Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-06-24
The Exchange 81 prisoners.

I s. II Ne EGtt0rs OJ tHe. 1neTchTy - au
desirous Of calling public attention to q mat
ter which seems to me to be worthy Of some
grave consideration, as it involves the vel.
fare and property Of large portion Of the
citizens of the Confederate States.
The ayowed object aow Of the war made
upon US by the Yankee nation, is the es-
tablishment Of the doctrine Of equality Of
race. sti.rSt:sEs-.S
Now, with this assertion on their. lips, ]
would ask on what ground or by what right
are the negroes captured by our enemies,
offered the alternative of hard labor or star
vation? Should they not, in accordance
with Yankee doctrines, fairly be consider,
ed by them as prisoners of war? And is
not our Government bound, in justice to
our despniled fellow citizens, to require that
these negroes be soregarded BY thsm2 SIs
| it moi: bound toinaist upon theirsbeing ex.
changed for the "xcessof Yankee over Con.
federate prisoners?
As the case now stands, thousands con.
stituting this excess are paroled without
hesitation, and they return within q few
days or weeks, lis confidently believed,
again to. measure their prowess in arms a.
gainst their former captors. Itis just that
our gallant and generous defenders should
be called npon, over and over again, to
shew mercy to the same marauders, or that
they should be exposed to the shot by the
same hirelings, whose lives they spared but
a few weeks before /?
q Again, why is one set Of prisoners par.
oled without delay, whilst another set is
forced to hard labor, to defray the expenses
Of maintenance Do not the exigencies
Of the times call loudly for . remedy to
sucha condition Of things; for some un.
Outstanding to be arrived at speedily, and
carried ont manfully? If these negroes
constitute population capable Of carrying
on war against us, We surely have right to
regard them, when taken from US or enticed
from US, as exchangeable as prisoners Of
war under the circumstances in which we
are placed. And, further, have, ne not:
also, perfect right, in accordance with
Yankee doctrine, to treat in retaliatory
manner all Yankee prisoners, ,msahing item
support then,se1oes 6y their oaon zaJor5 &
would propose then, that instead Of
further paroling Of prisoners, any excess OF
them over our exchanges should be careful
" retained by our Government, and that
the Yankee Government have the option Of
providing subsistence for them, we facilita.
ting the transmission Of such provisions by
proper arrangements, or in the event of
their Government making objectionst othis,
putting them in the same predicament in
which they place our negroes;
At the conclusion Of the war they can
either be; ransomed at the market value Of
stalwart negroes, or exchanged three
6fhs represen .ative basis, or man for man,
as the case may be.
The adoption of some such plan, sternly
carried out, will relieve our army from the
necessity of fighting the same enemies over
aud over again, will give assurance against
many losses to which we have been hither-
to subjected, and secure indemnity to many
of those whose homes and property have
been ruthlessly despoiled.
F