The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-08-17
lAcHASdE OF PRISONERS interesting letter

| '" ~ ' o'noi surgeons OF the federal army
MAJ e prisoners, has be, released on his paroe
of hol or by the Confederate generals. and in
now jus returned from Richmond-is well de.
serving o. the attention of the government. He
says he has left upwards of thirteen hundred
wounded am prisoners Of our troops behind
him. DR.. Nory. al bears the most decided testi.
mony to the hum. nifty and kindness of The enc
my-whch is but the uniform testimony of all
the wounded and Or soners-but he says thess
men have the most b, tier feeling against our
government on accoun of its refusal to ex
change prisoners and to recognise the Confede-
rates as belligerents. We quote his words
There is one thing refra from adverting to-
ae leeiings OF the wounded and honers towards our
ceyng s continued and which h% tile to every prin
cpie VI c'lhzed warfare there will be such howi from
the whole length and Breadth Of the NorM and would do
more 10 damage our caase than such battles as rs
the Sr s. shor the
whole cviizcd world 1t would be njudicibA to say moro
as a. you asy On
the President from the imprisoned officers showed
to Gen winder, Of the coafedcrate forcce said he
could not allow II to pass without sho wing uA the War
Depar nent antM they passed it, u II sent by
Adams Express The prisoners anxiolsy asmht the re-
salt VI this petition before giving vent to their FED ngs
Dr. Norval. Ths editor OF a joushal i'm this
city, who frequents battle fields, but ,AsN avs
makes too good.use of his heels to'be maaa
prisoner, advocates the inhlman and brnA u
policy of leaving our troops taken pdsonefeA
Bull run to rot in Southern jais. Buthad "tlA
little villain" been captured himself, like Con-
gresham Ely, he wo,hd now, lice that gentls.
man. advocate very different course. Wa
hold that there ought to be an exchange OF
prisoners at once, Including the crews of the.
privateers who, after all, are only enemies at,
sea, as the Confederate troops are enemies on
land. Many of the latter have been releascd
by General Mcclellan, III Western Virginia, on
their promise not to take up arms again against
the United States government; and some
cavalry of the enemy, prisoners in Washington,
under the very eye of the government, have
been set free on the same condition.,
together with an oath of allegiance whichis Of
very small consequence. Why, then, hesitate
to apply the same rule to the prvateers? Hang
ing is the worst use to which men can be put.
That the Confederates are entitled to be recog-
nized as belligerents they have themselves
proved at Manassas; and the best way is to cam
didly admit the fact instead of standing upon q.
point of etiquette which is impracticable The
British government, when it waged war against
these States, at the time that they were its sub
ject colonies, proposed to hang the prisoners
who fell into the hands of Its generals; but
Washington, in brief letter, convinced them
that this was not for their own interest, and
they abandoned the idea. The course our 60.
vernment is pursuing in this matter is, as DR.
Norval observes, "hostile to every principle of
civilized warfare The old idea of hanging
men for political offences is now obsolete and
when we have succeeded in putting down the
rebellion the Union will be restored more by
our humanity than even by our arms.
In the present case the disadvantage of re-
fusing to exchange is clearly on our side. II
our government hang as traitors or privateers
the prisoners they hold, the Southern confede-
racy may retaliate, and hang ten for every one
The prisoners held by the United States are
few; the Confederate States have large
number Until the action of our government be-
came decided in reference to the privateers, the
Confederate government gave the prisoners they
had taken from us every indulgence. Now they
hold them in close confinement. The effect on
enlistment will be exceedingly bad. Thousands,
will shrink from engaging in a war in whichy il
they are taken prisoners, they are liable to be-
hanged; and if they are already enlisted there
Election that they may meet SO ignominious a.
fate is not likely to add to their GOODNESS or,
courage on the day of battle. It cannot inn
prove the Union cause or contribute to the. suc--
cess Of our arms to signalize the-war byneed1
less cruelties or revive the barbarities Of lesa.
enlightened times.