The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-16
,,oxp.y MORNING. SEPT. Is, 1881

4 J..
Tux PRisoSERs.-From the beginning of
,,sr the Confederate and State Govern.
have exhibited degree of humanity.
S..hsa-anee and mercy TO their captured enc
:. which are without parallel in the history
- nation invaded and threatened as the
s.~.h ha. been. and which has neither been
,a,ea by the North in i,s treatment of
s.,,sern prisoners, nor appreciated by many
those who have been the objects of our
compassion.
Ne eonstientiously believe that If the case
"A heeu reversed. and the South had wan
,,nls invaded tho North, publishing in ad
...o,a i,s intention to conhseate property and
.,nmit violence upon women, not q prisoner
mid have been made, not single life would
IA been spared. And We believe. more
.,s- that the North would have been right
,r believe that the South would have been
B. :, had pursued such course. We are quite
,r. that the forbearance of the South has had
o,her effect than 10 eXasperaie and en-
,,l3en a cowardly and cruel foe To fresh acts
.fhsrbarity and oppression, Our prisoners pnt
=, ;,,rs and threatened with death peaceabl,
..,.reps arrested and sent to For, I.afayettc.
,hs nroelaliation of martial law in Missouri.
v4sre every man who takes up arms for his
,.,so,n ]. inenaced with instant death: the
rrepara,ions 10 lombard and hay in ashes the
g,,v Of Baltimore upon the approach of Con
ssierale force these, and ii thousand like in
Stances Of uneNampied barharity, show that
,te mild and merciful course of the Southern
Government has been imputed 10 fear bv men
vbo themselves never abstain from evil ex.
cent under the same principle,
L j. not at all surprising that among the
,,i-oners themselves there are men who feel
NJ gratitude for the kindness which they daily
rr,rive, and who cherish towards the South
be most bitter and vindictive feelings. With
the exception of officers of the old regular
srny. who are generally gentlemen, and can
appreciate the courtesy which treats them as
su,h. sets of compassion and indulgence to
these prisoners are simply pearls cast before
swine Their volunteer officers especially are in
General. perfect caGicatures of officers, know ing
nothing Of the art of war, aud many Of them
original socations of some of them We're about
The la; from which anybody but Yankee Doc
de would ever have thought of manufactur
ing offcers In short, few of the volunteer
officers now in limbo We're recognized at home
a. gentlemen, and cannot be expected to sue
ceed in q character which they have never
even attempted, We have enough of such
.su!e TO feel perfectly sure that, if treated &C
Dofilng 10 their deserts. they would be meek
md humble as lambs. At the same time, for
te>Aance and humanity should still be exer-
,ietd 10 these men, until the LINCOLN Govern
uent fulflls its threats of putting to death
Southern prisoners.
1t would be entirely consistent with this for
bcarHnCe and humanity to make some disposi
ion Of tue prisoners, which would abatc the
,osl Of their maintenance and increase the diff
ftu.ies OF their escape AS our gallant priva
t-ersi-n are imInurei in that foul criminal
prison. the Tombs, of New York, we would
slg1ert that The prisoners here be removed to
the Penirentary, which is spacious. cleanly
and comfortable building, and that the inmates
Of the Penitenriary be employed upon the
iortitcations for the city defence. We do
not desire 10 wound the feelings of the con
yics, by proposing to give their quarters to u
much more degraded class of men than them
selves; but the public interests would be bene
htet by such sn arrangement, and they have
surely patriotism enough to reconcile them to
HE modification which, under the circum
stances, they might naturally feel We are all
obliged To make sacrifices for our country. and
We dare say that the inmates of the Virginia
are willing to shoulder their share
Dt the general self denial. They are not with
out interest in the result of this war. If the
country should be subjugated by our Yankee
INVADERS, the regular business of the pen'ten-
,atv convicts will be entirely destroyed. Be
tore one of them can graduate, every horse in
the country will be stolen, and every Southern
mRs robbed and murdered Let them vOlun
,eer, then, en- mass, To give the Yankee pris-
yners their places in the Penitentiarv, and be
lake themselves to the Notifications, where
they can keep the country from being overrun
and their various professions from being over
stocked by Yankee competition.