Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-11-20
THE YANKEE PRISONERS.

We publish to-day, from the New 1"iE
"TriGuuc" Of November II, IN article on
"The Richmond Prisoners" The Confederate
authorities have 50 fully justified the course
pursued by them in the matter OF exchange,
Mr.. Ould has 50 completely vindica:el The
just proper an;l humane course pursued IT,
him on this subject, t.at il may appear super
Huous to comment further Oh the subject.
We arS not reduced 20 low as to be compc..c'
to accept Tie alternative thai we are desperate
IL poor or desperately crucl"-hut VIC arc De-
oeratcly determined to measure the exact
treatment received by our prisoners to these
of the enemy in our hauds, aud when they
send to City Point Our prisoners so emaciatad
with sickness aud suffering, HAT many have
died on the way, or Immediately after aTTiyal,
il is but fair to select the same class to send &c
the United Statas.
The "Tribune" proposes that its Government
shall send provisions IS we'll as blankets to
their prisoners in Richmond. While we are
not authorized TO say that the Confederate
Government would permit this, VIC are pre-
pared to urge our Government to permi: the
United States TO send anything, clothes or
provisions, they may think proper. But VIC
W Md call the "Tribuna's' attention to aa1 b.
or mole OF reaching the same end. TIE Uni
ted States claim very large excess of pr;'
soncrs, if that Gorc-nmant will send al the
prisoners il holds to Richmo".l, The Con(cd ;
rate Government will send all i. holds to
Washington. tho excess on either side 70 be On
parole. BY such an arrangement or dire
poverty" vii! b" compelled to feed many moe
than by the present arrangement; the Yankee
Government vii! be relieved from al aptrc-
tensions Of their men starving On our hahds;
rs we'll rs from any necessity Of sending quar-
4ermastcr or commisSary stores to their
prisoners in Richmond. IF tine TRIBUNE
really hcl:cres We arc '.desperately poor"
that ':dire porsrty,' that ab,o!utc Grant q
meat sad bread" that "Me wh5'e CbnfEder0cy
is on. short ruiions," then policy as well as
Justice and humanity to their own men.
should induce the United States Government
to tax our necessities with thS feeding Of our
own soldiers as mach rs possible, and relieve
their men from the cruel pangs inflicted e.
cessa-ily by our Strengthened circumstances.
Tie United States have many more C0nfedc-
rates prisoners than the Conlcderacy holds of
their men. 10 send them all home would nc:
G ,ssitato the feeding ard clothing Of many
more than at present. Why, then, do they
keep theis prisoners shut up in land where
people are starving, ard whose resources are
exhausted? IF they prefer to shut up their
soldiers in tho midst of a starving suffering
people, they need not charge cruelty where
necessity admits of n other course. If cruel
ty is practiced By either government, it cam
not nationally he charged to u7, since wedesiro
o subject greater numbcr CT QUIZ own ncrs,
now in Yankee prisons, to that "dire poverty
ha. is now said to be starving the Yankee pri.
,oners. It's the United States Government that
s starving itsown soldiers bykeeping them in
All the "cruelty" thoy suffer is
Inflicted by their own authorities; all the
lardships they endure proceed from the pei
" Of their own Government. An exchange
II all prisoners held by both Governments
md an arrangement Of paroles, would libe-
ute from confinement. "eruelty" and 'starya-
isn," the men. that have enlisted under the
lag Of the ''bcst government the world ever /
aw :" and yet that aforesaid paragon Of gov
leaves their soldiers TO pine and dio
With cruelty and starvation" rather tlan
'erform the sacred engagements OF cartel,
nd keep the faith pledged to their enemy.
But there is no attempt to disguise the fact
hat our resources arc, not "desrerately," but
>vsreIy taxed by the var that there is, and
I'LL be much suffering among cur people this
,iuter; but thanl; God, our people are pre-.
ared +, endure it, aud much more-to suffe:
nj to endure every want, even that o!
meat and b ead,' to starrc, rather than to
,aso tbs conflict, except with the acknow-
Of the indcpcndenec. and national
y Of eyery'Stato from the Ohio and the Po-
mac, and Iowa down to tho Gulf. Our as
creation will not convince the Tribune
e know and twill never publish this arti-
lie: hut it may understand from it that .
eople, who arc suffering. like ourselves, are
OF TO re expected to do more Tor their enc.
lies, who arc prisoners in our bands, and
Tho have .ruthlessly destroyed our resources,
han they do for their own soldiers. And