Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-11-20
TIE RICHMOND PRISONERS.


desire 70 conceal their porccty, and we ought
nv this time, TO understand enough Of the
Southern character % bc!icre that tGey would
be uui.e w!iins t. rest under the stigma
Of nhumauity, if thereby th-y can conceal
The desperat. straits IL which they are
driven f.: the want of the COMMON ncccsSa-
ries Of life. In the treatment Of Northcra
prisoners thew are compelled 10 accept either
.nc alternative or other, and 70 acknowledge
.thc: t:ias :hev are desperately poor Or des-
nera:eiv cruel. They prefer tho latter, and
declare they send bal; sick and wounded
arisoncrs-So sick and 50 wounded that they
are sure to die on the way-as measure OF
retaliation, rather than confess that they are
in want Of fpod necessary to sustain lie. The
Southern people, as r. whole, are only abHu
Serni-ciyi.zcd, and do not therefore understand
that war is not necessarily harbar0us; but
.ho;r leaders know that they must sustain a
rcoutatirn for civilization, and are rot likely
20 gi;o themselves. " 10 3 mere savage IN
-t;aot Of revenge and ssarve their prisoners to
death. But { Ill oeliel tc account IN some
way for the IA, that those prisoners are really
suffering for the neoessarics OF life, they re-
sort 10 tie ;ra:lspal ent preteXi that they have
sent back Only those who are i'll and disabled
70 rctai;.te for similar act on Our nart.-
How VIGOROUSLY untrue it is that rcbe' pris-
,rcrs have evor resolved any other than the
Sin1est care and attention we need ro5 stop TO
assert. That tho authorities at Richmond
should resort to such paili;.tion Of their con.
Duct proves only that while they are not will
ipg 10 forfeit all reputation, before the world.
Tor huula"i;y, they accept the stigma OF crne!
treatment in . given case rather than nc
Knowledge tlair dire poverty.
Il seems, then, to be settled beyond question
thai Northern prisoners ir Richmond prisons
are subjccte' to serious suffering for the want
of food. The strnrg and able. bodied may be
able to stand this deprivation for some time
without serious injury, but to the feeble it
must often be % question Of life or death. We
are not inrlinsd to believe that they are sub.
jcrtcd to this suffering from any systematic
policy on the part Of the rebels to actually
star7e them TO death, either that they may
never be released 1T all, or, if released, that
they may Ic unf. ever again 20 take the field
in the Union armies. 1t is more charitable
as we'll as more reasonable to suppose that
they are compelled to put their prisoners up
on short ratlnns from l. stringent, Imperative
necessity. The whole C0nlederacy is on
short rations; at least If NOT in absolute
want they are Obliged to husband their
resources If the rural interior is not
absolutely in want. Of bread and meat, they
are exceedingly scarce in the larger towns,
especially in Virginia, and the means oil
transportation hnyc become 20 Limited that
she towns can rely upon the country with
little certainty for relief. 1t has been impos-
sbie to conceal the evidence Of this fact, ap-
jarcnaeven in their own newspapers and in
legislative proceedings, and one ineeita5le re-
sulS is that their prisoners OF war must suffer
with the rest. Probably, indeed, they are the
first to suffer. With our own abundant means,
we know that soldiers have not always been
properly fed, where the business Of feeding has
been entrusted To the careless officials, who
had no other interest in the matter than the
discharge of q temporary duty.
Nou.is there no remedy? We think there
is. Assuming that the prisoners are suffer
us. and tha. the rebels lave mt the f0cd
whcrevith to feed them-lacts which can GER
tainly be asce tanned beyond Doubt be-
comes the duty .f our own Government to give
the ncedful suc;or. We send them blankets
why not beef? We send shoes and coats; WIZ
not four and tea, and coffee? IF the rebel
authorities permit tho distribution Of clothing
why sh'ull they prohibit the distribution of
toId? They would probably not only not
prohibit 1T, but permit il gladly. The only
possible objection there can be to ouch
measure is that it would Leave them so
much the more material for their own susten.
uncc. But the first question in this case is
.he saving CT our own men from needless suf
fering, and taking it for granted that that
suffering is inevitable, unless wo resort to
some measure Of relief, its secondary benefit
10 the rebels is not worth thought. Such il
work would be Legitimate one for the SANS
tary Commission, with the permission Of the
Government, if the Government does not see
fit to TAX. it into its own hands. We venture
70 suggest that negotiations be entered iDtn
70 ascertain, First, whether'the necessities Of
he case require that we should support the
prisoners at Richmond; Second, if they DO,
hat some plan be adopted, if possible, where
W that support shall be Immediately rem
tered n. Y. Tribune.