Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-08-13
MORE SOUTHERN PRISONERS n IRONS AT TIL
NORTH.
PRO u the Y l. Daily News Angus, 9Th

MORE SOUTHERN PRISONERS IN IRONS AT THE
NORTH.
tpro Ill the n I. Daily News, Angus. G,h1
Thirty more prvatecrsmen, sailing under the
commission OF the Confederate States, and
captured upon the Enchantress, off Charles
ton, have arrived at Philadelphia, and lie in
Moyamensing Prison. We regret to see it
stated, in the Philadelphia journals, that, like
the prisoners taken in the Savannah, and now
confined in the New York Tombs, these men
are kept in irons.
We have heretofore demonstrated, without
contradiction, as proposition of Law, that BY
every law, usage, dictum, decision and Prece.
dent of the United States Of Amerlca-irom
the time when the Congress ofl7T6 authorized
priYateer commissions, TO the latest autheatic
record Of the doings Of our courts-prlvateer'
ing has been recognized and sanctioned, that
our courts have uniformly recognized priVa-
tcer commissions even when issued by unac'
knowledged and scarcely dc facto governments
even By mere revolutionary colonial juntas,
in revolt against the mother country; and, final.
", that by the laws Of nations, prlvateerlng
is not piracy and cannot be declared to be pira.
cy; that the Treaty of Paris simply prohibited
it, and did not propose to declare it piracy;
and that piracy is public and wholesale rob.
berry, without pretence OF governmental au.
thority on the part Of these who pe,patrate it,
and carried on against the vessels and proper
~ OF al! nations indscriminately, not, as in the
case of pri7a,ec:ing, against single bellige-
rent.
We have therefore maintained that the pri-
vateersrnen commissioned by the Southern
Coufederacy are to be considered not pirates,
but prisoners OF war. AS such, we have urged
that they should be treated, and as such ex-
changed to redeem Northern prisoners Of war
! held by the ronfcderacy.
The result of their being held, however, in
close confinement, manacled in prison 10 Phlla'
delphia and New York, must be that the Fed
eral prisoners at Richmond will be treated in
the same manner. Why do the Federal authorl
ties set such needless examples Of cruelty and
cnforce retaliation? Why do they insist upon
p.rverling Law, and refusing to follow the usagcs
| OF civilized bellgerents, when the only effect
must be TO cmbitter the hatred on both sides,
and to unnecessarily agsrarate the lot OF their
own soldiers held as captives?
Brgadier Gen. Pierce has made statement
with respect 10 the Great Bethel fight he
says be was short Of ammunition, acted under
orders, and has demanded court Of inquiry
il vain. The reply ts his application has beer
that il would injure the service.
Volunteers accepted By the President anc
mustered into service for one, two, or tire,
years, or for ard during the war, are to be pait
| from that time, without waiting till they reach
the rendezvous. This will increase the annua
expense OF the war about $20,000,000.
The Washington Star" q name that sug
gests everything that is cdious, is stimulatin!
the Lincoln Government to further tyranny ii
Alexandria 1t complains that the "Dsunion
lists" are allowed TOO many liberties. After tn
war is over, suppose the "Star's editor shou!