Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-02-09
OF PRISONERS.

resolutions urging the Confederate Govern
,ncnt to recall the ~ouilawry Of Butler, IN order
that an exchange Of prisoners may ba re-
summed. WI have no means ct knowing
whether the ruInur has any foundation in
truth. VIC hope that the Confederate Govern
,uent sill no: allow itself lo Ire influenced III
the least by any pressure from untslde. The
honor Of the government is deeply involved
it has deliberately. aud with the universal ap-
probation of its people, and concurrence OF all
civilized nations, PRONOUNCED this mlsor"ble
and Infamous creature to he beyond the pale
Of military responsibility. No action ever
taken by the government has &cceivei
hcarticr and fuller popular approval. The
order of the proclamation, that any ribccr
capturing Butler should forthwith hang him.
gives universal abstraction. The public SEN
tiuent of European nations mas approved It,
and honorable men even in the United States
hare acknowledged it's Justice. Why thor
rocall it? Do our prisoners desire Il VIII
it mitigate their suff:rinss: Mott wall
be o useless and ridiculous l'ackdown; inJu-
rious to ths national character, and present
ing US t3 the world as n facilitating and un'
stable nation, whose resoniutionr are changed
by adversely, and whrsc firmnes7 wilta under
suffering.
Some of our nearest and dearest friends are
prisoners ia the hands Of tho Yankees, and to
release then wc wonld gially See any sarrl'
fec made that did not involve the character o.
the government. To back down in the CASE
of ouilawry will not lie c~n@u.h--"hen once
our cowa:diy foes recognize n weakness in thu
in the knees &c tlc Confederate authorities
,hoy will advance sheir demands. Butler iG-
stored. vii! upen discussion the exchange q
our " slaves as Federal soldiers will he de-
manlai ~ the SINE qaa non "G IN exchange
~llayir.n acr icgua the work q! backing down
there can he nc stcns baGkwarl-wc mus
continue to yield. until finally, not only will
We submit to the ;trms Of the enemy in th'
matter of exchange, hui tao public spirit
sraiuallv-and insiiiou-ly undermined by re
raatci rnrassions, will yi"ll Ia an ignomin'
iou- peace.
The winter is almost passed, onr galIan
men haze wi,hstrud its ri2"r' ~ hc1t the.
could: u endure harl,h,p- irT \ Sh!ic ipn3e:
is nat more than ties ave "!.t'HS I" suf:r.-
The { r.unc4 Of war may ~ any moment re
verse the figures. aad .ring: cur foes t" I'll
terms. The winter via the season we h@t
most to dread im- oar prisoners; the summe
is the. sea the Yankees hare most 70 lea
fer theirs. We can r~ctuliatc the ineicmtn
! and rigorous winter by imprisonment Of Yam
keo prisoners during Il ,"a!HrituS ana un
healthy MIN If firm and true TO The pur
pase Of no intercourse with Butter, public SCH
| timcnt in the United States will work out III
exchange CT our prisoners. The imprisoned
Yankees here are powerful arguments in tn
hands Of the opposition in the United States
appealing TO the sympathy and affection
the friends Of every prisoner against the crue
| managers Of the war. Why weaken tn
hands Of the opposition by showing that tn
Grmness OF Lincoln is greater than that
Mr.. Davis? Why lessen tho sympathy tia
nov attaches to irmncss Of purpose under di
%cul,iss? We arc in the right-~hy bac
down? The outiawry proclamation las re
ceived the approval Of all civilized people
Butler has aggravated his offences Ivy cor
,inuod and repeated crue.ties; what reason
there for s~tultifJin S ourselves by recalling a
act 81 deliberately done, and'so long persiste
in? II We want our soldiers, the rroclama
ton of Lincoln shows that he is, in IN equf
degree, in need of his.
The discussion Of this subject is improper
and We should not have alluded to it, if tn
runlor that the Virginia Legislature wor
about modelling with il, hal not obtained cor
siderable circulation. We hope there Is n
truth in the rutlor. IT. the Confederate GOV
ernment will adhere To its resolution, san
firmly hy its own acts, exhibit no weakness
vascillation Of purpose, it will acc"nrlish ii
object much sooner than by yielding to tn
demands Of the enemy. Firmly h~elievin
that the government HIS ae5el properly an'
RIGHT in this matter, W. earnestly hoPei it Wi
adhere to its position.
Among the papers received hY last tue
boat was the New York Time" Which la
an editorial callius on its g~o-rnmcnt
place the Confederate prisoners at wor
m certain internal improvements. SH;i con
3ucs would enable the U,Dfeicrat9 HjTcrn
msnt t. r~ctaliatc in exactly tho way tina
the present wants. Of the country most re
aui-c. The Yankee prisoners put at wor
down South during The coming sunnHr wonl
cynerienee s,Inc Of the blessings OF tn
.Sunny South" of which they arc 1T rrFssn
Totally ignorant. With the t~bcrm1mctnr n
90 and loo degrees in the shade, the Yankee
would soon cursc tho" Tilnco" for its ec3n0w
zeal Recommendation.
Though the Yankees may hold wore OF "u
prisoners than the Confederate Gevornmcr
has of theirs, yet the suffaringq OF the went
thousand Yankees now in the South woul
not be m~itigated ii the len:t by any crnelt
that might he inflicted on the Confederat
prisoners. Such idle bullying will have n
effect: such threats only terrh t,ut tho publ
feeling in-thr United States refuse to hcde
ceived by the authorities. Pchlic seutimc'
in the GATED Salts viii make itself felt, mn
~instiee and right will be done 10y the Yankee
before the Soring campaigns close. One SIR
~ccssfull battle will restore The equality Of pr
soners, md perhaps give US. The prcpondor
anco. Lincoln iias shown the great need h
has for his men; his wants arc greater tha
ours : he must have more men his call Tor
draft for 800. 900 men demonstrates his necci
sity. Firlnncss and resolution will bring nj
matters righteousness and vaeiilati'n Wi
increase our DIFFICULTIES.
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