Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-11-26
OUR PRISONERS AT RICHMOND.

IN the alleged suffering condition of our captive
soldiers in Richmond naturally directs public at
tention to an inquiry into the causes which have
brought about suspension of regular exchanges of
prisoners under the existing cartel. The corre-
spondence on this subject has been published by
the journals of Richmond, as constituting justi-
hcatlon OF the Confederate authorities for their &C
ton In the matter but no similar publication has
been made by our Government for the purpose of
setting its own conduct or determinations in clear
light. In this absence of information from our
own official sources, we betook ourselves to the
publications made in the Richmond papers, and the
unsatisfactory result of our researches is SO fully ex
pressed by the subjoined observations of the Bos-
ton Daily Advertiser that we cite them for the in
struction of our readers
1--WE still have to regret the absence of any official pub
LEGATION by the Government Of the facts bearing upon the
cessation of the exchange of prisoners Meantime the
Richmond papers give to the world columns Of documents
comprising letters written by Gen Meredith, well
by MI Ould, and apparently covering the whole ground
We have yet to see however that any human being has
been able TO extract from these voumnous publications
any distinct statement of the real after in dispute The
multitude of words has darkened counsel hopeessy and
from reading of the whole say that thing
only clear that in such discussion this Gen Mere
dithis match for Mr. Oud Were not the latter weigh
ed down with the odum of which hsd its birth
and existence in fraud it would be strange if his adrot
pleading did not leave the impression that the best Of the
argument is probably on his side.
1t is well known that exchanges have been carried on
under cartel arranged by the Government with the rebel
authorities, by which prisoners actually delivered up
paroles given for taken and discharged have been
off against each other Gen Meredith remarks correctly
that this interrupted when the rebels refused to ad
NIT the officers and of black regiments to exchange
under the cartel We do not understand however that
this affair connects itself with the present interruption
the Government met by retaatory threats the unust6a
BILE position taken by the rebels. The rebels on their
part however, complain and do not that the
plant is answered that the Government has undertaken
to supplement the cartel by rules laid down in general
orders from time to time, thus affecting the basis Of
changes without any previous agreement They complain
particularly of the general order issued the time of
the battle of Gettysburg whereby many paroles gren by
at that time held to be nvaldated and the
men were ordered into service This however we believe
they Offset by applying the same rule to some of their
men paroled at Port Hudson.
"The point at which the differences to direct
ISSUE however the declaration of exchange made by
Mr. Ould on the 18th Of September when he declared
large part OF the officers and men captured at Vcksburg
and great number also who had been delivered at City
Point to be duly exchanged This declaration sent nearly
600 men back to the rebel service according to Gen
Merediths account and, he Claims with only partial
equivalent of Federal prisoners returned Mr. Guilds
declaration made after alteration to the rules
laid down by the Government for determining the validity
of paroles and designated the covered by only by
division and brigade, without stating their number To
this complaint however, Mr. Oud reoins that rolls
in Gen. Meredths possession, from which the number
precedent the action of Col. Ludlow Gen Meredi.hs
predecessor In the belief however that the declaration
by Mr. Oud made for the purpose of bringing parol
ed men to Braggs assistance 10 the Chckamauga cam
pagn Gen. Meredith declared such of our men as had
been captured and parod up to September st to be
changed and hereupon the rebels broke off the system of
exchange altogether after porentousy long review Of
the controversy by Mr. Oud.
"Ths leading question to the validity Of paroles re-
erred above is that which is raised by the general
order issued at Washington on the 22d of May providing
that captures to be valid must bs reduced possession
aud directing that when the Government did approve
of parole the officer paroled must cap
tvity 1t is claimed by the rebels that they paroled many
prisoners in the Gettysburg campaign whose paroles the
Government refused to recognise under this order but
that the obligation to return when the paroles were re-
ected renewed by general order issued after the
battle of Gettysburg, and that the paroled
ordered to dutytbese changes being without previous
consultation or agreement The answer which sup
pose Gen. Meredith to have made to this complaint
published by the Richmond papers.
We must add that there is great difference between
Gen Meredith aud Mr. Oud TO the balance of the ac-
count of paroles The latter claims to have in his posses
sion TO- 900 paroles giving him balance of 900 due from
after his declaration exchanging the Vcksburg prison
and others Gen. Meredith claims however, that the
rebels owed at the time when the exchange broken
of $500 men, making difference Of IL 900 between
the two accounts The basis of this difference does not
appear does it that any effort has been made on
either side to settle this dispute 1t is supposed that the
rebels include in their account many paroles exaced by
from combatants and Others but this does
The result Of this embrogo, however, is matter OF
vast account to poor fellows who their scan,y
ons in the Libby Prison aud similar places Of coufne-
ment and they ask with anxiety whether nothing be
done for their relief. On this point Mr.. Oud made
proposition the 10Th Of October which seems to US
worthy of consideration He proposed that all
officers and men, both Sides be released in conformity
with the provisions Of the cartel the on one side
the other to be parole This would clear the rebel
prisons of men, aud would bring the question as TO
the balance Of paroles to direct settlement Gen. Mere
dith declined it plan for obtaining possession of men
for whom the rebels have equivalent to offer aud far
putting them into the eld rauduenty To this sugpes-
ton that the Government will be cheated in making such
an arrangement we at agree But in our Judgment
the common sense OF the country will say that under the
IL better to be defrauded Of the whole
balance OF seven thousand in favor if need be- if
thereby rede the thousands lanpuishnV in
captivity and arrange sort of system for the future
system of some kind must have and it must from
the nature of things be arranged by agreement If by
squarng tho accounts, TO partial injury we
can arrange such system and our from their
present susrngs the country will pray that this msy be
done And as for the balance to credit which we may
thus lose must take OF that by seeing to it that
hereafter we lose few men as prisoners and take many
GEN. MEREDITHs LATEST LETTER.
The following Is copy Of the reply Of Gen Meredith
to Mr.. Ould which has been published since the above
article and the summary Of the Boston Advertiser we're
prepared for the press:
OFFICE COMMISSIONER OF EXCHANGE,
Fortress Monroe, (Va.) Nop. IL, 1863
Hon. Robert Oud, Agent of Exchange, Richmond
SIR: acknowledge the receipt of your communication
OF October 3lst would have been erprsed M ITO cop