The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-08-12
From the Richmond Enquirer.
IMPORTANT PAPERS.

lMRORTANr PAR6HS.1
| The subjoned Letter from President Davis to
! General Lee, with the Order from the War De-
partment in relation to General Pope's Army, to
which it refers as enclosed, has been transmitted
to General Mcclellan, to be forwarded to the Com,
manding General of the United States Army:
RICHMOND, VA, July 81, 1862.
! SIR: On the 22d of this month, Cartel for a
general exchange of prisoners of war was signed
/ the Confederate States, and Major-Generh John
! A. DIX in behalf of the United States.
By the terms of that Cartel it is stipulated that
all prisoners of war hereafter taken shall be DIS
charged on parole ill exchanged
! Scarcely had that Cartel been signed, when the
military authorities of the United States COM
menced practice changing the character of the
war from such as becomes civilized nations into a
campaign of indiscrimnate robbery and murder.
The Generel Order issued by the Secretary of
War of the United States in the city Of Washing
ton, on the very day that the cartel was signed in
Virginia, directs the Military Commanders Of the
United States to take the private property of our
people for the convenience and of their armies
without compensation.
The general order issued by Major General
Pope on the 23d of july the day after the sign
ing Of the Cartel directs the murder of peace
full inhabitants as spies if found quietly tiling
the farms in his rear cren outside of has lines,
and one of his Brigadicr Generals, Steinwehr,
has seized upon innocent and peaceful inhabi-
tants to be held as hostages to the end that they
may be murdered in cold blood if any of his
soldiers are killed by some unknown persons
whom he designates as I" bushWhackers."
Under this state of facts this Government has
issued the enclosed general order recognizing
General Pope and his commissioned officers to be
in the position which they have chosen for them
selves, that of robbers and of murderers, and not
that of public enemies, entitled, if captured, to be
considered as prisoners of war.
We find ourselves driven by our enemies, by
steady progress towards practice which We abhor
and which we are vainly struggling to avoid
Some of the military authorities Of the United
States to suppose that better success will
attend savage war, in which no quarter is to be
given and no age Or sex to be spared, than has
hitherto been secured by such hostilities as are
alone recognized to be lawful by civilized man in
modern times.
For the present, we renounce our right of re-
taliation on the innocent, and shall continue to
treat the private enlisted soldiers of Gen. Pope's
army prisoners of var, but if, after notice to
the Government at Washington Of our confning
repressive measures to the punishment only of
commissioned officers who are willing participants
in these crimes, these savage practices are con-
tinued, shall reluctantly be forced to the last
resort of accepting the on the terms chosen
by our foes, until the outraged voice of common
humanity forces respect for the recognised rules
of war
While these facts would justify our refusal to
execute the generous Cartel by which we have
consented to liberate an excess of thousands of
prisoners held by US beyond the number held by
the enemy, sacred regard to plighted faith
shrinking from the mere semblance of breaking
promise, prevents our resort to this extremity.
Nor do we desire to extend to any other forces
of the enemy the punishment merited alone by
General Pope, and such commissioned officers
choose to participate in the execution of his in
famous orders
You are therefore instructed to communicate to
the Commander Chief Of the armies of the
United States the contents of this letter and a
copy of the enclosed general order, to the end
that he may be notified of intention not to
consider any officers hereafter captured from Gen.
Pope's army as prisoners of
Very respectfully yours, etc,
(Signed) JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Gen. r. E, LEE, Commanding, etc.