The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-19
BALTIMORE.
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1861.

Fort La Fayette The article opens as follows:
1.-TWO private letters in the Baltimore Erchonoe, tad
dressed 10 1ff in Baltimore from prisoner in Fart
In Fogetts having attracted some notice in Baltimore
and been published in the kIchdnJe there we TODAY
sent reporter 10 the Fort to learn the truth of the
charges made. We give both the complaints and the
reply Of Colonel Burke"
II then publishes, in garbled passages mingled
together confIsedly and at random, as if coming
from one and the same writer some extracts from
the letters Of the two prisoners whose complaints
were made known, by their friends, through the
columns Of the EXCHANGE. These mutilated ey-
tracts, the Express informs its readers, "embody
"the spirit OF the two letters" and it comments
mon them in the humane and becoming language
following:
''Ths qTiier seems 10 tabor apder monop,ania Jfhs
noligg aroriy cf stripes dcah and has moi
6sea auty If oayiling Jm treason, lie acH not suffer
more man he deSeJreS.
The statement of defence received by the re-
porter of the Express, from Colonel BURKE HIM
sell, is then given We quote it in fall, ialcizing
those portions Of it which seem most as if trans.
lated from the story of some Austrian or NeapoI-
tan dungeon:
The commandment at Fort Lafayette, in reference to
'rsr allegations, says porti0 a. them depriUdonS
sijrb prisoners AZ qatS', Of course hare 10 SI,uto
while others are untrue Gen. Scos orders are to treat
IA" prisoners klndf but TO Keep them safely. When then
rs i"ht 10 lie }oyf their money qrqs taken fran
it'n amt rscod gireo for it, Tdey are PERMITTED
q" IRE q 'g @'"d c.'ffS and Spectyng tie purpose to
The prisoners allowed the same raons and live in
The apartments assigned to the officers and soI1ers
at the fort Newspapers are dened them becg,,ss T iS
h0"gf ty r,"id only help 10 Keep their minds in an e
c0i state. Their first batch Of filters ,rere so sron in
dcnhtati"n Of the Government that then mere sent 10
Hdh!ngioR. Letters examined, both going in and
comm OUT Kules Were furnished to guide them in
desired destinations The restrictions are that nothing
must he said against the civil military authority Of
The Federal Government and each niSsirs mast hare
raper - '''S "'"''
part of the prisoners who had means TO do 50 have
'!1S'u Tor extra food with Ordnance Sergeant Graves
nut the arrangement is private affair between the nartes
Immediately concerned The prisoners who have money
eNU l,"'o "l'h postage stamps for their letters No
P'S"'fi COMMUNICATION as to be PERMITTED acth the rriSOn
sr%, '%ref1 O" an order from Washington They were
furnished when they first went into the fort with nil
lows, sheets, blankets, plates, knives and forks cane.
bottom arm chairs, and walnut tables
hel are allowed all the writing paper they desire far
stter-wrtng also books and friends can sen them any
g IN the way Of food books clothing but no Iiuuor
tTethat he basket Of ,Cine Of he cam &
tahen from Me Int the storm aJGt The bg 5 @ jYa
btre mast be mistake ~ '9'''"
nS s@hers are PERMITTED to address any respectful
COMMUNICATIONS 10 the Government.
