New-York daily tribune., 1865-06-29
TREATMENT OF PRISONERS OF war.
Continued from First Page.

Camps douglas and ChiSe.
Wsnv OF t6e soldiers of GEN Hoods army frost.
bitten being kept day aud night IN an exposed con
diucn before they we're put int. Canp Doueas ihef
A ton and Camp Morton the same inhuman practice OF
putting prisoners into camps 'hccted by smallpox,
preyailed. IT was equivalent To numbering many OF
thcm by the torture of a contagious disease The in.
spfHc;ent rations at Camp Morton forced men to
nnease their hunger by pounding up and boiling bones
rckiar up scraps of meat and cabbage from the hos
iiits sop tubs, and even eating rats and dogs. The
5eposi.ions Of william Ayres and j. Chambers Brent
''0'' '''' BAEBARous ruN1sHMKxTs.
Tie punishments often inflicted our men for slight
ofenses have been shameful and baibarous. They
have been compelled TO ride plank ony four inches
wide called 'Morgans horses" u sit down with their
naked bodies In the for 10 or Is nntes snd have
been subjected TO the gnominy of stripes from the belts
of their cards. The preexs mas been used that many
of their acts of cruelty have been by wey OF retaa
tion But no evidence has been ienud TO prove
sncb acts on the part of tie Conf, dcrate au-
tborities II is remarkable that in tne OF Col
Straight and his officers they we've subjected only 10
the ordinary confinement of p'sorels "f war;. No
snecel uunshment used except iof specific Of
senses md then the great st iuhcton was 10 conine
Col S.reght for few weeks in basement room oi the
Ijbby pr!son with a window, a plank floor, stove
We 5o not deem necessary TO dwell further on these
spbieot> Enough has been prov ii 10 show that great
riya. ans aud snfe.lhGs have been borne by the pris
oners on both SIDES.
why HAVE NOT PRISONERS OF WAR BEEN Ex-
CHANGEDf
But The question forces s- upon NJ WY have these
spferjncs been SO long corinuedf Why have not the
prisoners OF war been exchanged end thus ssne OF the
darkest pages III history Spred To the Woff IN Tue
ensvcr 20 ths question must BE- found ne test OF re-
kporsib tv for all the snfeiin.s sickness aud hcTt
broken sorrow that have wished more thih elsnty
thous I'd prisoners within the past two years On ,hls
Quest on YOUR committee c,n only say that tNeCoh
feLefae authorities have always desTcd prompt anu
fair exchange of prisoners. Even before to establish
Inent a cartel they urged such exchange 0ut e"ud
never effect IL BY agreement until the large Propo' der
ance prisoners In hands made II the interest," %
The Fry AUTHORITIES to cursen; to the cartel OF July
or opfiq pnf ngt ngT
prOvigedJ that in case any MISUNDERSTANDING should
arise * should not iqurUp The release q tsorrs or pa
ler but shond I've made subject Of iendli eX lana
ton Soon after this cartel w's established. the policy
ofthe enemy iu seducng negro slaves Fu1 their mas
ters armng them and putting white officers over them
10 lesd them against gave rise TO iow cases IN
whcb questions OF uuur the Internal laws oi tie
Southern States appeared Whether men wLo tncour-
aged iuSlrrectlon and mGIder could b. held entied
TO the privileges of prisoners u war under the
cartel, was a grave question. Bat these eases were
few IL number aud ought never TO nave interrupted
the general exchange. We were always rendy anu
anxious 10 carry the cartel in it, rue meaning and
1t Is certain that the STA article require thu te prs
oners both shOuld lie recessed. and tnat the
few eases rs 10 which misunderstanding occurred
should be left for final decision Doubtless II the
prepOnderance OF prisoners haG contaued with US ex
changes would have continued. But the fcrt1nes OF
war threw the larger number into the hands ~
emes. Then they refused further exchanges. and for
twenty-five smonths TINS policy has cent? ned. Our
Commissioner of Exchange has msee constant efforts
10 renew them. In August, lsGJ he consented TO a
proposition which Rad beeu repeatedly m0fh 10 ex-
chanse officer for officer and nan Tor nan. eyine the
suftus ia activity InOuga tnis was departure from
The caIte anxiety tor tns exchange induced Us 10
consent. Yet the Federal authOriIes repnciecd their
previous offer, and refused even tbs partial com
pliaDce with the cartel. cretaIy Stanton. who has
ujusty charged the Coniede aie anthorit. With in
humanity open TO TIE charge of having cone all IN
his pow er to prevent iaiT exchange aud thus 10 pro
long the suferngs Of wfch he speaks; AHA very re-
Gently. in letter over his signature, Benjamin f.
