, 1863-11-25
ON!R PRISONERS AT RICK.
b14bND.
The Rebels Juatlfy their Conduct.
From the Richmond Enquirer, Nor. 1911

[F1pm the Richmond Enquirer, Nor. 1911
The Dispatch laa thought 1t right, not NTH
view Of rstt4fYing our eIemies, nor Of stop
ting their h!ancc1s, (for that cannot be done,)
bnI IL order to viloicste the character Of the
Confederate Gv7rlAmsnt In the eyes uf its
own people frat, and Of the civilized world
sfterWasd, 60 Eonn as our protest can res:h
It, 10 formally rtfnse thote horrible stories
new 60 Iifu in the Yankee press, Of the cruel
suf1e1inge II hlcted on The prisoners Of war in
Richncrd. The Dispatch justly concludes
that this outcry has been raised for two pur-
pcses: First, 10 justi opr enemies ID SAVAGE
acrs ef -prete1dea retaliation upon Confedec
&e:Fslan in their hands, whom they re-
fute 10 t1cl a7ge unGer false prete1ts; and,
sect rd, to tblow up the declining war
.prit." Preparatory TO thur next ueter-
mined effort TO capture Richmond. they de-
t1on ogainst Us at the thought Of the abomi-
1ab1c crimes aud atrocities Of the t'doomed
city," which may Give in taoir next advance
the zeal Of crusade. or OF those expeditions
formerly made by European nations againnt
the pira 6 of Aleiers. Itey burn to apply
the torch to tho four corners Of Richmond,
and to let loose the thirteen thousand pris-
one1s 10 all the widest excuses thas eTee
were perpesrated on sacked city given oTer
to massacre and pillaGe.
We reprint, and adopt, tbs sIndlcatiou
made By The Dispatch:
We taye made inquiries upon the sab
ject, which satisfy us that all Is dons for the
tnde which the Confederate Government Is
capable Of doiug. 4 fact came to our notice
yesterday morning which will be striking
Illustration Of the true state Of things to all
fair nil ds. Several persons Of respectable
standing in this community were endsayor-
tions Ct the beef which have been permitted
to be sold ut the commlsaary shops to the
general public, but We are informed by ths
man In charge that they cou1d not have it.,
as it .was now required by the Yam
kee prisoners. Hers arc our people
rheir helpless children to feed th.se
Yankees who have come to destroy us! We
do not mention this in 1hc.way OF com mpla1nt !;
en- the contrary, We give the Government
credit for lis mercifal disposition, but this
single ftct sufficiently disproyes the base and
starve the Yankees, when, in reality, 1t Is our
own people that ore in danger of starring in
order that theee prisoners may be fed.
10 auy one willing to listen to reason and
truth, 1t must be apparent that thirteen thou
eand Yankee prisoners thrust upon com.
munisy already overctowded, having great
difficulty to provide the plainest Artic1eS Of
food for Its Own tables, cabnot expect, with
the best deposition on our part, to f4re aump-
tut uply every day. We know people, ouce
| In 1ff1ueI ce, who would be glad to be assured
Of as llobral a. daily proVieion as these Yau.
Zee p1isonere. It may bn TINT their food Is
plain, and not abundant, hut it ia rs good aad
| 80 plentiful az, NTH our etratghteneu means,
We can supply. 1ass ought to hare good
memories, and 10 keep up u show, at least, Of
consistency, and therefore We wonld suggest
to tt q nendscious Yankee Ecrlbes Who accuae
us Of deliberately starving our prisoners,
W1ether, ii it be true, as they daily assert,
that the PEOPLE Of Richmond are threatened
with the orro's OF famine, II may not be that
the alleged famine among their prisoners is
involunts'y?
If w are starving Ourselves, how can we
keep them from Rtarsiog? But the truth ia
that, though strMghtaned In onr mesns oi
life, We are doitg Al well for our prisoners as
TOR ou1stlves. Seventy hu!locks a.day are
Eacrif1ced for their comrni= sariat, and bread
In proportion to their numbers. Our own
people, as VIC know Of eur oS1 personal
knowledge, a1e In some cases denied meat for
their onR families, because it Is necsssary for
the Ysnkees.
We have abstained from referring to the
unepeakab1e horrors which our prisoners
have suffered in Fort DelA1are and other
Yankee prisons, because two wrongs do NOT
make lfght. But Ee mny at 1east sAy to the
Yankee prisoners that 1t they suffer hera 1t Ia
not our fault, who cannot ne1p It, but tha
fdu1t of their Own Government, who will not
exchange pIisoners-Mho. will only send Us
back our tick sud wounded men, and when
we return others In the came condition, base
~ md of Wanton malice, pretend that thell
tut1erirga are the result Of starvation In
Southern prisons.