214 



CONFEDERATE STATES. 



Congress. These, however, were not adopted, 

 and, the subject was referred to the discretion 

 of the President. Whether any extreme meas- 

 ures were inflicted upon these soldiers or their 

 officers during the year, is not officially known. 

 It was finally considered that, under the law of 

 nations, a belligerent could employ against his 

 antagonist any persons whom he could obtain, 

 and, therefore, free negroes captured as Fed- 

 eral soldiers were entitled to he treated as pris- 

 oners of war. On the 23d of. April an "Ad- 

 dress to Christians throughout the World " was 

 issued at Richmond, signed by ninety-six cler- 

 gymen of all denominations. After asserting 

 that " the Union cannot be restored," and that 

 "the Confederate Government is a fixed fact, 

 the address proceeds to say : 



The recent Proclamation of the President of the 

 United States, seeking the emancipation of the slaves 

 of the South, is, in our judgment, a suitable occasion 

 for solemn protest on the part of the people of God 

 throughout the world. 



The address charges President Lincoln with 

 intending to produce a general insurrec- 

 tion of the slaves, and such an insurrection 

 " would make it absolutely necessary for the 

 public safety that the slaves be slaughtered, and 

 he who would write the history of that event 

 would record the darkest chapter of human 

 woe yet written." The Proclamation, how- 

 ever, liberated no slaves except such as could 

 come within the lines of the Federal armies. 

 The political aspect of the Proclamation was 

 discussed at some length in the Message to the 

 Confederate Congress in January. (See PUBLIC 

 DOCUMENTS.) 



The difficulties which had arisen relative to 

 the exchange of prisoners (see PRISONERS), and 

 the threats of retaliation for some occurrences 

 on each side, which were regarded by the 

 other as unjustifiable acts of cruelty, was made 

 the ostensible occasion for a mission by Vice- 

 President Stephens to Washington. The fol- 

 lowing correspondence embraces all the details 

 on the subject : 



RICHMOND, July Zd, 1363. 

 Hon. A. H. Stephens, Richmond, Va. : 



SIB : Having accepted your patriotic offer to proceed 

 as a military commissioner, under flag of truce, to 

 Washington, you will receive herewith your letter of 

 authority to the commander-in-chief of the army and 

 navy of the United States. 



This' letter is signed by me, as commander-in-chief 

 of the Confederate land and navy forces. 



You will perceive from the terms of the letter that it 

 is so worded as to avoid any political difficulties in its 

 reception. Intended exclusively as one of those com- 

 munications between belligerents which public law 

 recognizes as necessary and proper between hostile 

 forces, care has been taken to give no pretext for re- 

 fusing to receive it on the ground that it would involve 

 a tacit recognition of the independence of the Confed- 

 eracy. 



Your mission is simply one of humanity, and has no 

 political aspect. 



If objection is made to receiving your letter, on the 

 ground that it is not addressed to Abraham Lincoln, as 

 President, instead of Commander-in-Chief, Ac., then 

 you will present the duplicate letter, which is address- 

 ed to him, as President, and signed by me, as Presi- 

 dent. This latter objection may be made on the ground 



that I am not recognized to be President of the Con- 

 federacy. In this event, you will decline any further 

 attempt to confer on the subject of your mission, as 

 such conference is admissible only on the footing of 

 perfect equality. 



My recent interviews with you have put you so fully 

 in possession of my views that it is scarcely necessary 

 to give you any detailed instructions, even were I, at 

 this moment, well enough to attempt it. 



My whole purpose is, in one word, to place this war 

 on the footing of such as are waged by civilized people 

 in modern times ; and to divest it of the savage char- 

 acter which has been impressed on it by our enemies, 

 in spite of all our efforts and protests. War is full 

 enough of unavoidable horrors, under all its aspects, 

 to justify, and even to demand of, any Christian rulers 

 who may be unhappily engaged in carrying it on, to 

 seek to restrict its calamities, and to divest it of all un- 

 necessary severities. You will endeavor to establish 

 the cartel for the exchange of prisoners on such a basis 

 as to avoid the constant difficulties and complaints which 

 arise, and to prevent, for the future, what we deem the 

 unfair conduct of our enemies in evading the delivery 

 of the prisoners who fall into their hands ; in retard- 

 ing it by sending them on circuitous routes, and by 

 detaining them, sometimes for months, in camps and 

 in prisons, and in persisting in taking captives non- 

 combatants. 



Your attention is also called to the unheard-of con- 

 duct of Federal officers in driving from their homes en- 

 tire communities of women and children, as well as of 

 men, whom they find in districts occupied by their 

 troops, for no other reason than because these unfor- 

 tunates are faithful to the allegiance due to their.States 

 and refuse to take an oath of fidelity to their enemies. 

 The putting to death of unarmed prisoners has been 

 a ground of just complaint in more than one instance, 

 and the recent executions of officers of our army in Ken- 

 tucky, for the so_le cause that they were engaged in re- 

 cruiting service in a State which is claimed as still one of 

 the United States, but is also claimed by us one of the 

 Confederate States, must be repressed by retaliation if 

 not unconditionally abandoned, because it would justify 

 the like execution in every other State of the Confed- 

 eracy, and the practice is barbarous, uselessly cruel, 

 and can only lead to the slaughter of prisoners on both 

 sides a result too horrible to contemplate without 

 making every effort to avoid it. 



On these and all kindred subjects you will consider 

 your authority full and ample to make such arrange- 

 ments as will temper the present cruel character of the 

 contest, and full confidence is placed in your judgment, 

 patriotism, and discretion, that while carrying out the 

 objects of your mission, you will take care that the 

 equal rights of the Confederacy be always preserved. 



Very respectfully, 

 (Signed) JEFFERSON DAVIS. ' 



RICHMOND, Sth July, 1SC3. 

 His Excellency, Jefferson Davis : 



SIR : Under the authority and instructions of your 

 letter to me of the 2d instant, I proceeded on the mis- 

 sion therein assigned, without delay. The steamer 

 Torpedo, commanded by Lieut. Hunter Davidson, of 

 the navy, was put in readiness as soon as possible, by 

 order of the Secretary of the Navy, and tendered for 

 the service. At noon, on the 3d, she started down 

 James river, hoisting and bearing a flag of truce after 

 passing City Point. The next day (the 4th) at about 

 one o'clock P.M., when within a few miles of Newport 

 News, we were met by a small boat of the enemy, car- 

 rying two guns, which also raised a white flag before 

 approaching us. The officer in command informed 

 Lieut. Davidson that he had orders from Admiral Lee, 

 on board the United States flagship Minnesota, lying 

 below, and then in view, not to allow any boat or ves- 

 sel to pass the point near which he was stationed with- 

 out his permission. By this officer I sent to Admiral 

 Lee a note stating my objects and wishes, a copy of 

 which is hereto annexed, marked A. 



I also sent to the admiral, to be forwarded, another 



