The sword of justice.
As we anticipated, the refusal of the
Southern Commissioners to accept terms of degradation, which those who proposed them knew could not be accepted, has been followed by a menace of exterminating vengeance.
Lincoln's newspaper organ, the
Chronicle, says ‘"the sword of justice must execute the work which the folly of blinded leaders would not accord to the arts of pacification."’
The whole mission of
Blair to
Richmond was designed for no other purpose.
Was ever a country before, with three large armies in the field, called upon to lay down its arms in unconditional submission; to give the party making the demand the right to hang its principal citizens if he chose to exercise it; to surrender its whole property, as the only condition of peace?
And could a Government, making such a proposition, seriously expect compliance?
Could it expect the most heroic race of men on this continent to sheathe their swords upon such terms?
Could it believe the
Southern people would give up that whole slave property at the summons of an act of Congress, which the vast armies of the
North have been unable to take from them in a gigantic war of four years? No such insane expectation was ever indulged by the subtle and malignant schemer who set on foot the Blair mission.
He knew as well the result of that negotiation before it began as when it ended.
Its only design was to represent the
Federal Government to the
North, and to the world, as seeking in vain to recall, by pacific measures, the
Southern States to the fraternity of American Commonwealths, and thus to justify, as the punishment of incurable obstinacy, a policy of confiscation and extermination, which has been the real purpose of this whole war.
The Northern people, living under an inclement sky, and on a soil that requires incessant labor to produce the bare necessaries of life, have long looked with an envious and greedy eye upon the rich plains, the genial suns and the overflowing comfort of Southern life.
The abolition crusade has been manipulated by
W. H. Seward with no other design than to pave the way for an exodus of the overflowing Northern hive to the green pastures and fertile fields of the
American Italy.
If the object of this invasion were the restoration of the American Union, what easier than for
Seward to propose to our Commissioners reconstruction and a guarantee of the rights enjoyed by the
South in the old Government?
But he had no such purpose.
He made demands which he was sure we would refuse, only to have a pretext for drawing "the sword of justice," or, what is meant thereby, exterminating, as far as practicable, the
Southern population, and transferring every acre of Southern land to Northern hands.
Now that this diabolical purpose is deliberately avowed, we shall see whether it can be executed with that impunity which has hitherto attended Yankee outrages, and which has emboldened them to threaten infinitely greater horrors and injustice.
Mean and servile natures uniformly become ferocious and even valiant when they have an unresisting prey.--To hunt a hare is a more exciting pastime to some sportsmen than to face a lion.
Hitherto Yankee atrocities have been met by threats of retaliation, at which they only laughed.
They have misunderstood the character of this people from the first.
They misconstrue their moderation and humanity into abject fear, or, at best, refer it to sagacious policy.
The fear of
them does not exist in these latitudes; and when they draw that "sword of justice," policy, interest and vengeance will speak but one voice.
They will then discover that there are two who can draw such a sword, and that we are not going to be robbed of our lives, liberty and property, without an effort at vengeance and retribution.
