The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1863-05-05
lrrox ouK ooExEFoSpEsr.l
ENGLAND AND AMERICA

though IA ilie days oi our revolution
she did not depopulaie whole prov
inces as IN Ireland or massacre whole
regiments of rebels as in India, yet
she allowed things equally inhuman,
though not 80 open. And although
she has not, since the acknowledge
men, Of our independence destroyed
city for the sake Of stealing the con-
tents of a navy yard, yea her Conduct
towards Us has been marked by all the
underhand meanness Of a jealous ri
val, destitute Of honor and regardless
Of law. Lei us notice few instances
which teud TO Show the truth Of these
remarks.
During the early stages of the Re-
yolution, five thousand American pris-
oners fell into the hands Of the English.
With regard to these, the British Of
scers partey carried out in practice,
the theory that no rebel has single
right except TO be hung. They also
enlarged somewhat upon the theory.
They held that a rebel had no right
10 lie treated like a human being be.
fore he was hung. They held that
where, through the gracious clemency
Of their Royal Master, his lie was
spared. nothing but bare life was
granted, and he had no right TO expect
the treatment Of a prisoner of war
They held that where the Americans
were saved from tie scltIold, they
had right TO Kill them with bad food
ana cruel treatment. When Wash
ington wrote to General Gage on this
subject, complaining that officers Of
rank were thrown into the same pris-
on with priyates, aud that all were
treated inhumanly, Gage replied that
as for the officers, he recognized no
distinction Of rank except such as
arose from his Majestys commission,
and as for prisoners generally, they
we're an rebels and should be thank
lul they were not Immediately strung
up on the gallows- That they were
rebels there was no doubt, but that
because they d not close 10 hang
them they had a right to abuse them,
is more difficult 10 see. The history
Of the New York jails while in the
possession oe the British, furnishes a
more damning record Of cruelty than
can be found in the annals Of any
other modern civilized nation, though
quite common in the history Of Eng
land. Citizens and soldiers were thrust
together IN the mos, filthy dungeons,
destitute even Of those comforts al
lowed to the worst Of felons. From
these repositories Of misery, rival
ing in horror the "Black Hole" Of
Calcutta, few Of the victims Of British
cruelty even came out alive, and those
few. worn out with sorrow and dis
tress, only TO drag out their lives in
helpless misery. Nearly every night
just after midnight, the fend in charge
of tho iaiIs took out some poor pris-
oner and hung him on gibbet, hay-
ing erected the scaiiold and prepared
the necessary arrangements for she
amusement of his leisure hours
Near New York were stationed sew
eral prison-ships, in which were
confined many soldiers and thousands
OF citizens who had never borne arms.
Here ihey ate carrion and drank filthy
water, till disease set in and death re-
lieved them Of their sufferings. The
quantity and quality Of their food was
such that they watched their opportu-
nifty 10 cheat the hogs Of their portion,
by scooping the bran out OF their
troughs. No efforts were made TO
prevent disease, the officers in charge
considering it to be ali their duty to
pui them under foot Of sand when
dead and sometimes before. One
night several bodies were carried out
for burial--if scooping hole IN The
beach and throwing in The body, could
be called burial When about to put
in one body. a sailor discovered that
il moved. He so informed the officer
commanding the detachment. In
with him II be is not dead be soon