Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-09-24
The Exchange of Prisoners.

Gen. b. +. BUTLER prints in the New York
Times the reply he made in August to Gen.
0ULD's offer of exchange of prisoners, man
for man, or rather to Gen. 0ULD's acceptance
of the offer previously made by Maj. Null
FORD, who is the acting agent for the ex-
changes on our side. These are the main
facts, as stated by Gen. BUTLER: The cartel
made July 22d, 1862, before any negro troops
were enlisted, requires the exchange of all
prisoners, the balance on either side to be
considered on parole. Exchanges under the
cartel were stopped by the authorities at
Washington on the ground that paroled rebel
prisoners were put into the ranks again be-
fore accounts were balanced and their ex-
change regularly declared. Difficulties also
arose in regard to the status of the negro
troops. Early in the present year, Major
MILFORD proposed on our part to exchange
man for man and officer for officer The con-
troversy about negro prisoners was alter
wards renewed by Gen. BUTLER, and the reb-
els made no reply to this offer till the 10Th of
last month, when Commissioner 0ULD signi-
fed the acceptance of our offer. Major Null
FORD sent his dispatch to Washington, and on
the last day of the month informed Mr.. 0ULD
that he had received no reply from Washing
ton. Thereupon Mr.. 0ULD printed the whole
correspondence in the Richmond papers to
show that the Confederate Government was
not responsible for the failure to renew ex-
changes.
The letter of Gen. BUTLER to Mr.. OULD is
dated ain the field, August" no day. 1t
insists that, before the exchange can 90 on,
the rebel authorities must recognize as pris-
Oners of war, all soldiers of the United
States, in their hands, black as well as white
The United States sOlemnly pledged its faith
to the black soldiers before they enlisted I'M
der its flag that they should be treated the
as white soldiers. If they fought for the flag
they were to be protected by it. General
BUTLER insists that this pledge. shall be OBJ
served, and requires the rebel authorities to
recognize our black soldiers as men, not re-
captured fugitive slaves, as they propose to
treat them.
In this connection it Lay be well TO recall
attention to the action of the rebel autlo critics
in regard to the colored troops. At the outset,
JEFF DAVIS announced in proclamation that
officers of cOlored troops mustered into the
service of the United States were not to be
treated as prisoners of war, but were to be
turned over for punishment to the Governors
or Confederate States. And simultaneously
with this came an order from the War De-
partment at Richmond, declaring that in the
case of captured negro soldiers, upon whom
any slave-master in the South had a claim.
such soldiers were to be RENTED to Slavery.
This order was modified few weeks ago by
another rebel order providing that captured
negro troops, enlisted in any of the States of
Maryland, Delaware and Missouri, were to
have the treatment of ordinary prisoners of
war. So that the whole case was given up
by the rebel authorities, with the exception
of their nominal retention of claim upon
such black prisoners as might be found to be
the property of Confederate masters.
e Gen. Butler disposes of the ground on
which this last claim is founded as follows:
SLAVES being captured by us, and the
right of property in them thereby vested in
US, that right of property has been disposed
OF by US by manumitting them, as has always
been the acknowledged right of the owner to
do TO his slave. The manner In which we
dispose OF our property while it is in our pos
session certainly cannot be questioned by
you. Nor is the case altered if the property
is not actually caDtured in hattie h,It ao,o
either voluntarily or involuntarily from the
bellgerent owner into the possession of the
other bellgerent. take it no one would