The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-12-15

ctates towards prisoners held by them
One promir emit fact, which admits no deniai
nor nalllation, must suffice ga test
The officers ofour army, natives OF South
o.n and semi tropical climates, and unprs'
nared for the cold of Northern winter,
hons been conveyed for imprisonment du-
80 Hr the ripors of the present season, to the
rnost Northern and exposed situation that
conld be selected by the enemy. There pc
Uond the reach of comforts, and often even
5f go naws from home and family, exposed to
the piercing cold of the Northern ia axe"
thew are held by men who cannot % 'suo
rant of. even if they do not design, Tue
nrobable result. How many OF our unior'
tomato friends and comrades, who have pas
soJ ,,nscathed through numerous battles,
oil verv soon perish on Johnson's Island
nnder the treatment to which they are sue
;,orod none but the Omnisclent can foreteli.
That they will endure this barbarous treat,
rant With the same stern fortitude that
tbov have ever evinced in their countrys
sery;ce. we cannot doubt. But who can
be found TO believe the assertion that it's our
refusal to execute the cartel ana not tue
malipnity of the foe, which has caused the
irficiion of such intoleraole cruelty
On our own loved and honored oeien-
dersl r.-
The following is the conclusion OF the mes
sage:
CONDUCT OF TEE ENEMY.
cannot close this message without again
adverting to the savage ferocity which still
morks the conduct of the enemy in the
nrosecntion of the war After their repulse
from the defences before Charleston, they
first sought revenge by an abortlve attempt
10 destroy the city by an incendlary COM
nositiou. thrown by improved artillery, from
2 distance of four miles. Failing IN this
tbpv changed their missiles, but fortunate.
" have thus far succeeded only in killing
two women in the city. Their command
ers. Butler, M'Nsile and Turchin, whose
horrible barbarities have made their names
widely notorious, are still honored by the
authorities at Washington. The first nam
I'D after having been withdrawn from the
scenes Of his cruelties against women ana
prisoners of war, has just been put III a
new command at Norfolk, where helpless
women and children are again placed at his
mercy.
Nor has less unrelenting warfare been
waped by these pretended friends of human
rights and liberties against the unfortunate
negroes. Wherever the enemy have been
able to gain access they have forced into
the ranks of their army every able-bodled
man that they could sieze, and have either
left the aged, the women, and the children,
to perish by starvation, or have gathered
them into camps where they have been
wasted by frightful mortality. Without
clothing or shelter, often without food, in
capable, without supervision, Of taking the
most ordinary precautions against disease,
these helpless dependents, accustomed to
have their wants supplied by the foresight
Of their masters, are being rapidly exter,
minated wherever brought in contact with
the invaders. By the Northern man, on
whose deep-rooted prejudices no kindly re-
strained influence is exercised, they are
treated with aversion and neglect. There
is little hazard in predicting that, in all 10
calities whore the enemy have gained
temporary foothold, the negroes, who under
our care increased skiold in number since
their importation into the Colonies Of Great
Britain, will have been reduced by motali-
ty, during the war, to not more than one
half their previous number.
Information on this subject is derived not
only from our own observation and from re-
ports of the negroes who succeed in escap-
ing from the enemy, but full conformation
is afforded by s atements published in the
Northern journals by humane persons en-
gagged in making appeals to the charitable
for aid in preventing the ravagss Of disease,
exposure and starvation among the negro
women and children who are crowded into
encampments.
The frontier of our country bears witness
to the alaoricty and efficiency with which
the general orders of the enemy have been
executed, in the devastation of the farms,
the burning of the houses and the plumber
of everything movable. It's whole aspect
is comment on the ethics of general order
issued by the United States on the oath of
April, 1863, comprising instructions for the
armies of the United States in the field of
which the following is an example:
"Mlitary necessity admits of all direct
destruction of life and limb Of armed enc
mics, and Of other persons whose dsstruc-
! ton is incidentals unavoidable in the armed
contests Of war; it allows Of the capturing
Of every armed enemy and of every enemy
Of Importance TO the hostile government,
or Of peculiar danger to the captor; it allows
CT all destruction of property and obstruc-
tions of the ways and channels of traffic,
travel or communication, and Of all with
holding of sustenance or means Of life from
the enemy; Of the appropriation Of whatev-
er an enemy's country affords necessary for
the subsistence and safety Of the army; and
of such deception as does not involve the
breaking of good faith, either positively
pledged regarding agreements entered into
during the war, or supposed by the modern
law of war to exist. Men who take up
arms against one another in public war do
not cease OF this account to be moral be-
ings, responsible to one another and to
God"
II