Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-09-16

rnE 81 . o>fv o1rAq(E - w Ar
d rxcmAdS IA ~
n We Sem that tie NJ ebesocls IA. She
Aay 81 ErcA Sys y tAs stuAgf enibtedk4e.
o1Gss btusl sron 81 armies, the tinted
States claiming that the cartel covers all
who serve under its flag, and the Confcde
rate States refusing 70 consider the colo r.,,
soldiers, heretofore slaves, as prison ers of
war I'Ss
We beg leave to suggest sosas facts no. ;.
ing upon the question Of exc ,.,na ,rh;cb
we would urge upon your ons,der,,;on l.
It not consistent with u n.,;onaI ho.ar
wilissst waiviug the = aim tina, ,he rsor9
soldiers shall be tr~ ted as prisoners of war,
70 effect AZ, exrY .nge Of ihe ,ehi,c soldiers !:
Ne toy c'c.sys5 ar Sree1ld d.t,sysnuy by
PIE en~'s, re stuessre eonaaed il spcl
|rrisoa - Li5y ~ TAsdsr,onrale, Starred
60 etse ~ u.thSd Jas1nrism unLnolrn to
csritt ii nations. The 5laels. on the eontra-
~, are seldons iniprisoned. They are DIS
.lbuted among the citizens. or employed
| IN government works. Under these cir
! cunls:anccs they receive enough to eat and
| are worked 10 harder than they have been
accustomed 10 be. They are neither starr
Cd nor killed or by the pestilcnce in the
the dungeons OF Richmond and Charleston
It IS true they are again made slaves; bit
Htir sieeery Is freedom and hoppiness com
pore1 nth The. crud sristsnce imposed upon
our gattant mea. THEY are jerett Of hpe,
10 n,c the 0htte soidiers, Tying by piecemeat.
Their chanccs If escape are ten grcater tim
those II the ~hits sot,i,erx, and their condi-
lion, an all its itghts, IS foicrqbh IL compar-
'son NTH TINT Of The pfisvae,s n 'rar nor
lang,alshinyi IN The dens and pens et' seces-
sim
While therefore, believing th.. claims Of
our government, in ma'tcrs Of exchange, to
" Just We are i'r"io' ally impressed with
VIZ 'vI''e ''o.. y" Il the circumstances OF the
'"o .Iass rs SOLDIERS are go w'dety dyer
q me government can honorablv con
~ IL arr { schange, waving COR tiInc The
. ,.asnl,tshed prfnciplc Justly claimed 10 be-
IabDffcahfc IN The case. Let thirty-'ive
thousand suffering, starving and dying en-
listed men aid this appeal Ny prompt aad
decided action in their behalf ahir.y-ti
thousand heroes will be made hrppy. For
the eight hundred commissioned officers
/ now prisoner we urge nothing. Although
DESTROYS Of returning to our duty, we can
bear imp. isonmcnt with more iortit4de II
the enlisted men, whose suiicrlngs we know
Ia be nj lerablc, were restored to liberty
and life.
IOFFIC!AL DOCUMENTS SHOWING
I THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
AN INrERRUPIlON OF
THE EXCHANGE
The Richmond papers of the LIST inst.
contain the following official document:
THE EXcHaNGE OF PRISONERS.
Ia the relatires and fr;ends Of Conttderat
soldiers coafn.d III Northern prisons
On the 23d Of July, 1863, the Cartel Q
Exchange was agreed upon. The Chief.
not the only purpose Of that instrumen
was 10 secure the release Of all prisoners .
: war. To that end, the fourth article pro
vides that all prisoners Of war should b.
: discharged on parole in ten days after thei
c .pturc and that the prisoners then he'd
and those thereafter taken, should be trans
ported to the points-nautuaiy agreed upo
at the expense OF the capturing party
The six Ii article also stpulatcs that ''al
j tprisoners, Of whatever arm Of servi c, ar
\ to be pa, olcd or exchanged in ten day
from the time of their captur., if it b
practicable to transfer them to their ow
= lines in that time; il not, as soon thereaft.
as practicable.
From the date Of the cartel until Jul
lS63, the Confederate authorities held tn
: excess Of prisoners. During the interva
deliveries were made rs fast as the fcdcr;
II goucl nucnt furnished transportation. Ii
deed. upon more than one occasion | urge
= the federal authorities 20 send increase
& means OF transportation. As ready as til
enemy always has been to bring false acct
sations against us, it has never been allegc
y I that we failed or neglected to make prom
deliveries of prisoners who were not uhdt
charges when we held the excess. On til
!. other hand, during the me time the Cal
! tel was opency aud VIGOROUSLY violate
i by the federal authorities. Officers an
men were kept in cruel confinement, som,
times In irons or doomed cells, witho,
charges or trial.
In July, 1868, the enemy, for the fir>
: time since the adoption Of the cartel, bel
: the excess Of prisoners. As SOON as til
fact was ascertancd, whenever dciyl
: was made by the federal authorities The
: demanded an equal number il, return | es
deavo cd frequently to obtain from the le,
eral agent Of exchange distinct avowal
!, the intentions Of his government as to til
!, delivery Of prisoners, but iii vain. 4
= length, on c 20ih Of October, 1863, &C
dressed to t;rgadicr General Meredith II
following letter. to wit
''RnENoND, Va, October 90, 1868.
a "Brigadisr- GeneiaI $. 4. Meredith, Aqer
Of Erchange:
= ''S;r More than mo tn ago askc
: your aequiescence i'll a proposition that O
: officers and soldiers should be released i
) conformity with the provisions of the ca, tc
f, In order to obviatc the difficulties betwee
Us, | suggested that all officers and inca O
!. both sides should DC released unless the