Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-18
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it has already been published for the infortt
nation of all now suffering useless impriS-
onmeht Theleonduet of the authorities Of
the United States has been consistently peT-
iidious on this subject, An agreement for
exchange, in the ihcipiency of the war. had
Just been concluded, when the fall of Fort
= Donelson reversed the previous state, OF
, things. and gave them an excess OF prison.
ers. The agreement was Immediately re-
pudiated by them, and SO remained till the
fortune of war again placed us in posses
I sion of the larger number. 4 new cartel
/ was then made, and under it, for many
months, we restored to them mary thous-
arfls of prisoners in excess of those whom
they held for exchange, and encampments
, of the surplus paroled prisoners delivered
up by us were established in the United
States, where the men were enabled to re-
ceive the comforts and solace of constant
| communication with their homes and fam
! lilies.
In July last the fortune of war again fa-
! vored the enemy, and they were enabled to
| exchange for duty the men previously de-
livered to them, against those captured and
: pareled at Yicksburg and Port Hudson.
| The prisoners taken at Gettysburg, how
ever, remained in their hands, and should
have been returned to our lines ON parole,
to await exchange. Instead of executing a
duty imposed by the plainest dictates of
Justice and good faith. preteXts- were in
stantly sought fol. holding them i'll pertna-
, nent captivity. General orders rapidly sNlc-
ceeded each other from the bureau at Wash
ington, placing new constructions on an
agreement which hadfgiven rise to no, dis.
pute while we retained the advantage ,ihthe
number of prisoners. With a disregarLtof
honorable obligations, almost unexampled,
the enemy did not hesitateI innadditiOn Ito
retaining the prisoners captured by them,
to declare null the paroles given by, the
prisoners captured BY 1uts in the sdnle series
Of engagements. and liberated on condition
of not again serving until exchanged. They
/ have since openly insisted on treating the
paroles given by theii' own soldiers ms in
| valid. and those of our soldiers, givenunder
precisely similar circumstances. as binding.
a succession of similar unjust pretcnsions
has been set UP in q correspondence tedi-
/ Ously prolonged. and every device employs
ed to cover the DISREGARD of ani obligation
which, between belligereiit. hationsy Is only
tO,tc enforced by a sense of hoAOr.u,
No further comment is needed on this
subject: but | may be permitted to direct
YOUR special attention tn the close of the
| corrpkpohaence Submitted to YOU, from
which Won will perceive that the final pro-
posal made by the enemy, in settlement of
all disputes under tue cartel. is that we
shoiild4 liberate al rrisoners held sbY us.
without the offer to release from captivity
anv Of those held by them.
r. in thelneintirne asystematic and col1cert-
ed effort has been made to Quiet thd conf
plants in the United states of those relatives
/ and friends of the, prisoners m our lfittu6g
| whoare unable to understand whbJthe cartel
r.. u
| los esjAssertionitbatWp ars ths parties Mhprcs
| fuse compliance. Attempts are also made to
| shieIdthemselves from TIE fGScedrfAtibh eXci-
! ted bv theil own odiolls Observation-Disclosures
| ccrsIand soldiers now. .captivein theirlIands,
| by misstatements. suehas that the prisoners
held by us are deprived of food. To this last
| accusation the conclusive answer has been
7 'iiiad6 That, m aceorianCe7 with Uurlawand
\ the general orders of the department, thega-
! tions of the prisoners are precisely the same,
in quantity aud quality, as those sptYed out
to 0uroWn gallant soldiers in the field, and
wliiCiih hdve BEEN totifA suftiGkDt to support
. tAemin their arSlpoua cqmnaigns. while it, Is
not pretended by tie enemy 0nit they treat
prisoners by the same egenerous rule. BY an
/ indulgence, perhaps unprecedented, we have
! even allowed theprisoners in our hands to be
supplied by their friendSat home with COM
forts not enjoyed by the men who captured
| them in battle. In contrasting this treat
ment, the most revolving inhumanity. has
characterized tnG conducV Oh tne unlleu
states toward prisoners iieid py them
| one prominent iact, twnicn ADMITS nc
| denial or PAL illatlon, must suihce aus a test
The officers OF our army, natives OF SOUTH
ern apd semi-tropicaf climates, ana un-
| prepared. Tor the coid OF a norCnerh WIN
ter, haye been a. conveyed Tor nlprlson.