Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-20
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1854.
OUR PRISONERS OF WAR IN THE SOUTH

By vote of the Standing Committee of the
rnited States Sanitary Commission on the 18th of
lay last, Dr. Ell.rslie Wallace, Hon. J. l. Clark
Iare, and the Rev. Treadwell Walden, of Phila-
alpha, and DIR. Valentine Mott, Dr. Edw. Delsfeld,
nd Gouverneur M. Wilkins, Esq, of New York,
yere requested to act commission for ascerainiDg
inquiry and investigation the true physical con-
ition of United States prisoners recently discharged
" exchange from confinement at Richmond and
Elsewhere within the lines of the enemy, as also
whether they suffered materially during their
confinement for want of food, or from its defective
uality, or from other privations sources of dis
Ease )" and whether their privations and suffer
ngs were designedly inflicted on them by military
Dr. other authority Of the rebel Government, or
we're due to causes which such authorities could
lot control"
\ We published on the 7th instant review OF this
'eport from the pen Of gentleman who was called
o take cognizance Of its contents from his official
auties in connection with the army. With the evil
hence before him the writer thought that this sub
commission had settled the question of fact against
entrusted with the care Of our prisoners Of war !;
and we think no one can read the report without
,oming to the conclusion that criminal negli-
gence has been observed by both in the treat
|ment of captives, even when allowance Is made
for the straitened means of the Richmond Gov
eminent and for the natural exaggerations OF re-
leased prisoners who, after being the victims Of an
snforced military confinement, are called to tell
tale of horrors to pitying and sympathizng inquir
ers. The temptation to make out strong case
in such circumstances is almost irresistible.
We think, however, it is greatly to be regretted,
both for themselves and for the national charity in
whose name they speak, that the Committee Of the
fanitary Commission in making their report had not
been careful to exclude from it the suspicion Of all
preconceived opinions or partisan bias in dealing
with the facts elected by their inquiries.
At the very threshold of their report they dwell
with emphasis and pathos upon statement said to
have been made by the custodian of our prisoners
in Richmond, to the effect that off Fitzpatrick
should succeed in entering Richmond it would
not help them, the prison authorities would blow
up the prison and all its inmates" Without un-
dertaking to say that there is any sufficient evidence
In confirmation of the statement, the commission
aver that the act was altogether consistent with
the characters Of the three men who had authority
ever the prison." and add that, "be the story true
d false, it is at any rate consummately BETTING
md consistent, inasmuch as the strongest reasons
Cor its probability may be derived from the other
fscts that have now been narrated" This method
of historical research proceeds it will be seen, on
the principle of accepting a, true any thing which
Sioht have been true, even if it was not true. Il
Is the orgumentuma adj invidiam applied to the
discovery of facts aud proves nothing beyond con-
troversy or doubt, except the bias and pre-deter-
mination Of those who use the device of the rhe-
torician in an inquiry where it has no Legitimate
place.
In order to show that the privations to which
the prisoners were subjected did not proceed from
want of means for their subsistence but that they
we're part of deliberate system for depicting our
armies, the commission proceed to make report
of testimony taken from insurgent prisoners of war
in our hands. The result of this inquiry, say the
commission, amounts to this, in the words Of one
Of them: "They had nothing to complain of in
The way of food and clothing" Any one who ha,
sver seen body of Confederate prisoners marched
Hsrough our streets will know how far the state
ment is correct as regards the clothing Of the
Southern soldiers, and yet, as the commission
make no allowance for a natural disposition on
the part of returned Union soldiers to exaggerate
their suferings in captivity, so they make no al
lowsnce for natural disposition on the part of
Confederate soldiers to exaggerate the resources Of
their Quartermaster's Department and of their
Commissary General. The exaggerations of the
latter are quoted only to set in full relief the state
ments Of the former.
How different the nature of such testimony is when
borne under different state of circumstances can
b clearly apprehended by all impartial minds in
such declarations as the following We quote
from series of resolutions adopted at general
meeting held on September %, 1864, by the
Federal prisoners confined at Savannah, Georgia,
and which were sent to the President Of the United
States, Sin the hope that he might thereby be in
duoed to take such steps as in his wisdom he might
think necessary for their speedy exchange or
PAROLE"
Resored That whist allowing the Confederate author
HES all due praise for the attention paid to prisoners
numbers Of daily consigned to early graves
n phood RI nd al