Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-23
Tho E1ohango ofPrlsoner1.

The Exchange ofPFIsoners.
Some over 1900 of our prisoners have
been received in exchange at Savannah
aDd Charleston, and the number. will be
made up to about 10, 900. Those last re
ceived were from Florence and Columbia,
s. o., and their condition was no better
than that Of the men sent 'forHsfa from
Georgia. They all'haYs The same gaunt,
half. .famished look, and tell nc same
wretched story of want and suFsring.-
The correspondent of the New York TINES,
after describing their condition. says
"The suffsrlngs of Union prisoners In
the terrestrial bells Of tho South have
reached point which makes It the duty
of the relatives of the sufferers and of all
humane persons in the North, to unite in
calling upon the government to adopt to-
ward our unhappy compatriotS q policy
whereby the demands OF humanity may be
satisfied without dstriment to the military
interests of the country. In order to Grip.
pie the southern armies. 10 it necessary, or
are parents and relatives willing that rebel
prisoners should be pampered 10 northern
prisons, while dear sons aud relatives ore
abandoned to starvation and death in
southern prisons This question has not
been duly considered by the people, and it
can be satisfactorily solved In the interest
Of humanity aud good government with
out the sacrifice Of an iota of principle
1t is question that seems not to have
been duly weighed by the war department,
else 1t would scarcely allow fifty thousand
of its brave defenders to rot and die In the
loathsome prisons at the South, without
an effort to release them"
The Times seconds this appeal EDITORIAL
ly. Why should not every newspaper in
the country do tho same. No pending
election now checks a free and honest ex.
preston of opinion upon this most impor-
tant matter. The rebels still hold about
AZ, 900 Of our men We have about $4,000
of theirs. They are ready aud have been
for long tims-terribly long To our starv-
ing men-to exchange man for man. They
will include northern col6red soldiers in
the exchange, bnt not thsit qsn lhtseoss
resafbt tatsd from, our arm 'ehis iS ths
only impostant aiitsrens We seu Fs.
rnSst egefy one 'ct dur' utitS sOidl6fsy 6dd
all our northern eolorsd soldiers. nov in
rebel prisons, aud then have some ten
thousand rebel prisoners in our hands to
hold as hostages for the negro soldiers
from the South, so long as that question is
in controversy. 1t involves no more sac
rifice of principle TO exchange forty thOus'
and men than ten thousand. Let General
Butler be overruled ia his ssnseless obsti'
macy, and let our perishius men be recoV-
cred before they all die. The people hRvea
right to demand this in a manner to be no
longer resisted.
Elsergeaut W. Kicker of the 1854 Ohio,
who was employed in the hospital for our
prisoners at Florence, s. c., kept ajOurnal
there, parts of which have been printed
since his return. On the 22d of septsm-
ber he wrote:
ait is pitiable sight 70 SEQ the condt-
tion of the men here. Soldiers the heFoes
of hundred battles, lying here almost
naked and nearly imbscile. Thsir minds
are almost destroyed by suffering and
hunger. and It 10 a pitiable sight TO see
stronR men rendered idioIic by inhumau
treatment such as We suffer. Would to
God President Liucoln and Commissioner
Butler could be hero TO see the sights
have ssep-the suffering, desitution and
woeI Or better, could procession OF
sick, such as have seen. pass through
the populous cities of the North, it would
raise sqch q storm ofindiguatiOn of as would
soon force an exchange at any cost aHd on
4 auy terms. The prisoners have
actually, as a mass, lost sll semblAnOe o.
humanity. Hundreds of them aEe taking
the oath of aIIegtauee to the GontedeFacy
having lost all patriotism through suffer
ing" ....----