Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-07-06

their time, and you will find il difficult to
keep them in good health: They were Or.
dered to receive precisely tho same ration s
given TO the troops guarding them; but
dishonest Commissaries and Provost. Mar.
shals were not confined to any people.
Doubtless the prisoners op both sides often
suffered that tho officers having charge Of
them might grow rich; but wherever such
dishonesty could be brought home, prompt
punishment followed. General Winder
and Colonel Northrop did the best they
could, he believed; but both were poorly
obeyed Or seconded by their subordinates.
To hold him responsible for such unauthor-
lied p,ivations was both cruel and absurd.
He issued order after order on tho subject,
and, conscious of the extreme difficulty Of
feeding tho prisoners, made the most liber.
al offers for exchange-almost willing to
accept any terms that would release his
people from their burden. Non.exchanre,
however, was the policy adopted by the
Federal Government-just as Austria, in
her campaigns against Frederick the
Great, refused to exchange; her calcula.
tion being, that as her population. was FIVE
times more numerous than Prussia's, the
refusal of exchange would be wise meas-
are. That it may have been prudent,
though inhuman, situated as the South
was, he was not prepared to deny; but pro.
tested against being held responsible for
evils which no power of his could avert
and to escape from which almost any con.
eessions had been offered. -..
WHAT eeNsTITuTEs REBEL. =
Mr.. Davis said it was contrary to reason
and'the law Of nations to treat as rebel.
lion or lawless riot movement which had
been the deliberate action of an entire
people. through their duly organized State
governments, To talk of treason in the
South, was to oppose an arbitrary epithot
against the authority of alt writers of in-
ternational law. Vattel deduces. from his
study Of all former precedent-and all
subsequent International jurists have agreed
with him-thst when q nation separates
into two parts, each claiming independence,
and both or either setting up a new gov.
eminent, their quarrel, should ie come to
trial by arms, or by diplomacy, shall be re.
garded and settled precisely as though it
were difference between two separate ma.
tons, which the divided sections, de facto,
have become. Each must observe the
laws Of war in tho treatment of captives
taken in the battle and such negotia-
tions: as may, from time to time arise
shall be conducted as between indepen-
dent and sovereign powers. Nero riots,
or conspiraeies for lawless objects, in which
only limited fractions of a people areirreg-
ularly engaged, may be properly treated as
treason, and punished as the public good
may require but Edmund Burke had .ex.
hausted argument on the subject. in his
memorable phrase, applied TO- the first
American movement for independence: 4
know not how an: Indictment against. a
whole people shall be framed
= But for Mr. Iipeoln's unimety death,
DAVIS thought, there could have. beer. mo
question. raised upon, the subjuee: That
eyept-more calamity to,the sonth than
North, in thetime aud manner Of its trans.
'pitipg-had inaanea popular passions. to
The highest pitch, and made the 4people Of
the section which had los. their chief now
Seek as an equivalent the life sof The Chief
of the section conquered. Z, This waa an
:impllse Or passion, .pota conclusion, which
sjudgmant or justice could supper. . =: - " $
!, Mr.. DAVIS ON FEDERAI eEnhsils. : :.
ITO my question what be thought ofGen.
::eral Grant, M: Davis replied that he was q
great soldier beyond doubt bht Of. a new
school. 1.-The had mol. .started With an. en-
soszaesas y opns in bank; his checks would
alpi Ahis .salmiaa;
ashsH 81 q s !;
isassd s'i iisaE asa Esys S
aessfoyea ot; eompsge to { = adri Aai siE ~
morning but for sBqelPs timely arrival En-
s,ffesh and welt diyei plihisa 5einfofe cement,
the; ! = ;streagt ahehh had. .taep yariensly>
stssads .y,ss-:s:;s.;t; <: s }: !. - - ~