Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-08
AmIRICAx ropros IN ENGLAND.
me sou1hern Conrederacy.

To the Editor Of the London TInes-SIR 1t viii
be in the recollection Of readers Of the Parliamen
| tary debates that Mr. Duneombe alleged that the
Southern President Mr. Davis, had issued procla,
nation Of reward of $50 head msney for each
person killed 10 action on board an enemy'a ship.
NJ Duncombe subsequently modified this assertion
by stating that the reward $50 head money for
each person, alive or dead, on board an enemy s
ship, taken in action or destroyed Ihave not the
| means at present Of referring to Mr.. Duncombe's
words, but think l am not misrepresenting their
| purport. - ,-. .-
1 have received a letter within the last week
which explains this TRANSACTION. The writer Is 8
gentleman OF State which does not form portion
of the Southern Confederacy; for obvious reasons
/ withhold his name. He says: 't
q You may rely upon it that the course adopted
by the Southern Cabinet or Congress is based upon
moderation, humanity, and precedent. While their
opponents have wIlfully and deliberately violated
every article Of the Constitution which in any way
inuerferred with their schemes. they themselves
have Figidly adhered to it. It has been altered
only IN some few Instances, and the necessity Of
these alterations was fully sustained BY the expeS
rence Of seventy years. The article in question 70
which you ahude is an old section. taken from an
Act relating to the United States Navy, passed
April %, 1900. c. 80, 5. Z. III "a = --.-. ~. o..
That bounty shall be paid by the United
States Of $50 for each person on board of any ship
of any enemy a the commencement of an engage
ment which shall be sunk or destroyed By any ship
or vessel belonging the United States OF equal "
inferior force, the same to be divided among the
officers and crew in the same manner as prize
@iThis whole Act was copied by the Confederate
States and this section verbatim. Ala old laws are
retained, and as our laws are based upon English
law, you will IN all probability find that we origi-
nally took this very section from similar in
your Navigation Laws, It te'ng evidently intended
as measure or scale By which to fix the amount
of prize money of those vessels which were cap
tured but not got into port The value of each was
to be estimated by the number Of its crew. Some
Of the Northern papers got hold of this section
published it, and commented On It for their own
purpose" 81. ..F .e' Z5d Bon .-l- .s
SO much for this charge of bloodthirstiness as
CARDS the Southern COnfederaey. IL is fortunate
that By this time BDglishEen have learned to esti-
mate st their just value theSaeets of the greater
portion Of the Northern press. Southern newspa-
pers reach but rarely, and certainly IN none of
those thatshaye met my eyes have seen the recon-
mendatOns to blosdshed, ccnfscatisn, and exter-
minaton, with which two many Northern journals
TEEN. Ii has been stated that Northern prisoners
were treated with great iuhumanity after the vic
tory of Bull Run Recent accounts, published in
the Tines, prove that several OF these prisoners
have been released and have returned home full Of
gratitude for the kindness they and their comrades
received fTcm their capt0rs, and for the care and
attention with which the wounded we're tended
This differs much from the treatment to which Col
Z1Tvona and Lieut. Alexander, Confederate officers
now confined IN Fort Henry, are subjected. Neither
of them are recognized nor treated prisoners Of
war. They are not permitted to leave the guard
house. except TO the yard and to return under
the custody of an armed sentinel,
viii venture to assert that hereafter, y ben the
Southern ConfedeFacy shall have ION its indepen-
dencs and the incidents of this lamentGble war shall
have become history, however conflicting may BE-
the judgments as to It's origin, there viii be UnanIIu
ity on this pOnt-that President Davis and his Cabi-
net have endeaEored to mitigate Its horrors By
undertaking humanity, and by refraning, as far as
the exigencies of war permit, from every act Of
and retaliation calculated to embitter and
prclong the struggle. Such know TO be the wishes
and intentions OF the Southern leaders.
remain, SIR, your Obedlent servant,
August 81. w. II. GREGORY.