OCR Text |
Show 216 R 0 En U 0 I~. 1ne and I will tru~t then1. I shall issue such regnla. tions as I dcen1 neccss~ry to be ob ervecl on their part. Son1e of then1 ·will be strict and n1ay appear unre:-tsonable. I cannot publi. h the reasons for them. But, if you 1nake allowance for the harsh ueces itic.CJ of \V::tr, I believe yon will consider 1ne both jnst and lnunane. I shall expect obedience to my regulation~ at all events. If any of 1ny men insult or pillage or oppress the citizen:-:;, let those ·who arc 1vrongec.l apply to nte for rcdrc ·s." After sotne further conversation, in ·whieh an in vita. tion was given and accepted to visit llocbnck, Colonel Fairfax retired. The next day 1\fr. Paln1er called on Colonel Trcnutinc. N ot,vithstml<.ling his son had so openly appeared in the Federal service, that cautious gent1ctnan still he~itated to oficncl his neighbors by ft1, precipitate eli play of Union sentiments. lie did not call on the conunander of the Federal force in the vil· lage until he heard that so conspicuous a rebel as C~lonel Fairfax had visited him. Even in conversing 1vith Colonel Tren1aine he rather insinuated at first tLan avowed his adhesion to the cause represented by that o:ffieer. But by degrees he led the conversation to political topics and to the affairs of the county, and bro::whed so1ue opinions for the guidance of the colonel. lie represeuteJ. the citizens of the county as, ahnost 1vithout exception, uncon1pron1ising rebels. lie complained, eBpecially, that the wealthy gentlemen devoted their riches to the support of the rebellion. Glancing at Colonel Fairfax, he said th:1t one of the n1ost pro1ninent of that class had, during the past vear <lcvotecl the -,vhole of his laro-e revenue and valu- "' , r • b able crops to the support of the Confederate cause or to the f~unilies of soldiers, and had induced the county ROEBUCK. 217 court to make such liberal contributions th:tt those families lived in greater abundance than they bncl known before the \var. He thono-ht that snch powerful sti.nn1lnnts of rebellion ought to be suppressed by depriving the 'vealthy rebels of their property. lie sugo·eRted that their e, tatcs 1ni o-ht be administered nn(1er n1intary rule for the benefit of the governn1ent· As Colonel Tremaine li:·tened in silence to the lon er ,...., nnd winding discourse in 1vhich he c:tution ly devel· oped these ideas, he even ventured to intimate that he was willing to adnlini,'ter those estates. At length he pnusecl, and the colonel observecl: "I suppose the gentlmnen to \vhonl you allude have been generously supporting a cau. e which they honestly npprove." "I do not perceive, ho,vever, that their honesty makes their conduct defensible." "\V ould you expect honest men to support a cause which they believe to be 'vrong ~" lHr. Pahner winced at the question, for he suspected that it 1vas a hint at son1e n1eagre contributions which he had made to the Confederate cause. But, after a moment's hesitation, he replied: "We have to deal with effects rather than motives." "It is a fact, ho,vever, worthy of observation, that nearly all the honest men of the South appear to be ao-ainst us in this struggle. In: proportion as they scorn sordid interests, in comparison with high principle, appenrs to be their zeal for the Southern cause. They evince, too, in supporting rebellion, generous sentiinents-scntiments 1vhich 1ve 1vould certainly applaud if \V.C could approve their cause." "Do you, then, justi(y the rel>ols ~, J() |