The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-11-12
JAS. MONROE.
The President qfthe u Ssatcs.
submitted
No. /.

No. 1.
Extract ojra letter from Reuben G.. Bensley
Esq. 10 the Com. General Of Prisoners, da-
ted
LONDON, March IS, 1914.
7" Having had several conversations on the
subject OF retaliation, previous to the recent
of Your letters ofthe 9th and 9th of Januarv
took the earliest occ sion to COMMITMENTS
the information they contained. On the 10Th
ultmo, addressed a letter to the transport
board on the subject, copy of which / have
now the honour to mclose. Although have
received no reply to this letter, have the
satisfaction to inform you that / have been
assured by the Secretary of the Board, and
have found the fact confirmed by my own OBJ
servatlon, that the treatment of the individuals
sent to this country for trial, has in no res
pect been different from that of the other pris
oners of war"
G1r. Bcaeiey 10 the Secretary ottfe TRANSPORT
Board.
HARTLBY-STREET, Feb. 10, 1914
in consequence of the wish which
you verbally EXPRESSED to me Yesterday
now present to the board, in the form in
winch 1t las been communicated tome bv
the CornmiSsary General Of prisoners OF the
y. States, a statemsat of the various meas
1reS OF ret ilation which have been forced on
the American government by the unwarrant
able acts CT British officers. / the more
readily cclaply with this wish, because if
WIN lead to proper understanding on the
SUBJECT, and persuade myself it will be
ioliowed by measures on the part of the B,i-
tish government, which will not only relieve
the suffering individuals but nut an end to
the proceeding, the very idea of which i
SO painful to every generous and humane feel
red 0"'
(Here follows the statement extracted from
general fi "a so''s letter of the 9th of January,
To the foregoing, have to add, that infor-
nation has been received by the Commissary
General that the British commanding officer
at Halifax had confined there 81 American
of1cers, with intention to make the number
90, IN retaliation for the 46 British officer
ccnimedb by che American government As
soon as this should be officially communica-
ted to the government, a correspondent and
ettectual measure would be adopted in the u
States.
In this statement and the documents which
accompany 1t, will be found the disposition
and sentiments of the American government.
It will be seen that this system was not begun
ny the Y States Prompt IN the discharge
OF the duty they owe to their citizens, they
nave constantly lamented the necessity Of the
measures imposed on them, and have or
every occasion snewn, as va viii see excm-
Pilhed IN the FIRST, second, third and fourth
acts above recitcd, thai the moment the ne
cessity OF detention ceased to exist, the per-
sons confined have been released.
ne British agent III the United States who
has been regularly informed Of every circum-
stance relative TO this unpleasant subject, will
ma doubt h4rrp -. A
ment the justice tn say, that the suffering Of
the individuals concerned have at all times
Dcen as hteie as the nature of the case would
admit.
lthas been thought extraordinary that con-
trary to the stpulations of the cartel, Ameri-
can prisoners have been sent to this country
from Canada. This measure was strongly re-
mons.rated against to Col Barclay SOME time
ago; bpt 50 far from having produced the de-
sired effect, It has been continued Under cir
cumstances OF the greatest hardship and suf-
feIing. About 400 of these persons, many of
whom had never before been mt sea, were
hurried on board the ship without che least
previous notice 70 provide themselves with ne
cessaries ard in that situation exposed TO a
boisterOus winter passage. The government
OF tie u. 5. has sought in vain for a legitimate
motive for this conduct, which will nccessari-
ly lead TO corresponding measure of severi-
ty if not satisfactorily explained.
am instructed to make inquiry relative to
the situation Of all prisoners who have from
time to time been sent tn this country and t.
give information Of the places Of confinement
and treatment Of those who were sent here
for trial.
have to remark, that while the British
Prisoners in the u. States have been treated
in exact conformity to the stipulations contain
ed in the cartel, no change whatever has been
made in the treatment of American prisoners
IN close confinement, nor has any satisfactory
reason been given why they have not been
placed on the same footing.
The situation Of the British officers who are
held in the United States as hostages to an
swer in their persons for the safety and pro-
pertreatment Of the american prisoners, viii
------
This statement confai7e9fbe 81 bstancc of
the cases 10 6efound in NE rchort 9fthe Sec
re'arD 4 State Of Me 14H # ,4hrV. 1871,
frsl'eoIy order efbbe Senate from fegc IS 10