Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-29
RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1854
Retaliation


barbarous treatment OF Union prisoners
b. Nc reh Resolutions upon the
subject have hren u..oduced Into both
vcuses. The oue Tered by MIR. Wilkin-
son of Minnesota IN the Senate on Tues
day, after setting forth the cruelty prac'
tioed upon aur s''disrs in rebel hands,
instructs the orcr s,y Of War to ex'
tend like treatment 70 rebel prisoners
held by US. The resolution introduced
In the House, by Mr., Rollins of New
Hampshire, instructs the committee on
military affairs to inquire into the expe-
diency OF providing by law for the
treatment of rebel prisoners similar to
that bestowed upon Union prisoners,
allowing them only such kind and qusli-
" of rations. &C., 80 that the rebel au-
thorities may be compelled to treat our
soldiers according to the lsws OF hui
= mainly and civilized warfare" This re-
solution was agreed toby the House.
The course proposed by these resolu-
lions Is urged BON for the purpose OF
retaliation, AM because the prisoners
released to rs in exchange are untitled
80 enter our service again, while their
men oroeived from Northern prisons are
in Condition to re-enter the rebel SER
&c Immediately. Senator Wilkinson
wanted his resolution passed mainly,
he said, to prevent the rebels from thus
gaining an advantage over US in the
tield.
The question is, whether the exigency
Is such as to compel us to lower our
selves to the standard Of savages in the
treatment OF prisoners of war, The
last reason above mentioned for the
proposed retaliation, viz; the mere ad-
vantage gained by the rebels in the re-
ception of healthy men in exchange for
the disabled ones they send US, is GER
tainly insufficient to justify our becom-
ing barbarians because our enemies are.
In the present stage of the rebellion, we
can far better afford to give them the
small advantage thus gained, than to
blacken our war record and dlshonor
ourselves ia the eyes of the civilized
world by retaliating barbarity for bar
barity on account Of any such reason.
To become murderers of prisoners of
war by the slow torture of exposure and
starvation, for the psltry purpose Of
disabling a number ofmen equal to that
rendered unfit for service in similar
way by the rebels, would be monstrosi-
BY which our own suffering prisoners,
victims of the rebel brutality, we are
cure would not thank US for. Let the
rebels have an entire monopoly Of that
kind of warfare, so long as we profess to
be civilized.
But in the other view,--as q measure
of retaliation adopted for the simple
purpose Of putting stop to the rebel
barbarity practiced upon Union prison.
ers,--the subject Is beset with more DIFF
ficulty. The condition of our men IN
der the internal treatment of the rebels
demands immediate attention on the
one land, while every instinct Of hu-
M ,ity as well as regard for the fair
IA of the loyal people of the north,
demand that it be made plain that no
otaor means to the end proposed exist,
before we resort to the course suggested
In these resolutions. Retaliation should
not run riot among christian people.
The cold blooded massacre at Fort
Pillow we should be sorry to see retail
lated upon those personally innocent Of
It's Preparation. Congress should at
least carefully ascertain If there is not
some other practicable method, by
general exchange or otherwise, ofreliev-
ing our suffering prisoners from the cold
blooded cruelty Of the rebel authorities.
If there is none, retaliation is the last
resort, and terrible as it would seem in
this case, the experiment might after all
prove humane one by putting an entire
stop to the barbarous abuse of pris-
oners.
The rebellion under it's present vigor-
Gus treatment is fast oollapsing; and
let us hope that with the additional
troops now called for and continuation
Of the same military activity on our
part sill prisoners, whether well or LII
treated, will speedily be set free, by the
overthrow Of the rebel resistance and
the termination Of the war In restored
Union. Such we believe will be the
case. Fill up the ranks, push ON the
war a very short time longer, and there
will be a sure end of all the cruelties of
the rebellion and OF all occasion for re-
taliation.