Yankee conduct of the War.
In the year 1674,
Marshal Turenne, commanding a French army in
Germany, laid waste the palatinate with fire and sword.
The unfortunate Elector, from his palace at
Manheim, could behold the conflagration of two cities and twenty-five towns and villages.
The animals, of every kind, were killed or driven off, the fruit trees cut down, and the crops destroyed in the fields or granaries.
Alsatia and Lorrain were likewise ravaged by the same pitiless soldier, whose only apology was that he desired to destroy the resources of his enemy, and bring him to terms in the speediest manner possible.
From that day to this, this horrible transaction has been held up to the execration of mankind, and no European General, except those of the half savage Russians, when they invaded
Prussia one hundred years ago, has been found hardy enough to imitate the example.
The repetition of that atrocity, common enough among the Turks, and in india before the
British had extended their do minion, among civilized people, was reserved for the descendants of the pilgrim fathers — the godly and gain-loving Puritans — the men whose father deported a whole colony from
Acadia, and made the earth reek with murder, where they coveted the lands of the unfortunate red man. Recollect that
Turenne perpetrated these enormities one hundred and eighty-nine years ago, when the world was far from being so enlightened, so civilized, or so humans, as it professes to be now — that he was the tool of a despot, whose ambition for forty years kept every nation of
Europe in constant dread of losing its liberties — that his policy was conquest — and that his
Generals had standing orders to pay no regard to humanity when it stood in the way of his policy.
Remember all that, and then recollect that the ruthless career of this ruthless tyrant is imitated not by any absolute monarch of
Europe — not by
Napoleon" eph., or Alexander II., but by a man "elected to the highest office in the world by a free people"--a man who represents "the best Government that the sun ever shone upon"--a man who is the head of a people "never wrong in their instincts"--in the full blaze of all the light which the boasted nineteenth century has poured upon the earth.
Were a war to spring up between the
Emperor of the
French and the
Emperor of
Austria to-morrow, and were the
Emperor of the
French to cross the
Rhine and march into the rich provinces of the
Danube, does any man believe that he would dare to order out marauding expeditions for the purpose of killing cattle, burning crops and mills, destroying
agricultural implements, and reducing the women and children of whole districts to absolute starvation?
No! He would be met by the remonstrances of every Court in
Europe, and if remonstrances would not do, those Courts would soon try what virtue there was in arms.
A universal line and cry would be raised against him. He would be driven back, like Sennacherib of old, to the land whence he came, as though he were pursued by the direct vengeance of Heaven.
He would become a hissing and a scorn to the nations, and his life would not be safe even in the Tuilleries.
The English war in
India, six years ago, was bloody and barbarous enough; but nowhere do we read of attempts to drown the rice fields, or to inundate whole districts, by cutting the dykes of the
Ganges, or letting in the waters of the ocean.
This barbarous and inhuman policy has been pursued by the
Yankees in
Louisiana, and as it has not an example, so we trust, for the honor of our race, it will never meet with imitation.
It is clearly our opinion that incursions such as that of
Kilpatrick, made for the purpose of destroying crops, houses,
agricultural implements, and miles, are against the laws of war, and that those employed in them cannot be regarded as anything else than robbers and murderers, let their authority come from whom it may. A few examples ought to be made.
The fear of retaliation seems to have restrained our authorities thus far. But they cannot do worse than they have done.
Punishment might alter them; but it could add little to
our danger.
For they hang and shoot our people whenever they please, under the impression that we dare not retaliate.
