Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-03-26
sFiysKfffbY- ~ rHE NOR n:
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DAVIS IN SECRET SESSION of

AkSSAGE fkOA PRESIDENT AZ S-SFSa S"~~
coNeREss6sso
The Richmond Eromiel saysss ave segn'i
that yesterday message shouhe Ptes'de's WIS
sent into Congress, in secrst session, resemmssos
that all our prisoners who si been p4e on Ar9@
hv tho Yankee Goveff!fhentsbe relessed' ffdfn the
ob,;uaton of their parole so to bear arms IN our
struggle for independents
Tha Recommendation was urged as Fetsaatie'
for the nfamoes sad reckless breach OF gooa ta'sn
On, the mart ct the Northern Goyernulent with re-
purd Is The esetAnse OF prisoners, and vas accom-
panied BY the exposure of this perhdy IN lengthy
correspondence conducted BY the Mae 4spaEtaent-
We have been enabled to extract the points Oh THIS
interesting correspondents. - 49, Xxi a<uaAo} =,
! Ttanpears from, the correspondence that, at the
time PERMISSION was asked ty the Northern Gov
eminent for Messrs. Fish and Ases To visit their
prisoners within the jurisdiction Of the South, our
government while denying this PERMISSION, seages
To- improve the opportunity BY c9pesItt9g aSss!.aYa
plau for The exchange of prisoners. For the eXecu
ton Of this purpose Messrs. Conrad ana oeonon
were deputed by. our government as COMMISSIONERS
10 meet these Of the Northern, Government h'asr
flag of truce at Norfolk ,N;1 ,.s
Subsequently letter from ven s 9ol was ae'
dressed e Gen. Huger, informing him that ne, zen
Wool had fu authority to settle any terms for the
axehsnes OF prisoners, aud asking an intervieW on
tho subject Gen Howell Cobb was then appoint
ed by the government to mediate with Gen, Woo,
and to settle permanent plan for the exchange OF
prisoners during the war. The adjustment was
considered to have been satisfactorily made.
1t was agreed that the prisoners OF war IN the
hands Of esoh government should be exclsnseu,
man for man, the officers being assmiiated US ~
rank, &c. that our privateersmen should DC eA
changed on the footing Of prisoners OF war; tnas any
snrni,s remaining on either side, after these eA'
CHANGES should be released, and that hereafter, our
inc the whole continuance of the war, prisoners
taken on either side should be parolcd.
r, CARRYING out this agreement, our goseInt's''
h,e. rale.sed some three hundred prisoners above
those exchanged by the North, the balance IN .ne
competing numbers Of prisoners IN the nahqs u "a.
two Governments being SO much IN OUT iasoi. nv
,he time however of sending North the hosSsses
a ei for our privateetsmen General Cobb
ha. reason to suspect the good faith OF the Worth
ern Government and telegraphed IN time 70 lhser
cent the release of portion OF these hoslases
| aanono them Colonel Corcoran) VINO were en- 1o"'e
from POINTS further South than Richmond 70 80
| North nnder tag Of truce at Norfolk. a numoef
| of these hostages, however, had already oeea us
| charged. g ,,,o col.
1t now appears that: in confederation OF 'he sol.
| amn agreement of the Northern Government not
! o,o =, onr n,ivateersmeu have been released ana
the Fort Doneson prisoners, instead OF oeitls pa
olea have been taken into the interior, where they
--f ~
are still confined. ,,.., ..
As a Judgment upon this open and shameless per
fdy of the North it proposed that our PRISONERS
who have been pareled by the Yankees, shaii "
released from their obligations. here Is as i'',t
doubt of the honor of such proposition Us 'he'e
of its business and mectness retaatory nieasul'
for an act of fragrant pertidy' 80 ~
d The Confederate government certainly possesse:
the right to retalate upon the Lincoln govermsn
for its per6dy, but what light or power has the Con
federate Congress or Mr. DAVIS release from the'
obligations our parolei officers and men at koanoS
| lslandy None whatever The obligation upon IN
privates was imposed by an oath, and the ONCE:
were put upon their honor, a transaction as soiel@
and as binding upon them as if they had sworn
It. An honest, truthful mans word is as binding
as his OATH and North Carolinlans are not the pee
ole to repudiate solemn obligation. The dilute
morals of the Exam iner will not pass muster VII
men whose honor is dearer to them than life itsel
We sincerely hope for the honor of the South tn;
pres,den: Davis has not sent in to Congress an
such message as the one attributed to him by I'll
Examiner liquidation Of our debts or our mono
must not be eountenancsd BY the Southern Coars'
eTacy. 1t is a solemn mockery to ask God to Ole:
our efforts for independence, while we practice !.
ing and falsehood even in the way of retaliation
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