The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-01-10

I
ticullrs relssiye &c Gen. Buffers attempt
to revive The exshsnge Of prisoners:
At about noon Christmas the New
York arrived &c Old Point, and after all
necesssrv orders had been Feceiv. d By
Nsior Mulford, TIE eiiicient and able
Assistant Commissioners # Exchange,
proceeded up the James 70 City Point up
on fhe.ex perimental trip.
TIE General se1t By Msj0r Mulford
letter to Mr. Ould, TIE Coufsderafe Com
missioner Ezlhsnge. which ktter vas
written in terms Of the utmost courtesy,
Stating that be sent him By steamer
New York 502 prisoners Of var Ell Of
whom were serEice able, men, ard sub
stsniially those longest IN coBfement,
and that be offered them for exchaage.
upon condition Of receiving The saB
number Of our mn in their hands, leaV
ing sll eontrovertsd questions 10 dispute
between The Confederate aathoFitiss and
his QOvernment IN allegiance. lie also
informed him Of bis recent inspection Of
the prIsfHers at P int Lookout, and q
their rod treaiment and condition
there, and requested thatif, upon hear
ing the statements of The men, and sec
ing their conoiiiqn, ne CIR Ould) bad
any doubt Of bis he Genera's) state
menis, that be wished bin to suggest
what be thought should Be done to I'M
prove their endition.
Thus was ihas the New York started
on her errsBd Of mercy here wished
her God speed, aud = successful accom-
plishmeRt Of her mission, and waited
aBxiouslV her return On the evening
Of ibe 29lh she returned, having on board
$40 prisoners, and bringing dispatches to
the General.
The letters and dispatches stated that
they sent these men in exchange for those
that bad been sent up, but that no more
sh0uld be sentuntil we released all 10 our
hands, when they would Go the same,
and until We gave Up every claim which
we had made in behalf OF our soldiers
then prisoners, consented 10 sacrifice the
calored soldiers we had enlisted, turned
over their oiieers to the crnel punish
menis imposed by the (preiended) Law of
the Confederste Congress, aud consented
officially that Gen. Butler should be ex-
ecuted Immediately upon capture, ard
that bis officers aud soldiers should be
imprisoned. ironed and hung.
Aud lastly they declined 70 hold any
further com nunicaiion By hlg Of truce
with the General.
Thus ended, for the present, the ex-
pertinent, successful on the oue hand and
unsuccessful on the other; humanity,
kindness and courtesy shown ON the one
side; brutality, unciVi5ty and iRhu-
mani y on the other. Perhaps its Un-
success was owing more 70 certain news
paper articles that had given forth the
idee that We were only 70 exchange a
few Of the prisoners instead of al, than
TO Anything else.
1t will be remembered here that when
Gen. Better sent the Confederate Coy
ernment vaccine, in order t. prevent the
spread Of smallpox among the citizens
Of Richmond they received the vaccine,
and repl ed officially in the usual courle-
Gus msnneF.
But now they shelter themselves be-
hind he dsstardly, coward proclsma'ion
of s5effsrson DAvis, issued over q year
ago, aud 70 Davies certain knowledge,
after the General had been relitved from
command.
The General Immediately upon The
receipt of IN letters and dispatches,
scot Major Milford by special boat and
train 20 W .shine ton, u represent the
matter 10 the authorities there, rq1est-
ing permission % take into his hands the
Confederate officers and soldiers, prison
ers Of ours, and promising that If be OBJ
tanned such permission be would see 10
IL that our prisoners were trested
least humanely, ii not well. lie also
advised the placing Of al their prison.
ers up n the same measured allowance Of |
food and upon the same footing as to
clothing and fire IS our prisoners were |
placed by the Rebel Government.
Will TIE Government permit him to do |
itg Why should they no.? Retaliation |
only viii bring them to their senses, sDd |
TO our terms. At least let US try it. No |
one surely viii doubt, certainly no one
~ the Sou'h can or will, that Gen. But
Ter, when be promises that there shall be
no doubt as TO the good treatment of our
prisoners, ii he is allowed what be asks |
for, meaus what be says, and viii keep |
bis word he ia apt so TO do, and nom
know il better than the Southern Rebels |
and Traitors.
Upon this the Tribune comments as
follows:
We publish this morning a letter from
our special correspondent a. Norfolk, Civ
ing q detailed history Of tbe late attempt
Of Gen Butler 10 settle the vexsd qaes-
ton OF 81 exchange Of prisoners. That
General Bitler proceeded to that work
with calmness, good judgment, snd in a
spirit Of entire csndor and fair dealing,
is very evident; thst be was met 10 ex-
sctly the opposite temper-that be found
the question prejudged, and foregone
conclusion determined upon bv those
who met him, is equally clear. His pur-
pose and his aim were humsne; be sought
10 relieve the prisoners of both sides, in
accordance with the dictates Of common
sense and the laws of civilized warfare.
he was defeated By sn obstinancy that
set all humane Influences at defiance, by
= disregard little less than savage, of eli
the considerations which obtain among
civilized men, and by pnltry and unwor-
thy evils which only prove that the Reh-
81 authorities he'd no intention OF en-
tering upon any fair and honorable ne
gotia'ion, but are simply dttermin, d to
force the United States Government into
an acqniescence in their inhuman aud
detestable pahey 10 regsrd to the negro
soldiers, or 20 consent % leave tho white
soldiers in captivity. II was well that
the mission was entrusted % Gen. But
Ter, Tor with that distiaetness and c0ut-
age which 50 distinguishes him, be has
brought the matter % a positive issue.
There can be no mistake about it row
we know precisely where we are The
Government aud The country must thank
him that We now have to meet the ques-
tion face 10 face. Before the world be
has put Us in The wight, and the rebels
clearly and cruelty in the wrong. Z very
thing has been done on cur part that
the most enlightened humanity, that the
most accommodating tempsr, that the
utmost sincerity md most uamistsk-
able desire 20 save sn1sritg and soften
the rigors Of war could possibly demsnd.
We have been net, on tbs-other band, by
complete insinccrity, by an utter disre-