American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-07-27

by themselves 10 be upheld by minority
only of our people, makes special war On the
sick, including women and children, by care
fully devised measures 10 prevent their OBJ
tanning the medicines necessary for their
cure2 Sacred claims 10 humanity, respect
ed even during the fury Of actual battle, b.
a careful deviation of an attack upon the
o -pitals containing wounded enemies. are
outraged in cold blood By a Government
and people that pretend 70 desire contln-
fuance of fFaternal connections. All these
cutrases must remain unavenged. save by
tine universal reprobation of mankind. In
all cases where the actual perpetrators OF
wrongs escape capture, they admit Of no re-
taliasion. The humanity of our people
would shrink in~tiactiveiy from the bare
idea of waging a Ike war upon the sick, the
women and the children Of the enemy.
But there are other savage practices
which have been resortei to ~ the Gov
eminent of the United States, which do
admit of repression by retaliation. l have
been driven TO the necessity of enforcing
/ this retaliation.
The prisoners of war taken by the enemy
on board the armed schooner Savannah,
sailing under cur admission, were a. | was
ered;tably advised, treated like common
felons, put in irons, confined in jail usually
appropriated 10 criminals Of the worst dye.
had made application for the exchange Of
these prisoners TO the commanding officer of
the enemy's squadron off Charleston, but
that officer had already sent the prisoners
10 New York when the application was
made. l Therefore deemed IL my duty 10
renew the = sosal for the exchange 60 the
constitution : enmander-in-ehisf Of the
army and na5 t the United States. tie
only officer having control Of the prisoners.
FL This .apA / 1f=pafrl.oA
under the flag of truce, and in making
the proposal, / informed President Lincoln
OF my resolute purpose 20 check all barbar-
titles on prisoners of war by such severity
retaliating on prisoners held BY the United
States should secure the abandonment Of
the practice. To this communication
reply would be returned BY President Lin
coin as soon as possible | earnestly hope
this promised reply, which has not been re-
ceived, will convey the assurance that the
prisoners of war will be treated i'm this I'M
happy contest with that regard TO humanity
which has made such conspicuous progress
IN the conduct of modern warfare. OF the
measures of precautiOn, however, and uutil
the promised reply Is received stiil retain
in close custody some of the captured from
the enemy, whom il had been my pleasure
previously TO enlarge on parole. and whose
fate must necessarily depend on that OF tie
fItoUltlc IGi0 tI the EDtfNT~ i append
copy of my communication a the President.
and COmmander-in-Chief Of the Army and
Navy of the United States. ami q the
report oil the officers char ged 20 deliver Il.
There are some other passages IN the re-
paper 10 which | have directed
your attention, having reference 70 the persl-
liar relation which exist between this Gov
eminent and the States usu..iy termed Bor-
der Slave States, which cannot properly be
- u = e..
pie are animated by sentiments toward, tts
inhabitants cf those States which has found
expression IN our enactment refusing q con-
sider them enemies er authorize hostifties
against them. That n very large PORTION af- ,
the people Of those States regard us So bretb-
rem; that If unre>trainei BY the actual pres
enee OF large armies, the sEbvession &c civil
authority, and tie declaration uf martial
law some of them az least wogld is-laily /
unite with That they are wish almost
entire unanimity opposed 20 the pEo~ecutloa
II the war wsged against us-uur f1ith &c
which daily recurring events fully Warrant 3
the assertion.
The President Of the United States refuses p
to reorganize in those Of our sister State- 81
the right of RETAINING from aftaeS oa a., S
md justIfieS bis refusal by the assertion that
the States have no other power then that s
reserved to them in the Union bv the Con .
e
, State out OF the Union. s
This view of constitutional relations be- p
.ween the State and the General Govern 2
nent i fitting introduction to another
assertion OF the message that q President &
exclusively possessed the power # Rabsrs I
'oTpas, and of deieCating that power O. the s.
military commanders 81 his discretion and :,
10Th these propositions claim respect equal +
o that which is felt for the additional state
nent OF opinion of the same paper that ID J. .
Proper IN order TO execute the laws that tire :
anne single law Is made In such extreme "a
enderness Of citizens liberty that praefi- q
ally it relieves more of the guilty than the q
innocent, should 10 very limited extent be :
'iolated. 1.
We may well rejoice that re have fr-crer 9
eyered our connection With Government
hat thus trampies on all principles &C conS1i- >
utional liberty, and with people in Shoss q
presence such avowals could be hazarded. !,
The operations on the field viii be greatly y
attended by the reason of policy which 1
ereaiter secretly entertained i now avoWsd ;.
nd acted upon BY the United States
The forces hitherto raised proved ample fDr r
lie defense oft seven States which origin o,
lily organized the Confederacy, as i evident "a
v the fact that with the exception or three &c
Irtifed islands, whose defense j. sufficient 4
? aided by prepOnderaJing naval force u
Re enemy has been driven completely oct
those stations, and now, at the expiration =
{ five months from the formation Of the =
Government, not a single hostile foot has -
assessed their soil. These forces. however. i
must necessarily prove inadequate 70 repel :.
he invasion of a half a million OF men now =
ro2osed ty the enemy, and a corresponding =
lcrease of our forces viii become necessary.
The recommendations for the raisins and &
quipping Of this additional force viii BE s..
in the communication Of the Sec Ct
etary of War, 10 which | need scarcely IN "a
tie your earnest attention. al
In my message delivered in Aprsl last. p.
eferred TO the promise Of abundant crops =
18th which we were cheered. The grain Co.
-ops generally has since been harvested. r
I'D the yield has proved 70 be the mast
oundant known in cur history Nsuv y
elieve the supply adequate 10 two years
assumption for our population Cotton.
agar and tobacco forming tie surplus pro- =
nctions OF QUE agriculture. and furnishing =.
le basis OF our commercial interests pres