The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1864-02-02
No Quarters to Negroes.

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From the Richmond Enquirer, Dec IL.
In the matter of exchange Of prisoners
the United States commissioner has beel
driven by Mr.. Ould from point to poin,
from position to position, until finall,
Generals Meredith and Hitchcock hav
abandoned every point in dispute excep
the treatment of negro prisoners. Th,
message" of President Davis, of Janu
ary l2, is now made the reason of sus
pending exchange, Notwithstanding tha
from January to July, this message
has been in force, and was never once
referred to as sufficient cause for stop
ping the operations of this cartel. The
enemy now rest their case upon thi:
message" We have already shown
that the law of Congress for delivering
all negroes and their white officers. cap.
tured in arms to State authorities for tri.
al under the State laws was to wide in
its language, and covered matter that is
not within the province of one nation to
dictate TO another. No nation has a
right to say that its enemy shall not em.
ploy in its armies certain class of peo
pie. The composition OF armies is a
matter belonging exclusively to the au,
thoriles of the nation itself. If the
Yankees like negro troops, they have the
right to employ the free negroes OF the
United States in their armies, and they
have the right to demand for them the
proper treatment as prisoners of War.
II nation employs savages in its arm
les. retaliation is proper and justfable.
not because of the employment of the
savages, but for many acts committed by
the soldiery not in accordance with the
laws OF war. So, If the negroes employ
ed by the United States compose part
part Of the people of those States, and
are regularly mustered into their service;
il, after capture, they can be proved
guilty OF acts not recognized as within
the rules of civilized warfare, they are
not entitled 10 the rights of prisoners Of
Of war, but may be punished as bandits
and robbers. And SO Of the white
troops-color has nothing to do with
soldiers.
But the case is different as to the
slaves and free negroes OF these States
captured in the ranks of the enemy.
Their detention is justified by the laws
Of war; their punishment we can pro-
vide for, though we should not like to
see any enforced, for the poor wretches
have no will of their own, and. being
forced into the ranks. are not responsible
for their conduct.
Congress, then. should so modify the
law as to apply only to the slaves aud
free negroes Of these States captured in
the ranks of the enemy. Let us place
ourselves right under the laws OF war,
and leave the consequences to take care
Of themselves.
If the enemy think proper to leave
their soldiers here in prison, because we
will not give up our right, under the
Jaws Of war to continue their soldiers in
prison for our slaves and free negroes,
we can do nothing but accept the issue
and meet the responsibility. The law
as il now stands. is not within the spirit
Of the laws OF war, and since il is made
the last and only cause for susrending
the exchange, we hope that it will be
amended, and its provisions confined to
the case OF slaves and free negroes of
those States captured in arms. Indeed,
we see no necessity for any law upon the
subject. The Yankees are not going TO
send their negro troops in the field
they know as we'll as We do that no reli-
ance can be placed upon them but as
depot guards, prison guards, DC, they
will relieve their white troops This is
the use that will be made of them.
Should they be sent to the field, and be
put in battle, none triN Be taken prisoners
our troops understand what to do in
such cases. II any negroes have been
during the war, as soldiers in
the enemy's ranks. we have not heard Of
them. We do not think that such case
has been reported. The law is, there.
fore, useless.