Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-07-25
THE PRISONERS OF THE PRIyA-
TEER GaVaRNAH
PRESIDENT DAVIS MESSAGE TO LINCOLN.

PRESIDENT DAVIS MESSAGE TO LINCOLN.
We have been furnished by our Richmond
correspondent with the following dispatch
from President DAVIS to Mr. Lincoln, relative
to the prisoners taken on board the privateer
Savannah. The policy he threatens will re-
cGive the cordial Endorsement of the people Of
the Confederate States:
RICHMOND, July 6, 1861.
70 Lbraham Lincoln. President ana Commander in
Chief Of the Army and Navy OF the Uaited States;
SIR: Having learned that the schooner Sl-
vannah, a private armed vessel in the service
and sailing under q commission issued by au-
thOrity Of the Confederate States Of America,
had been captured by one Of the vessels form
ing the blockading squadron of Charleston
harbor, | directed a proposition to be made to
the officers commanding that squadron for an
exchange Of the officers and crew Of the SaVan-
nah for the prisoners Of war held By this Gov
ernment " according to number and rank"
To this proposition, made on the 1871 ut,
Capt. Mercer, the officer in command Of the
b!ockadiDg squadron, made answer on the came
day that "the prisoners (%refeTred toy are not
on board OF any Of the vessels under my COM
nand."
1t now appears, by statements made without
contradiction in newspapers published 10 New
IJlhg iIdJ tue pIlSO 4eiS ABOVE MtuJlOueQ HClc
conveyed TO that city, and have there been
treated not as prisoners of war, but az crimi-
nails that they have been put in iTens, con-
fired in Jail, brought before the courts Of
justice on charges Of piracy and treason, and
it Is even TumCret thar they have been actu-
ally convicted Of the ofenses charged, for no
other reason than they bore arms in defense OF
the rights Of this government and under the
authority Of its commission.
could not without grave discourtesy have
made the newspaper statements above referred
to, the subject OF this communication, il the
threat Of treating as pirates the citizens Of
this ConfedeTaey. armed for its service on the
high seas, had not been contained in your
proclamation OF the April last That
proclamation, however, seems to afford a suffi-
Gent Justification fer considering these pub
lished statements as not devoid OF probability.
1t is the desire of this Government so to
conduct the war now existing IS to mitigate
it's horrors as far as may be possible: and,
with this intent, its treatment Of the prisoners
captured by it5 forces has been marked by the
greatest humanity and lenicncy consistent
with public obligation: some have been per
mitted to return home on parole, others to re-
main at large under similar condition within
this CODfedeTacy, and all have been furnished
with TatiOns FOR their subsistence, such as are
allowed to our OWE troops. 1t is only since
the news has been received Of the treatment
Of The prisoners taken on the Savannah, that
[ have been compelled to Withdraw these in
dulzencias ami to bold the prisoners taken BY
us in strict confinement.
A Just regard to humanity and to the honor
Of this government now requires me to stale
explicitly, that painful as will be the neces-
sity, this government will deal out to the pris-
oners held by it, the same treatment and the
same fate as shall be experienced by those
captured on the Savannah and If driven to
the terrible necessity of retaliation by your
execution Of any Of the officers or crew Of the
Savannah, that retaliation will be extended SO
far as shall be requisite to secure the absn-
donment Of a practice unknown to the war
fare Of civilized man and so barbaTous as to
disgrace the nation which shall. be guilty of
insuguTating it.
With this view, and because it may not have
reached yoH, I nsw renew the proposition
made to the commander Of the blockading
squadron, to exchange for the prisoners taken
on the Savannah, an equal number Of those
now beld by US, according to rank.
am, sir. yours, etc,
JEFFERSON DAVIS, President,
and Commander in Chief Of the Army and
Navy OF the Confederate States.