Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-15
SEASHORE REAL ESTATE,
CIVIL WAR "ATRocITIEs. +"
No Quarter to Participants in New
York Draft Riots.

From the Army and Navg Journal.
During the draft riots Of 1863 IN the city
of New York. when the inspector and cap
tains of police asked the president OF the
police board what they should do with
their prisoners, they were answer, a.
Don't take any! XII! Kill! XIII! Put
down the mob! Don't bring a prisoner in
till the mob is put down" And kill they
did. 1t is estimated by the author Of The
Volcano Under the City" who tells the
story Of those evil days. that some fifteen
hundred persons were killed in the streets
OF New York by the policemen and the
soldiers. They were mercilessly dubbed
to death. driven from the roofs OF houses
whence they tumbled into the streets; shut
up IN a burning building, where many per-
lshed In nre and smoke; shot down by bull
lets and laid low in narrow streets with
grape and canister fired at short range A
large proportion of the Victims were bows
or young men under age, and many II
them were women. But public sentimt MT
at the time and since has justified this
merciless slaughter as a stern necessity
forced upon the authorities to prevent A
lar worse evil. 1t was the one way the
only way, TO prevent the control of the
city passing from the hands of the consti-
tuted authorities into the hands OF a muir
derous mob, specimens Of whose methods
were found In negroes hanging from lamp
posts with their flesh cut into ribbons and
all OF their toes and fingers cut off
II has always been held that disorgauiZed
and irresponsible bodies of men killing and
plundering at will, and without reference
TO the establishment of a new order of re-
sponsible control. were to be dealt with ac-
cording to the primal law of self-defense.
WHICH JuStiileS killing without r. f.reuce
to the orderly processes of administering
Justice In civilized communities IL in
VoiVes return. and A necessary return,
TO primitive condition Of barbarism whore
each mans defense is i'm his own strong
arm Fine spun theories cannot alter this
for civilization will never suffer itself Il be
so meshed In its own net OF formal m H.
ooS that II is left a helpless prey To the
forces of disorder.
In the early days OF our civil war Gem
eral Halleck, the author of a standard
work on International law and a soldier
deeply read in the civil as well as the mil
itary law, was in command I'm Missouri
In a general order issued December &
1861, General Halleck said: "All persons
found In disguise as pretended loyal eth
Zehs- or under false pretenses. within our
lines giving Information to or coummuuf-
eating with the enemy. will be arrest d.
tried. condemned and shot as spies IL
should be remembered that I'm this resnsct
the laws of war make no distinction II
SEX: all are liable TO the same panaIfy
1t was explained that the laws of war Dsr-
united retaliatory measures against th,se
who, while not committing actual yiol,l,ca
themselves. gave aid. assistance and n
coura cement to those who did Mn
caught burning bridges and destrnyinx
railroads and telegraph wires were to he
immediately shot Amy pretended I-nsou
man, who knew Of the intention of such
marauders and failed to communicate su n
intention TO the proper authorities was 10
De regarded as particeps criminis and
Treated accordingly The cost of repairs
was TO be charged against the town where
the obstruction occurred. With reference
TO these orders General Halleck wrote:
4 shall punish all / can catch. although
have no doubt there will be a newsnaDer
hoWl against me as a bloodthirsty m n
ster. Halleck held. as IL has ALWAYS d. On
held, that guerrillas ARE in a legal sense
mere freebooters and banditti and ar. Ii
able to the same punishment which was
imposed upon guerrilla bands by Napoleon
In Spain and by Scott in Mexico