg most respectfully that our
situation as prisoners be diligently
inquired into, and every obstacle con.
sistent with the honor and dignity of
the Govern ment at once removed.
HsenETtaH That ryhtNa allDraFiraor 40 |
Confederate authorities all due praise
for the attention paid to prisoners, many
of our men are daily consigned to early
graves IN the prime of manhood, far
from home and kindred, and this il not
caused Intentionally by the Confederate
Gov ernment, but by force of cIrcum.
stances; the prisoners are obliged to 60
without shelter, and, in great portion
of cases. without medicine.
RSSOlDea, That whereas ten thousand
of our brave comrades have descended
into an untimelY grave within the last
six months, and as we believe their |
death was caused by the difference of
climate, the peculiar kind and insuffici.
ency OF food, and lack ofproper medical
treatment; and whereas those difficulties
still remain, we would declare as our
firm belief that unless we are speedily
exchanged we have no other alternative
but to share the lamentable fate of our
comrades. Must this thing still go on7
Is there no hopper
RsS0iVeG, That whereas the cold and
1nclement season OF the year is fast
approaching, " e hold it to be our duty
as soldiers and citizens Of the United
States to inform our Government that
the majority of our prisoners are without
blankets to protect us from the scorching
sun by day or the heavy dews by night.
and we would most respectfully request
the Government 10 make some arrange