Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-07-13
The Rulcs of Warfare

L~ "a tAte
The port Of Charleston, sitter making capture
Of Z y. ,r,hecn vessel aud sending her IN IS q
priza, Was cspturod by the u. 5. steamship
Wabash. and sent into New YOrs.
This is the first Confederate vessel captured
ny the Lincoln forces, and i, will tcst the Quts'
ton whether Toe Unised States authorities ~.
tend to allow To armed cesse!s Of the Coniede-
rate States the rights nf ia"iu! ~Sr- lhtre
have been wild and furious threats u tIeat our
privatecrs rs ~piraticai, and execute all TAKEN
while engaged in that business, NJ pirates. Lie
question must be- now decided.
The manner in which i! shall be dcclufa ~
the Northern authOritie:, will S:au!p the cta-
ractcr which this war IS 70 hear hereafter, aA3'
II? some degree, 10 determine political reiatiohs
between The !wo parties. The man ut ash
ington must now meet toe direct quas:onS,
whether the cor ajct they hare provoked, III all
the proportions It has assumed OF "aT!aFe' 10
which organized governments are arEsylng N
the fad armies vi hundreds OF tlousandS oi
men, ready 70 try the issue o; battle, Is 10 DC
dealt with as . disordrr!r Instruction, OF re-
cosnizsd as public var. AZ these men IRON
the Savannah sro treated, 80 will their decision
on this subject be promulgated !oF the action
OF the Confederate Government, and the Gag
mcat of al other governments. AS they slla!'
Get, will DC their responsibility for all the con
seuuencrs which may foIlow, to tnoISandS OF
innocent men, whose lives hereafter may he
the sacrifice Of 4 ba-usrous system, and i3r the
mul, itrdinous horrors of-Sucn q relnorse!c6S
strife.
Tho lawfu!ness Of priva;eering is as perfect
rs the lawfu!hcss Of cay act Of war upon !and.
To DENY the right OF maritime Law according
to ths recognized usage Of nations, Is cIaailF
tu deny the right to wage lawful war ny land.
10 hang up a Confederate sailor for lighting
under the Confederate Jag. is not more cScu
sable than to shoot O. hang every soldier taken
in arms.
Whatever is douc, therefore, with !he crew
and officers Of the Savannah, will be the test
OF the character which tie Lincoln aduinistra
ton mean to put on the great war which Is
now opening in Virginia aud which uuay extend
all over the South and last many years. "n"t
ever il done 10 these few ncf, will be iaEca as
the proclamation Of what is intended 10 os
done 10 the hundred thousand men ~!o arc in
arms in the Sou;h. The cause ofthe captures
privateersmen l., therefore, The cause OF every
man in the Confederate States who is IN arms,
and the tens and fftics of thousands who
stand ready to follow up their movements and
stand in their places.
II concerns, toe. The whole o9dy OF that
Northern army T!!i!ca IS eroTdiHg into the
Southern States, isG 90 Coz the purposes Of
conquest. which orc to be met and resisted ut
all yoints. War hss its chances; aad already,
in the light skirn;shes whith haze preceded
the general collision Ct great masses, the for
tunes of the co3a Ct nave placed prisoners on
both sides in the power Of their a1versaries.-
Hitherto, the treatment Of prisoners by the
Uo7federates has been gentle and generous.
They have had in their possession some Of !helT
bittcrcst adye.sarics, urd treated them WITH
liberal courtesy. They took Anderson, ana lei
him go-hah Harvey in their power, ano dis
missed him-sen, home great numbers caF!u:'
cd in Texss-and have now in Virginia numer
ora prisoners OF var. who hare been tTsate4
with magnanimous ':indness. There arc with
in The reach Of the Confederate Government:
hundreds who might be taken at 032e and held
r,T execution. in retaliation for the violation Of
II. rules of honorable var. In this prize case
Of the Savannah, her crew is in The hands Of
the authorities Of Sauta Carolina. ana may be
made 10 answer il person tor whatever mag
be done by tho orders OF Lincoln 20 their IA~-
frl captnrs.
It will be q dreadful alternative; but there IS
no o.her possible remedy. The principle being
| affirmed that the Northern Government may
| hang Southern men. acting uade! the ad!aori
Is Of thar own Government. 1t !eaves no;h'1g
| else to BE- dcrc lla!. To employ, IN scit proeec
! ton. the argument 0: terror. IL vas iouno
| e11cacicus TO restrain the British! authorities,
dsr;ns ;he American sar, from denying the
RIGHTS Of fair bcliisor ents TO those who had
seeded from the authority 81 England. DC
crs;onally some brute officer, Of the Harvey
stripc, treated American soldiers rs tho Lin
| c,l1 organs prnro:e TO treat tho Southern sail.
nrs unw. II waa r~ercnptari'Y stepped when
| G.n. Washington. IN rr;aiiatian ior 4 martial
murder. caused c British officer 10 be d~eSisna'
red by lot, to be hanged for retaliation. The
lot fell upon Capt. As;ili, IA youns E1slishman
or noble family, and nothing sarcd HIN from the
| eailogs but the solemn engagement OF SIr6u.
=! Carleton to put a stop ~ these eno7in.t'es
j ha,ked up bY the personal request !r Capt
4soilrs release, preferred TO Gln. Washington
5y the roy al family Of France.
It may be, ard NC hope 1t Kill be, tsat this
| case of the Savannah will he brought in some
| form before . jadic:a! tribunal, and 4 Judgment
| of eotn, indeuendrnt Dotted StR.ns Cour: be
| fnund-if such bc !ess in any oae Of the
| Northern States-to tho effect that pri7a'seiira
| IL or. Of the legitimate asars Of warfare be-
! twyen bei!igersnr,. ard that the execution Of a
! few prisoners would b: not only g murder, bus
| q violation Of the usages and laws Of nations.
This ia bnrslg possible. and it is even more
J unllh,lY that a judicial opinion would be
respected by the leaders at Washington
They nave already suppressed the Judiciary,
and 81, aside the process and the judgment Of
Courts. But such g grave exposition might
help TO enlighten them upon the useless bar
| baritT Of commencing a merei!ess and bloody
warfare, for which the whole Christian world
would cry shame upon shem as the responsible:
authors, and policy prevails where law aRt
humanity might have fiilcd.-!Eep 0r1an'
P:cayane.