Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-08-23
what Is 30 be Done with the PrIva-
- 7eeES.
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WASHINGTON, Thursday, Aug. Is.
This question is now seriously discussed in
the Cabinet, without any definite answer be-
ing arrived at. 1t is supposed that. in the
next foar weeks, our newly sent out fleet will
have captured at least four hundred Southern
sailors, who, according to the doctrine enun
ciated by the Executive, must be regarded
as pirates, and executed as such. But you
are aware that the subject is full of difficulty
At the time Gen. Mcclellan took so many
prisoners with Col. Pegram, wrote you that
the War Department had sent him orders to
release them all. This order, OF course, he
obeyed. 1 stated at the came time, that the
Administration had decided not to hang any
of the sailors taken on board of the Southern
privateers. This was true at the time. The
decision was made, not from any feeling of
clemency towards the captured sailors, but
from motives of policy. Noinstance of hang
| ing has yet taken place on either side; and
the Administration felt unwilling to begin a
course of policy which might be followed on
the other side.
The result of the Inauguration of such a
policy would be the indiscriminate murder of
hundreds OF prisoners in the hands of the re-
bells, including many valuable citizens, and
the enactment of scenes of horror unequaled
by those of the French Revolution. The
Administration, therefore, decided, as l have
said, not to hang any of the pirates. But
within day or two the question has been
again raised in the Cabinet. At least one
member of that body is in favor, as he ex-
presses it, of ''discarding all squeamish nom
sense, and OF hanging every rebel found in
arms against the Government, whether taken
on the sea or land" This is undoubtedly
the course that ought to be taken, if the
Government regards this matter as simply an
''insurrectiOn." This is the view taken of it
by President Lincoln; and he, too, although
he deplores the necessity of such dreadful
measures, is in favor OF such course as will
show to the world that we are in earnest in
this matter, and that traitors found in arms
against the Government must expect and re-
celve u traitors doom. But the Secretary of
State Is in favor OF a milder, aud, as he
thinks, OF wiser course of policy. He ad-
mits that, by the strict rules of law, the
Southern privateersmen are pirates, and to
hang them might be justifiable; but, he says,
necessity has led US to diregard former con
stitntional provisions since the commence
ment of this strife. In this instance, the
same necessity would seem to dictate re-
Taxation of the strict rule of law. III we
hang these men, the rebels viii hang Mr..
Ely, COL Corcoran and Col. Wilcox; aud
then we, in retaliation, will hang Mr.. Faulk-
ner and the prisoners at Fort Lafayette.
Thus there will be no end to horrors. To
avoid this, Mr.. Seward favors a more Ienient
course than be would recommend under or
binary circumstances. His opinion has great
weight with the President, bat the matter is
by no means yet decided. The other MEM
bers of the Cabinet are divided in sentiment
on the subject. Mr.. Welles sides with Mr..
Seward, and the Secretary of War holds
| about the same views, only he objects to any
further release Of prisoners, as in the case
of Col. Pegram's men. Mr.. Bates and Mr..
Blair both go for extreme measures, regard
less of consequences, and Mr.. Smith also en-
tertains the same views.