When wereflect that this statement is published
IN respectable iournal-by men who are not
loolS, and IN the midst Of the commercial metron-
CHS OF what is called free country-as an eycnl-
Pauoh OF the conduct of the Government and its
Jaier, we confess that even IN view of all that has
peen done since the 18th of March, we are unable
~ ieSu"n Inc expression Of cur utter and infinite
''H4"%ciheht' \ number Of free citizens of Mary
lahd ana the United States-whom Col Rrprr
KNOWS not to be prisoners of war, thopob ha
nntruIy calls them SO, to Justify their treatment
'i''h homes conilEed by force at military sta
'i Vi u'e Government; denied process of law
ior !ueir ueyerance, or trial for their vindicaton
-"uu what does an officer of the army Of the
United States confess 10 be their condition Their
money Is taken from them. Newspapers are denied
them, lest their "minds'' be kept Sin an excited
S't'e. Ihe hrst letters they write to their fami-
lies are ''sent to Washington in violation of COM
mon decency, to be submitted TO an official scrutiny
which would disgrace a police Office in Warsaw
the excuse alleged being, that they were tstrong
Tin denunciation of the Government" which had
violated every pledge OF the Constitution in the
persons OF the writers. All communications thew
may desire TO send to those who are near and
dear to them; all the letters they receive from
home and friends; the most sacred MESSAGES
OF domestic love and privacy from hus-
oand and father TO wife and child or child or
wife to father or husband-all are s'examinedu bv
Col. MARTIN BURKE, "boh going and COMING
out" He soils his hands, as an officer and q rem
liemon, by doing such work, in order to be GER
Jam 'hat nothing be said by the captives "against
'the cLYH or military authority of the Federal
Government and when he is satisfied that he
has carefully Frecuded every single truth from
being sent out of the prison, concerning the in
fanny with in it, he has still to make tba transmits
SION OF every letter dependent upon IFS contain
ing & forced postscript prohibiting it from
Nbeing published in any newspaper ~ All these
restrictions complied with-General ScoTT bounti-
fnlly orders Col. BURKE 'Ho treat the prisoners
KINDLY !" They may even give checks for their
own money, provided they tell Col. BURKE what
'hey want with it. They are even supplied with
the e2lraYagant luxury of postage STAMPS. if thew
nave no money. If they cannot eat Government
ratons of salt pork and pea SOM thew have
tno unP'raiiea license to arrange for extra
1000 with Ordnance Sergeant GRAvEs,-at
their own expense if they have "means to do
SO out under no circumstances must they
drink OF their own wine. They are al
io"ed writing paper, 10 write as many letters
as they desire for Col. MARTIN BURKE to read and
Sehd 20 Washington, for vulgar handling and
Pfufient curiosity. They can write nothing else,
Nay, we forget. They are "pcra,iHed TO address
ANY respectful communication to the Govern
luey can have books-provided they
S''n DIS VIII not excite their minds-and friends
""0 N''nno' see them at all or hear from them
except through Col. BURKE may send them food
Ut cIoihlng-and if like the vegetables, mon
ooheu IN The letter, the food and the cloth;n oro
never received, they have the consolation Of
Aho"lng There must be some mistake ohort = ,,
Nuu lhese are the matters which the E.nree,
,oloeS's us TO publish, 'ff the EXCHANGE desires
10 De just and to allay excitement Whore do
,le people VINO write such things come fronq-
" nat manner Of men are they? Where vvere tbo1
porhf Where were they taught the lessons If
civil liberty, of human right. of common in,oo,
Ii9' vi commoner manhood-if they do not he
~. nU'1 'Uon treatment to be inhuman? Do they
A'''N 'na' only 'stripes or DEATH can be inhu-
Have they no idea of letters that are
noh' or OF torture that does not give pbv-
S,I"i pau! Have they no copception of the eanoo
Vi wrong, and Of insult and ooot,n,o,ro
o"h 'hey not understand how oa,,,or,on
honorable and brave as Gen. Scorr or 70, D.
'ne Equals Oh either in education intelligence
ProbI'y-the equals of any men before the law
anu entitled under the law to be free and 20
''' "''" MAINTAIN their equality-are inhumsnlv
use" "hen they are crushed by brute force into
Wv Posi'loh OF lelons and outlaws? FeIons and
,,La1sS, ineie Is no common Jail in the land
800 80 ieioh or outlaw, unconviced, is fenced in
}, lrlehds and counsel, as the unhannv
- d. fort La Fayette. There is not wor-
o.n Vi " prison, in any city of the Union who 10
81 '"' iliethest creature in his custody the
81 ~ see MS wife and children, if it he but
gu tue bars. No such officer would 10 49,,
rood ie''ln his place, if he were to assume to
and ., ,e.'er written to and from his prisoners
-, uio''''e what they shouId contai, 49,
,O0'u ho' contain. Is there y thief ~ b.,
s'af III tile "Tombs,' who i ~,
.',eu 70 excite his mind with a nevsnonor - -
hn; ~ tnere merciful turnkey who could ~,
ing nm the Herald or the Tr;I,,n. 80 NV
And 'uia NOPE in his cell in utter darkpess9
and go, % 70 uses so base, as to be sbamefn,
Of t,o IN the keeper of a Jail that officers
,ba - uiS OF the United States are Iouorod -.
IT, ~. o' the General commardin. 49,
Nc "'ien any Colonel in tho, - -
nus commission in the face oe S ONO
'ary WIN attempted to force sncb 90; " " 0ecre-
ana IL % not upon felons or outaus pun MN.
convicted, but upon good citizen. ~ Souseo or
men, whose only sins are their honorable |
ions that these ontraoeo ora Ffosou opln- |