New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-14

This COMPARISON OF rguTec j. -
p.nse with commentary. Does be know thai 20 au
tyseutery scmvy, and the f.vers of Amencs, hhn
their allowance OF wine and vegetables has been sup
pressed Does he know that the food u IN seo,e-
some and scsnty, butter rancid, or rather PUN Inc
bread bad -four damaged, and nee disgustng
IsM k M,nistre Fare that the political prisoner
when taken H. are chained to their oedPose 10 tos
hospital by Common convct-chains' thA' ior t1e mus
pan the physicians have neither linen, medicines,
tgbt food jams and the ike that al the hoepita OF
the bagno where criminals are their nurses they nave
been treated by Chsbassus, head physeian IN t1e
mot bsrbarous manner; reviled in-uted OF tins mill
military surgeon, who caused the death OF sixteen OF
u curing biz stay IN R0ye! Island -
Il H. e hinistre aware that in formal contempt OF
higher orders the political prisoners se robbed OF the
fruit and produce Of the leland Of St. Joseph-Prodace
vstered by their s~eat-whe the gezdGr-e5,, Keep
err and soldiers OF the detachment are choking with
it IL be aware that n Coste, Under Lieutenant OF
Marine Infantry on the leland Of -. Joseph, MSS ted
biz numerous fowl With the maize planted, reaped and
harvested by the political prisoner that, when the
cream Of their produce has been sent away to Roys
I.l.nd deduction being made, il should be under
stood for the table Of the officer gendsrmes keepers,
ard SOLDIER II there remain any bananas rot IT Tor
sale any vegetables roots Of salad half pund, they
are given to the pig Of the c9mmandant OF tae ls.e
before tie ewes OF the fami-hed prsOners that more
than 1900 courses Of bananas have thus been sent TO
Royal leland while the political prisoners, producers
Of that fruit, obliged to carry /: 10 the boats, are De
priv ed Of any portion Of them'
Such are few Of the things which N. L u,Histr.
assuredly doe- not completely ignore. There are,
however, many Others still more odious than these
The political prisoners placed in the bayao, sub.
ected TO its entire regulations, diet and clothes
ike cOnvicts watched over by eonvleikeepers, have
been Inundated Gfronted, tortured, robbed in the
most revolving ard most gTatuitOus way. Every tne
thew have instituted a comparison between themselves
and these galer1rs galley slave- it has turned out TO
the disadvantage Of the political prisoners. Inu they
have been cespoied by force, of portion OF their
own clotbes; the dying have been robbed OF the I'm
Jrescriptbe night Of bequeathing to their companions
in misery their trunks, effects or money they pos
sefsessed. Their very families have been included 10
this robbery, everything that belonged to the deceased
having b. en- distraDed by the keepers acting under
len, no doubt. More than these felloFs have
dawn the lot the TRIES left behind by one OF as
/ ying in the hospital.
For over year those political prisoners not owning
=; effects clothes, than tbree-qusrter- ot
the whole number, have been obliged TO work bare.
100; md in rags, while the store OF the bagno was uu
Of clothes and shoes. From time TO time distribu-
ton took place Of some dead convicts apparel
bdcOus tatters, torn used up besmeared with blood,
still bes,irg the Letters T. F. forced labor in large
black characters. Or they distribute quantity OF
old boots, with the word gsleysave stamped 10 capt.
tails on the leather More than one hundred prisoners
st wear to this day these ignoble remnants OF the
legitimate inmates Of the bagno Shirts of fine Euen
or cotton belonging 10 them have been, at several
mes confscated pretext that they came not within
tie regulations many have been forced to exchange
them at once for common convict shirts. go
| There are many other matters where tue riicuous
| seems to outweigh the Odious. IL
would be difficult to believe that H. u NiRtstre de n
Marine knows all this Such details might puerile
to him. They very grave for those concerned 10
them. Moreover, we shall pass to an order OF facts
! Of a more serious nature, in point of humanity.
