Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-13

thorities of the United States Government, all
pledge themselves to repair TO Richmond, As
prisoners of war, at the expiration otrtwenty
days from this date"
Does the Cartel contemplate that these Of
ficers and men should be returned to duty
without exchange? tho where says 50 upon
its face. When we were without any Carte,
ali such paroles, and, in fact, all military pa
roles we're respected. The very frs. act of
the agents Of exchange was 10 adjust mutual
accounts az to the officers and men who had
been captured and paroled before the Cartel
was signed Fit had been intended hy the
Cartel to rcpudiate such paroles rs We're given
at Gettysburg, or upon any battle field, Il pro.
vision to that effect, in distinct terms. would
have been Incorporated in it. Tint instru-
ment was intended to apply to AL prisoners
of war held by either party"-to s,tehas were
in military depots or prisons, to such as had
been removed from the battle field or place
of capture, and reduced into actual pos
session. 1t, left the force and effect Of
military paroles and the respect which
should be paid to them, 10 be deter
mined by the usagcs of civilized nations of
modern timea. L certainly did not purpose
to prevent wounded officer or man from on
tering into stipulation not to take up arms
until exchanged, us the condition Of his le.
lease, when bis life would he at the serious
risk of forfeit if he did not make the contract.
Nor. does it anywhere deny the right nf any
soldier, wounded or not, to bind his Govern
ment, by his military obligation, when he is
in the hands of the enemy. The latter part
of article 7 does not really contrwcrt this
view That clause intended to give "the cum
manders of two opposing armies" the power Of
declaring m exchange of prisoners, with the
further right of arCling whatever plus
there might he after the exchange was ar
ranged Without such clause. the two NJ
manlers would have no right to declare an
crchaleyc. IL was therefore iiI-crtei. Until
recently, nobody ever pretended ;tiat the car
tel forbid the giving aud receiving 9i ordinary
military paroles. The uniform practice under
the cartel for nearly IL year sanct.unc'; item.
Whatever, however, may be the determination
az tn this matter, it is entirely clear tha5 1t
the time the Gettysburg paroles were given
your own military law required that il the
parole was not approved the party should re-
turn to our lines. Many o: the paroles ind;-
cate on their face that the persons giving them
were aware of that fact. have, therefore, de-
manded that if you rejec. these paroles the
parties NhO gave them should be rcturncd u
U.S.. The question between us is no5 81 much
whether you will regard these paroles aSval!d.
4: whether you will comply wi;h RUE OF.
yyur own making, and wi.ilh was advertised
to us ms being the controlling law OF the case.
| know not What you mean by Your refer
cncc, on your third page, To art. i of the Car
tel. All the officers and men whom declared
exchanged were actually restored To our
lines" All the officers ard men whom | re-
quested you to select as equivalents fer them
in the exchange had been restored to your
lines"
The parties whom have declared cxcilang-
cd have not been returned to their paroles, as
requested by Lit. Col. Ludlow" | do not un-
derstand by what sort Of reading Of the cx-
change notice Of the l2th Of September You
make out tha. only Two officers (Gcacra's
Stevenson and BoWcnp we're exchanged -
My letters of July l3. September | and Sep
tember 2G will inform you Of all the E,cks-
burg prisoners, officers and men, whom have
declared exchanged.
Your objection to the declaration Of the ex-
change Of the general officers paroled mt Nicks'
burg, because there were no equivalents ot the
same grade, is exploded by the provision of the
Cartel which declares that men and officers
of lower grades may be exchanged for officers
of higher grade"
have thus answered all the items Of your
letter of the 9th Sept. regret the extreme
length ofthe reply. have, however, confined
myself to the matter Of that letter, ard to such
subjects rs were directly connected with its con.
tents. In H future communication, will ca! To
your attention the instances "f the violation Of
the Cartel, by the Federal authorities. Notwith,
standing tho expression of their sudden regard
for that instrument, I will show they have con-
tinued those violations from its date to the pre-"
sent moment.
now inform you. in view Of the recent dec.
lara'ion of exchange made by you, coupled 'Sth
your failure either to agree to or decline the
proposition made to you OIL the 24th OF August
last, in relation to paroles, that the Confederate
authorities will consider themselves entirely at
liberty to pursue any course rs TO exchange or
paroles, which they may deem right and proper
under all the circumstances of the case. At the
same time, am directed TO express their entire
willingness to adopt any fair. just ard reciprocal
rule in relation to those subj ects, without any
delay. Respectfully, your obedient servant,
ROBERT 'UULD.
Agent Of Exchange