Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-12-17
Our Captive Brothers.
liron the N. Y. Tribune. /

The Chicago Times is the most intensely
Pro- Rebel shset issued North West Of the
Ohio in spite Of The best efforts of the Gin
c,nuat Enquirer and ths Dubuque Herald
II is thoroughly Pro-Slavcry and utterly un-
scrupulsu,. while it is generally well posted,
especisiy with regard to the coun.els AMI
plans of the Rebels Whsn il states. there
fore, that the whole controversy respecting
the exchange OF prisoners grows out OF the
determination OF the Rebel chiefs to mur
der tho officers aud enslave or kill the pri
vate Of our colored rgilnents, we believe II
tells the truth This subtlety Of Ould and
the comparative simplicity OF General Mer
edith have cOnspired to obscure that truth;
but we trust our Government will take care
that it is made plain to all mankind.
The Rebels long ago passed acts and is
sued proclamatious elnbodying and announ-
cling their determination to treat the officers
and privates of our black regiments as above
stated. Aud there can be no rational doubt
that they arc as bad as their word. Before
we had black company in the field, they
kidnapped tho drivers OF ofcarriages sent down
in August, 1852, to the battlefield OF Gen.
Pops's Bull Run with relief for our wound
ed. and swept them of into Slavery. They
did the same with those betrayed into their
hands by Miles's treschery at Harper's Fer
ry. Last june, as they swept across Mary
land and up into Southern Pennsylvania,
they caught quite number Of blacks
some Of them, doubtless; fugitives from
4 Rebel owners, but many free born-and
carried them all off into bondage. And up
to this hour, after meeting our black soldiers
in fair fight at least "A dozen times, wherein
they have always had the advantage over us
| =. thn,,
yet exchanged one single prisoner white or
black, belonging to col0red regiment, and
we presume they are resolved that they new
er will. Aud they are torturing and starving
our captured brothers in order to compel
our Government to exchange for whites
only, and leave officers and privates of oul
colored regiments to be enslaved or murder
cd without resistance on our part.
Il You have only to read their journals tO
|. mark how thoroughly fendish the Rebe
, leaders have become in their malisnity
moro especially since the refusal Of Great
: Britain and OF France to take their part has
overwhelmed them with despair. They are
losing all regard for the public opinion, oi
Christendon. For MANY months, they
have been on the watch for a pretext for in-
augurating q wholesale butohery of those
Unionlsts whom the chances of war throw
into their hands Their journals have re-
Gently narrated in high gles the fact that
+ some prisoners recently captured by them
were identified as having formerly served ia
their ranks (probably under ccnscription);
whereupon they we're at once put to death
Suppose, now, that we were TO capture Lee,
4 Beauregard, Johnston, Magruder, Pember
ton, and the rest of their Major Generals
\ nearly all deserters from our army-and
\ twere to try and hang or shoot them as such
--how would they likei III Yet their prece
dent gives us full license to do so. .1 %
H They recently captured Virginian who
holds the nominal post of aid to Gov. Pier
pont. AT once. some of their leading jour
nails clamored for his execution asa raito,
to Virginia. We do not know that the,
have been grati6ed; but it is in the direc
line Of Rebel progress that they should be
But let US consider what the Chicago
Times, through the letter OF its "Specia
& Correspondent" at Washington, says on th,
general subject: jt,,9 "'f '4 T.
"The exchange Of prisoners was proceed
ing regularly under the terms of tho, carte
agreed upon by Maj. Ludlow and Ool. Ould
under the sanction Of both Governments
when it was suddenly stopped by Mr.. Stan
ton, by the order, as he says, .oi the Presi
dent; and on this occasion believe he tell
the truth. Why was this order promulga
, ted? II was not promulgated until sfte
D Mr.. Lincoln had ascerlained definitely tha
the Confederate Government did not recos
, nize our niggsrs in uniform Tor, rather, ths'
uiggers, stolen from them) as soldiers
I would not treat them or their ofiosys on
9 perfect equality with our white oficsrS an
soldiers; and would not exchange siihs
' them or their officers il captured. Thes
alarming facts were frat discovered BY th
: notorious Higginsou aud Montgomery, an
oil ssnt BY them to Senators Sumner aud Wi
A son, aud communicated by the latter,
= :, turn, TO Mr.. Lincoln. The President va
u unwilling TO believe them; but satisfied hin
s. self, finSlly, that they were really true. Th
VI Abolitionista and Rsdicals who control hiu
J. and Who are really the supreme power