The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-22
Exchange OF pfixOprrS.

Editors Dispdfch In recent number of
your valuable paper, you express the opinion
that the Northern Government would proba-
bly,, III short time, adopt the practice usual
among bellgeren1s, of exchanging the prison.
ers whom the fortune of war has thrown in to
their hands. This is a resul: most Gavou-Iy
to be wished, and is one for which our own
Government should be .e,1Asssautlv laboriag
The Dowlrdgment Of us as beLieeyegfs
would mitigate the sntierings 0 { our men Who
unfortunately fall into our opponents hands;
and, 1t the sane time, would relieve orr Gov
erhment from heavy burdens in supporting
those we may capture. No doubt our Gov
ernment has had this desirable Cbisct steadily
in view, and yet ii is, by its own acts defeat
ing i Is own efforts to establish this nollcy
II has been paroling the Wroug men Let us
look at the facts
The nri prity Of the prisoners in our hands
consist OF those taken at tk 9 famous 1ttle Of
Bull Run. Nearly the whole CT those prison
ers Were enlisted fer Lhree months service
and their term Of enlistment had expired. or
was near its close, when the battle was
fought. Very soon afterwards their regi-
meuts were III ustereI ont Of the service of the
Northern Government. These prisoners
then, were not any longer III the service OF
5heir Government. IF they were released
they had Il D regiments 10 which they COuld
return without re- enlistment. Many of thnrn
would never re-enter the service, and ia tie
ProsLTated condition OF business tney would
income j charge upon the community IN
which they lived, or the Government, failing
70 supply their wants would increase the
mum ber Of growlers. They viii receive no
wages after their regiments were mustered
out of service. Thus IL will be readily uer-
cciveG that their Government is gamer By
their detention.
The policy of exchanging will never be
adopted whilst Our Government holds such
men IN durance and paroles these who
are enlisted for the War, for three wears as
was done by Gen. Price at I4axiug ton, Mo
These men, and such DIS they, should be held
with tenacious grasp, and not one should
h3 rs Ia. = 4 ng oh
should be adopted. Instead of relpaSii = n en-
who can AZ once re enter the service. let our
Government send hone those who cannot be
com pei led to serve immediateIv Now if an
exchange takes place, We must reesiye men
who Will go al once to their places IN oor
ranks, whilst they n ;St be paid for with men,
who will have to be sent home, and who, per
barS Wili never Hnd thelr way into the army
again. The hopelessness of such exchange
is apparent. GoOd policy and economy would
dictate release on parole Of ali III rec months
men. when they return home, finding that
their Government does not recognize them as
soldiers that they will receive no nay dnr-
ing their confinement in our prisons-that
the parole executed at their release is not con-
siderei binding by their Government; they
viii then Degin 10 contrast the conduct OF
their Government with the liberaIity and
kindness of ours, and thus fuel will be added
to the sluTn bering volcano, which the Lin
coin Government now rests, and the eruption
That will destroy not only the leaders Of the
Government, but the Goyernm ent itself viii
be has tened.
Since Gen. Mcclellan is now Commander.
IN Chief it seems peculiarly proper that
strong effort should pe made to effect an ex-
change, for he is already more than half
committed 10 the policy. If his view were
not favorable to such Il system, tae obliga.
tions given ny our men who were par0llsd by
him at Rich Noun tain and Laurel Hill would
nave been very different from the one which
Wa8 eXacted. Being unfortunately one Of
those prisoners, this writer subscr bed the
following obligation " l promise on honor
not to take up arms nor serve in any mill tary
capacity against the United States Govern
ment until released according TO the Usages
Of war This obligation, taken from those
who were surrendered as belli igsrents ID with
out doubt 9 complete recognition of us as
such; yet IL l. more than a recognition, for 10
contains an obligation that there shall be n
release " according to the usages of war; and
without one Is granted the law and morals
would hold the obilgator gull tless who SO ould
yiolate it in his turn. II is referred TO-
though merely for the purposa of showing
Gen. NlcClellan's position Ia this matter.
The present time is most favorable for
pressing this policy upon me Lincoln Admin
istratlon, and Gen. McClellan's desire to in
2ratiate himself with the masses, by gaining
the reputation o: having obtained the release
of their friends now in our hands backs up
the application very powerfully. BY accom-
pishing Il, cur gallant friends now in their
hands. and those of us who are piroled and
at home, will have the chains removed from
our gallant limbs, and once again rs freemen
enter the arena TO fight Freedoms battles
God speed the day. PAK0LEp PRISONER.