Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-03-28
The Ex,snure Of Prisoners,


From the Rlehmord Whigl
The exchange Of prisoners appears to Rave
hsen TesHnsd in an informal sort Of way.
Without any new special agreement, she old
cartel is being practically observed. To keep
fifty thousand men languishing IL prison, month
alter month, is SO baTbarous thing, and 80 silly
a thing as an economical quesiIoa-sueh an
outrage, indessd, on Christian foeliDg and COM
mon seDse-;bAt it is 40 wonder The intrinsic
merits of ths exchange, ths simple claims Of
| the cartel should havo settled the difficulty
ahich hes been permitted SO long to disturb Us.
Butler is unrec0gniEsd, and yet the enemy
have given the most unequivocal evidence Of
their intention to cary out the provisions of
the cartel in good iaith upon this broad basis Of
/ exchanEo-aii prisoners on either side to be de-
liyeIed up aad the excess 10 be placed on parole
uuul exchanged. Ali other questions are left IN
abeyauce. When the absolute necessity fsr
their adjustment shall sEise, they will doubtless
! be satisfactorily settled. in the mean lime, su-
ficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
We may coDgrstulat9 ourselves on the pros
peei Of ge.ting our brave bays back again.
We have 10 moro imperative duty at this mo
meus than to accomplish this result, and it
should b accomplished upon any terms, save
the sacrifice OF principle OF the forfeiture Of self-
respect.
Two important considerations impel as to &C
kno ledge snd discharge this duiyg
/ Humanity ami justice MAKE the strongest
appeal in DehAlf OF a eless OF men who have
risked their lives and sAsd thsir blood ia tbs
csuse Of the Confederaey, who have been sub
ecsed 70 the soveTsst sutfsriugs, aad tTiel by
the strongest temptations, and who, faithful unto
INA last, have b9sl ong and psllentiy saSiing
the houT Of their deiiyeranos.
Hundreds and huJAireds nave been swept off
BY dysoEtsTy and other camp diseas55 We aYe
now losing nea ly thirty men per day, and ol
this number the larger portion die from nostsl-
gA, me dossors call il, or signing Tor home,
beart-sickGess from home deferred, which
strikes down strong men who have bOrne the
bar ships OF the Wintry biVouae and The ex-
baustio1s of the summers painful marches,
Wishont wsste Of vitality With no tIAcssble
sign OF acute disease, life eb6s away in uRsVail-
iRg signs for home sud friends.
81. Expedisncy and self-inleTest imperiously
demand The recovery of our prisoners
We want every musket now al the front. II
is fair to assume that Ws will never azsin sus-
tain disasters similar to those Of Vieksburg and
Port Hudson, and Judging the future by the
past, We may safely coaeiude thst with no sueb
roles will DO q 0af favor ct no distant dsy.
During the las! three months, the Yankee sur
plus has materially diminished, the majority of
captures being largely On eur side.
Upon the adjustment Vt the paroles nov in |
dispute by the commissioners, We shall no 5ubt
be abe to declare exchanged eli of our men
now rstufning for whom we have given eouivs-
lsuss. This would secure US about IS .OO0 men
True, the Yankees gos the same number, but
tho neral advantage is immensely with us, Onr |
greater gain ia in exact proportion with tbe an-
peTiof morale Of our people, the lifelong deyo-
lion, the intense love Of country, the Rame-coek |
courage Of our troops, and if any one wisbes /
for ocular evidence of this let him 20 70 Civ
Point and witness The transfer Of the prisoners /
10 the coloIs Of their respective governments. |
snd learn from cur commissioner how he ia DO /
siegsd bY our men for declarations of exchange /
oeioIe ihe expiration of the 'hiIty days THROUGH /
10 which every retnTned prisoner is entitled.