NJ k Minstre assuredly knows that torture, with all
! its accessOries-the stake, gags, tearing open the
| mouth screws TO break thumbs and ingers etc. as
in vigor in the socae1 pententiay establishments OF
! Guiana-notwthstsnd the ordinance of l774 at
the accesson Of Louis XVI, decreeing the total sup
preston of tortureno outstanding these evouti )ns
the revision of the code OF the progress of manners:
/ 49, Ita1ix hat uD1ha
Of prisoners have succumbed under the blows and cruel
bastinadoes inflicted them; be knows that suicide
has become frequent; be knows that the political
prisoners thrown into the cells Of the bagno where
they are mixed up with criminals Of all degrees fortwO
three four aud six months he knows that chains are
cogged TO their feet and that it is the hangman who
chains them; he knows that the pToscrlts are there
aleassnated slowly by being loaded with those chains
sometimes for fifty days without intermlsson; by nau
and deeterous food, here they are not reduced
TO bread and water for six months together be knows
that they have been under the thumb-screw for nine
days On indescrble torture.
But, perhaps be ignores that the torture has become
the order Of the day in the political colony OF St. Jo-
| seph.
During en- official visit of N. de Bonnard, Cap
tain of the Navy and Governor of Guiana, the pciri
cal prisoner brought their numerous griefs before this
superior officer in spite Of the efforts 70 prevent them
made by Meesrs Rcherie and Coste deeply interested
in the secresy Of their turpitudee. nj. de Bonnard
listened attentivey TO their tale of sufenngs, well
as to the enumeration of the frauds vlctmizng them,
|
these reclau atons, the Justice Of which he ackno*
| edged, NJ. de Bonnard answered by deplonng his
absolute inability to benefit them. | am not the
minister, said he. do nothing, absolutely moth
iug.... But, N. k GoHrcrHeur may we have at
lesst administration separated from that OF the
| oOnvics | do nothing p. Bat the hshings.
What matters il to these gentlemen if there BE- few
more feb or less in the sea Impossible. But
the faculty Of boiling the wild roots found IN the
| Island, the potato peeings thrown ipto the sea-
What matters it to these gentlemen If We have
couple Of fires between two three stones' AT eas:
| we shall be able to cook some vegetables to have
some fried lard They won't allow you But
tbose thefs administrative frauds, crimes which we
offer 10 prove before Committee of Inquiry Al,
bah-bsgatelle. .....I positively do none OF these
| things. Ask something else (scl And N. de Bon
nard departed, leaving in spite of his protestson'
10 interfere hopes Of change Tor the better.
We long 10 be undeceiyed
NJ de BOnnsrd is not the Minister; he can do
nothing. This all powerful Governor, who bet now
gave orders for the execution of severa criminals,
without any porting TO France-he cannot 90 any
thing for good Let if he Is impotent for evil.
Following the visit OF the Governor, new set Of
pers regulations put up in the cells OF the polti,
cal prisoners. These regu atoms gave to each Official
stationed the Island the night Of assassinatng
the spot any prisoner guilty Of violence. They urher
gave Messs. Coste and Rlchere the right OF applying
torture TO any prisoner guilty OF Ell insult to any
keeper, gens-d arine, or soldier
These same regulations, besides invested Messrs.
Coste and Richere with the enormous power OF ar0l-
trary selecting twelve prisoners responsible Tor the
acts and gestures Of Gil their comrades. They were,
among other things, 10 denounce at once any Loleted
fact, author eDknOwn on pain OF seeing the whoie
rgOr OF the law directed against the VIZ hft7en
DAYS of torture four hours day moored to an enor-
stake by ships ropes passed round the neck the
BODY the egs the arms tied behind the back two
months of prison, fortnight III irons, eight days bread
aod water, etc.
Messrs. Coste and Rcherie profted Immediately
Of the power thus bestowed them, by marking out