Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-27
r Z POR 7


changes and read by the people of the North:
REPORT
OF THE JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE cOYFED.
ERATE CONGRESS- APPOINTED To INvRsTIG ATE
THE CONDITION AND TREATMENT OF PRIsoNERs
OF WAR.
The duties assigned to the committee under the
several resolutions of Congress designating them
are ITO investigate and report upon the condition
and treatment OF the prisoners OF var respective.
ly held by the Confederate and United States
Governments upon the causes of;th cir detention,
and the refusal to exchange; and also upon the
violations by the enen my OF the rules Of civilized
warfare in the conduct of the war" These sub
jects are broad in extent and Importance; and in
order fully to investigate and present them, the
committee propose 10 continue their labors in OBJ.
tanning evidence, and deduc!ng from it truthful
report of facts illustrative of the spirit In which
the war has been conducted.
NORTHERN PUBLICATIONS.
But we deem it proper at this time TO make a
preliminary report, founded upon evidence recent.
ly TAKEN relating to the treatment of prisoners of
specially important by reason Of persistent efforts
lately made by the Government Of the United
states, and by associations and individuals con.
nected or cooperating with II, TO asperse the
honor of the Confederate authorities, and TO
charge them with deliberate and wilful cruelty
to prisoners Of war. Two publications have been
issued at the North within the past year, and have
been circulated not only 10 the United States, but
in some parts Of the South, and in Europe. One
of these is the report of the joint select commit.
tee Of the Northern Congress on the conduct of
the war, known as Report No. e." The other
purports TO be Narrative of the pfivations aud
suiferings of United states officers and soldiers
while prisoners of war" and Is issued az a report
of commission Of enquiry appointed by THE
United States Sanitary Commission.
This body alleged to consist of Valentine Mott,
N. D., Edward Deafeld, N. d., Gouverneur Nor.
lis wilkins, ESQ., Ellerslie Wallace, NJ. D., Hon.
J. J. Clarke Hare, and Rev. Treadwell Walden.
Although these persons are not of sufficient public
importance and weight TO give authority to their
publication, yet your committee have deemed it
proper to notice it in connection with the Re.
port No. g." before mentioned because the san.
itary commission has been understood to have
acted to a great extent under the control and by
the authority of the United States Government,
and because their report claims to be founded on
evidence taken in solemn form.
THEIR sPIRIT AND INTENT.
A candid reader of these publications will moi
fail to discover that whether the statements they
make he true or not, their spirit ia not adapted
to promote better feeling between the hostile
powers. They are not intended for the humane
purpose of amelioratng the condition of the un
happy prisoners held in cactivity. They are de
signed to nlame the evil passions Of the North
TO keep up the war spirit among their own pe0
ple TO represent the South as acting un Ter In,
dominion of spirit Of cruelty, inhumanity anC
interested malice, and thus to vilfy her people IL
the eyes of all on whom these publications car
work. Tney are justly chara" terized by tn,
Hon. James NJ. Mason as belonging to that Clas
nf allad the atvla n
writing prevalent for many years at the North
and which, beginning with the writers Of news
paper narratives and cheap fiction, has gradually
extended itself, until 1t is now the favored mod,
adopted by medical professors, judges of court
and reverend elergymen, and Is even chosen a
the proper style for report by a committee o
their Congress.
PHOTOGRAPHS.
Nothing can better illustrate the truth of thi
view than the Report No. g." and its appenda
ges. 1t is accompanied by eight pictures, Of
photographs, alleged to represent United State
prisoners of war, returned from Richmond, in
sad state of emaciation and suffering. Concern
ing these cases, your committee will have Othel
rem arks TO be presently submitted. They art
only alluded 10 now to show that this report doe:
really belong TO the sensational" class of litera
ture, and that "prima facie," 1t is open to the
same criticism TO which the yellow covered no
vels, the narratives of noted highwaymen," and
the lawful beacons" of the Northern book stalls
should be subjected.
The intent and spirit of this report may be ga
thered from the following extract: The evidence
proves, beyond all manner of doubt, q determine.
ton on the part of the rebel authorities, delibe
rately and persistently practiced for long time
past to subject those of our soldiers who have
been so unfortunate as to fall into their hands "a
a system of treatment which has resulted In redu.
cling many Of those who have survived and been
rermitted to return to us, TO condition both phys
icslly and mentally, which no language we can
use can adequately describe. Report p. !. And
they give also letter from Edwin N. stanton,
the Northern Secretary of War, from which the
following is an extract The enormlty oil the
crime committed by the rebels towards our prl'
soners for the last several months Is not known
or realized by our people, and cannot but Ill with
horror the civilized world when the iacts are
fully revealed. There appears 10 nave Deen q de-
liberate system of savage ana DarDarous treat
meIt and starvation, the result OF Whicn viii pe
that few (if any) of the prisoners that have been
in their hands during the past winter, will eve
again be In a condition to render any service ol
s1en IN enjoy ife."-Report p. 4. And the SAM
tary Commission, In their pamphlet, after pictur
IND many scenes of privation and suffering, and
hringing many charges of cruelty against the
Confederate authorities, declare as follows: =
:, The conclusion is unavoidable, therefore, thai
these privations and sufferings have been design
edly inflicted by the military and other authori
ties of the rebel government, and could not nave
been due TO causes which such authorities cou!o
not control. "-p. SO.
TRUTH TO BE SOUGHT.
After examining these publications, your com
mittee approached the subject with an earnes
desire to ascertain the truth. IL ther lnVesuga