The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-08-27
The Reb.Is wtIssreat Negro Soldlers
az Prisoners OF War.

The world moves. War is great educa
tor, and the necessities which war becets
change wonderfully the feelings and views
and prcjudices of a people. The South
carries the ''barbarisin Of slavery into
the war. So long had been the reign II
the slave driver, SO complete the submis.
sion and servility of the slave and the
world that they fight hard against the re.
linquishment of their rule. They have
endeavored to preserve intact all the hith-
erto existing conditions of cha,tslism.-
And because they have been unwilling to
concede to the negro the rights of man.
hood. or acknowledge the right Of the
Government 10 use him es a soldier, they
hsve stopped for months the exchange Of
prisoners. But not only this. they have
endeavored to drive our Government
from it's policy by the indiscrimin nate
slaughter OF negro troops, and by refusing
10 white officers OF cotored regiments the
usual rights of prisoners of war. and in
pursuance of this intent they have been
guilty of cruelties and atrocities of the
most bsrbarous character.
Bat the following extract from the
Richmond Examiner OF the l9h inst.
shows that the rebel authorities have now
mod 6-d their views and their policy con
s;defably They are willing TO regard
sone negro troops, at least, as prisoners
Var. Having done this IN lch they viii
doubtless go farther and we may slook for
the resumption Of * cha nge Of prisoner.
at no distant day. We know DOT wha,
are the motives that have led Jefferson
Davis to recede from his former position
in. egard 10 negro soldiers. Whether the
ninety thousand rebels that We hod as
prisoners who would De very import
ant addition to the reduced and straight.
ened srmies Of tie rebellion, or scarcity
OF provisions. or desire to impres, foreign
sentiment f4vorably TO the Confsderacy.
have done it, or any, or all. or none OF
these coasi leartlons, must b, merely con.
lectures. The fact remaius and it show.
that change has come over the spirit O
] G's dreams.
The Examiner, We sppreheud, doesn'
like it. 1t may be coclly "sarkasticai,'
as "a Ward" would s,y, or cooIly non,
commi;tal Here is what it says:
Negro soldiers, outside of the Coufed
eracy, employed to do the work of r,l
lage md slaughter Of the Yankee "ap.'
who sits in tie usnrped seat at Washing
ton, are henceforth not to be copsidere,
f. subjec.s f,r the bullet, bayonet a.,
hnife ai;ersurrenier, but are to be trea,
ed as pioaers of war. Y.sterdly 81
d n from the Provost Marshsl's Office
sanctioned by the Secretary OF War, va
received 1T Castle Thuuder. The pu,
port WAS that tie negro p isoneIs take
in Yankee uniform, whether Tree or bond
il they hailed from Maryland or Delawar,
were not to b. claimed as property i
case they we're slaves; but they were
be treated as negroes usualy are in Ca
they declared Their freec.m. A citiz,
Of NJ M,ryland or Delaware cannot clsi
his stolen or impressed rropery-et !,
or Impressed BY ABE, the empe ~,
from the fact that Mary land and n.
ware are within the limits OF the ..L;,
don Of the ape and not With !, The /,
is Of the Confederate states. Til ,
cisiou is taken ~ ifrevocab' % .na =.
enanates from the Provost N.csh.r.
fec, WI h the sanction o.. tbs W.
pArtmeut, We take it as 6a.,. Every
gro who comes here T.s prisoner cf ,
procl4ims himself as free mao G.,
Guvntly the order alluded 10 will saw
great deal Of litigation. But, be i.
membered that the slaves of Marsls
and Delaware in the army of Grant
free linen, Ths,'s eu,ush to make .h
freed snen forever.
GIN. BURESIDE ACCOUNT OF !