Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-12-18

Why Does not the Exchange Of Prisoners Go On
This question, which Is in every body's
mouth, is admirably answered in letter from
General E. A. Hitchcock, one of President
Lincoln's immediate military advisers, to the
New York Times. We wish we could copy
the whole letter, but want of room compeIs US
to content ourselves with the brief abstract
The letter begins by charging the suspen-
sion of the exchange on the rebels, and ex-
pressing the conviction that the reasen for
their reluctance to proceed with the cartel is
their unwillingness to account for the colored
soldiers and their officers whom they have
captured. There is reason to believe, as the
General shows, that prisoners Of this class
have been refused by the Confederates all the
privileges of prisoners Of war. The white Of
fcers have either been murdered or put in
penitentiaries, while the blacks have been kill
ed or sold into slavery. UnwiIliDgnes to con-
fess these facts makes the rebels shy of having
anything to do with an exchange.
The letter then takes an advanced step in
the argument by Allowing that the suspension
of the exchange is not due to backwardness on
the part Of the Federal authorities, since our
Government has made to the rebels every pro-
position on the subject which would be iusti-
fable. It has proposed to the rebel Commits
siOner to exchange, man for man, all prison
ers now held in the South. This proposition
the rebels have refused. They insist that the
exchange shall be general, that is to say, that
for the IL, 900 prisoners whom they hold we
shall give up the 10000 which we hold. The
effect of this arrangement would be, as the
General says, " to leave the rebel authorities
the entire disposition of such colored troops
and their white officers as they might capture;
to expose Capts. Sawyer and Finn to their
fate under orders in Richmond, which have
never been countermanded to turn loose
again certain notorious guerrilla leaders to re-
new their ravages in Kentucky and Missouri,
(neither Of which States have ever united
with the 80 called Southern Confederacy,) to
put into the field fresh army Of rebels, to be
recaptured and, in short, we should deliber-
stsly neutralize or throw away a chief part oi
the power Of the Government at this time
through which there may be some hope, by
measures yet to be decided upon, of control
ling the action of the authorities at Rich
mond in their treatment of prisoners of war
if they are deaf to those of humanity"
The General proceeds to say that its first
proposition having been rejected, our Govern
ment made another, f.-4s.
It offered to take all our prisoners of the
hands of the rebels, guaranteeing that the per
sons thus released should not enter the service
until they had been regularly exchanged and
meantime not only to feed but to cloth tbs
rebels whom we hold. This proposition was
also refused.
Thus, no terms that our Government could
offer were accepted by the rebels.
An important paragraph of the letter il
occupied with proofs that the rebels have act
ed in bad faith in arrangements as to pri-
aoners which have already been made. Il
shows that on a mere technical quibble the
Oonfederates have required all their men who
Internationally surrendered to Banks at Port
Hudson, to break their paroles by re-enterine
the service, and that prisoners whom Gran
paroled at Vicksburg, and who have nevel
been exchanged, have just been retaken BY
him at Missionary Ridge.
We cannot but think that those whe viii
read General HitGhcOck's letter will see clear.
ly that our Government is not responsible fol
the pause in exchanges which is causing thou
sands of our brave fellows who are lying il
Southern prisons 80 much suffering. W.
commend the account to all who complain
that our Government is not doing what i
ought for the relief of the sufferers.