Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-08-08
The Prisoners of the Privateer Savan-
 nah-President Davis Message to Lin-

The Prisoners 0f the Fr1Vateer SaVan-
 nah-President Davis Message to Lin- coin.
 We have been furnished by our Rich mond correspondent with the following dis patch from President Davis to MT. Lincoln, relative to the prisoners taken on board the privateer Savannah. The policy he theat ems will receive the cordial indorsement of the people of the Confederate States:
 RICHMOND, July 6, 1861. 10 A6raAam Lincoln, President and Com
 mander ID Cheif of Me armay aud navy ot
 the United States:
 SIR: Having learned that the schooner Savannah,a private armed vessel in the ser vice and sailing under commission issued by authority of the Confederate States of America, had been captured by one of the vessels forming the blockading squodron off Charleston harbor, I directed a propo- sition, to be made tn the officers command ing that squadron for an exchange of the officers and crew of the Savannh for the prisoners of war held by this government " according to number and rank" To this proposition, made on the 18th ult., Capt. Mercer, the officer in command of the blockading squadron, made answer on the same day that " the prisoners referred to) are not on board of any of the vessels un- der my com mand."
 It now appears, by statements made without contradiction in newspapers pub lished in New York, that the prisoners above mentioned were conveyed to that city, and have there been treated not as prisoners of war, but as criminals, that they have been put in irons, confined in jail, brought before the courts of justice on charges of piracy and treason, and it is even rumored that they have been actually con- vincted of the offences charged, for no oth- CT reason than they bore arms in defense of the rights of this government and under the authority of its commission.
 I could not without grave discourtesy have made the newspaper statements above referred to, the subject of this communica- tion, if the threat of treating as pirates the citizens of this Confederacy, armed for its service on the high seas, had not been con- tained in your proclamation of the-April last. That proclamation, however, seems to afford sufficient justification for con- sidering these published statements as not devoid of probability.
 It is the desire of this government so to conduct the war now existing as to miti- gate its horrors as far as may be possible; and, with this intent, it's treatment of the prisoners captured by its forces has been marked by the greatest humanity and leni- ency consistent with public obligation; some have been permitted to return home on parole, others to remain at large under similar condition within this Confederacy, and all have been furnished with rations for their subsistence, such as are allowed to our own troops. It is only since the news has been received of the treatment of the prisoners taken on the Savannah, that I have been compelled to withdraw these indulgencies and to hold the prisoners taken by us in strict confinement.
 A just regard to humanity and to the honor of thls government now requires me to state explicitly, that painful as will be the necessity, this government will deal out to the prisoners held by it, the same treatment and the same fate as shall be experienced by those captured on the Savannah; and if driven to the terrible necessity of retaliation by your execution of any of the officers or crew of the Savan- nah, that the retaliation will be extended so far as shall be requisite to secure the abandonment of a practice unknown to the warefare of civilized man; and so barbar- ous to disgrace the nation which shall be guilty of inaugurating it.
 With this view, and because it may not have reached you, l now renew the prop osition made to the commander of the blockading squadron, to exchange for the prisoners taken on the Savannah, an equal number of those now held by us, accrding to rank.
 am, sir, yours, etc.,
 JEFFERSON DAVIS, President, and Commander in Chief of the Army and
 Navy of the Confederate States.