The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-12-10
TIE EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS

The New York Times of the ~, pub.
lishcs three column letter from Gen. f..
A. Hitchcock, the officer who has had
the general direction of matters referring
TO the exchange of our prisoners. The
mystery which has cnvclopcd the qucs-
ton, and tho confused and contradict ry
statements which have been mrdc about
il, nrc for the first time cleared up by
this letter. Our authorities, il woull
seem, remarks the Times, "are not TO
blame for the stoppagc of ,xcha"gcs.--
They have proposed to the rebel Com
missioner to exchange, man for mnn, oil
the prisoners now held in tho South, but
this the rebels have refused 10 ngr,c to-.
bns6ltrs,%dRl'tn n6f5te t4RHifBd, gsgel
teen thousand Union prisoners md they
insist, as appears from Gen. Hitchcock's
letter, as well as from the corrcspon.
dence between Commissioners Mere.
dith and Ou'd, which we lately publish.
cd, that the exchange shall 10 generals;
that Is to sny, that we shall deliver up to
them all of the 10000 prisoners in our
pos 'cssion, aud receive in return about
10 ,OC0 men, leaving about $1,000 men
who might, for u few days, be considered
on parole not to take arms unless duly
exchanged sand them" asks Gen.
II 'tchcock, "whnt would Mr.. Ould do
with these men! Judging by what he
has actually recently done he would un-
doubtcdly assume TO discharge those men
aud rut them into the field TO fight
against National troops, standing under
an unslalucd National fiag--,hc very
troops who gallantly captured those men
upon bloody baltle-iclds, within the past
few mouths" Ia this charge Gen.
Hitchcock Is not unjust for in another
place he states that "ulrcndy the qucs.
ton has como up from Gen. Grants
Il, rious battle field at Chattanooga, a.
% what shall be done with body OF the
enemy, who hapiag been parOlcd as
prisoners Of War at Vicksburg, haze been
r captured ia arms at Chattanooga, with
OFT having been rropercr.y exchanged"
--0nd this Notwithstanding the explicit
denial of Mr.. Ould that any of the Vicks.
burg prisoners had been seat into the
field,
Other propositions of n humane char
actcr have been made To the rebels, with
nyi W OF eiiecting the release of our
prisoners, but they have refused to listen
To them,
Beside the difficulty above indicated,
there arc several others, ona OF which
Gen. Hitchcock discusses vigorously aud
at length. Ia accordance with the bloody
and bsrharous proclamation issued by
J,H Davis in Srptcmbor Of last year, the
rebels have poFsistontly refused to dit
liver up for exchange any Of our white
officers captured while in command of
colorcd troops, or any of the colorcd sol
! dicrs who have bccn taken prisoprrs.-
Our Government cahnot permit this, as
/ il would enable the rebels to defeat one
of the most importSnt measures OF Ma
tioua, policy for the suppression .. 'he
/ rebellion.
Thi country will feel indebted TO Gen,
Hitchcock foe the able ard lucid cxpusi,
tion of this great question that he lias
given, aud will sustain the Governmsnt
/ IN the measures Il has adopted, as stascd
lhy Gen, Hitchcock"
We will here add, that the rascsity
and scouudrel,sm of the Rebel lcadels is
coming to light more aud more every day.
The fact, that among lot Of Rebel
prisoners captured by general GRANT in
in the late battle, large number of them
wero fund to be soldiers that he had
taken al Vickslurg, and pOroled, though
uncxehoaged, are now fighting in thu
Retcl ranks, which is forfeit Of thcil
parole Of honor. What is the punish
ment for case Of this kind live arr
not greatly mistaken, according to mill
tary law, il is death, We are psease'
70 STATE, that General GRANT has applie'
to the War Department for. advice, an'
what puuehment TO inaict upon them
. There is no doubt, thut many then
have been deceived by their leaders
madc them bell,ve that thgs had beef
exchanged, aud were thereby induced 4
, take up arms aud 60 Into the field w,
hope cur Gsvsrnment, while rewembeT
ing merry to them, win not loose sight 0
justice being done 10 the Union soldiers