Butler Las declared that ID AlrI, lctf, te Federal
Lieut.. en- Grant fo bade him 10 deliver to tie Keb
els sDgle able bodied man; and moreover Cea. But
Ter Acknowledges that IA answer 10 Col Ouds letter
lag TO the exc1ange officer FOR officer and
for man. wrote a reply "DVt diponaticeiy bnt OBJ.
trusiigeiy ana GemOn.tr.tivey NOS t0r ~ purpose Of
fErttiH exchange of prisoners but for tie purpOse Of
preventing and stopping tie exchange. ana JHShinS
O 9rOHuG on piict could fairly staRd."
These acts abuDdi int. sho" that The responsibility
OF freiusiDg to e1change prisoners OF war rests WIN me
have sustained that Government; ard every sigh of
captivity, every groan Of sun'rug heart broken
BY hope deferred among these eighty thousand prison
ers WI accuse them in The juinent Of TIE just.
With EtgsId to the prson STATIONS az Andesonvilie
Salisbury and other places south of Richmond, youi
committee have not extended examination, for
reasons which have alraCy been stated We are sat.
isfed that pryation, safeing and mortality 70 an ev'
tent much 10 be regretted did prevail among the prs
there but they were hot tie result oi neglect
still less of design the part Of the Confederate Gov
eminent. Haste IN preparation; crowded quarters
prepared only for smaller number frequent re.
novas prevent recaptnre want OF atOn and
scarcity OF food have all Tesnted from the pressure OF
the war. and the barbarors msnu,f in whch il has
been conducted by our enfrnes. Upon thess subjects
your committee propose - take further evidence, and
TO repOr more fully hereafter.
But now enough is known - virdcate the
South and tO furnish an vpf~Denirg anfWer 20 all
complaints the part Of tie Uptod States
peope, that their prisoners were snted IN food or
supplies Their own savage warfare has wrought the
evil They have bl,ckaded ports have excluded
from US food. clothing and medicines; have even de-
clared medicines aband Of war aud have repeat.
edy DESTROYED the contents Of drug stores sDo the sup
plies Of private physicians IN The ocuntiv have raw
aged our country buIn.d our houses, and destroyed
grOwing crops and fai ming implements. Ono Of their
officer Gen Sheridan) has oa5ed ia his Official
port that in the Sbenandoih Valley alone he burned
two thousand barns he'd wits wheat sDd COM that lie
burned all the mills in the whole tract of country. de-
sirOyed all the factories Of CLOTH ana billed drove
off animal even to the poultry that coald con-
tribute 10 human susensncc. These dgfoatlons have
been repeated again aud again IN iuerent parts Of the
South Thousands Of Families have been driven
from their homes as helpless and destitgte refugees
Our eAemies have DESTROYED The raillOaos and other
,neaus OF transportation 10y which food coul De sup
piled from abundent dist lets 70 thote without II.
While thus desOlang On country n YiJleucn oi lie
usages If civilized warfare. they have refused 10 ex-
change prisoners have forced 10 keep 20 OOj OF their
men ia capivity-tnd vet hove attempted 10 attribute
10 the sufcrings ad prytOrs caused by their own
sct.. We cannot don THAI N The "" oi ciVlHi'
ton We shalle stand acquitted while they must be con-
demuei
In concluding this preliminary yepo't viii notice
the straage peryersy Of Interpretation Nhch mas "a
induced tie "Santlfy Comm ssion to af1 rs motto
20 their pamphlet, the words Of tne COMPASSIONATE ie-
"For was an bunrere and ye gsvc neat was
Thirsty and " gave drink stranger ud ye took
ne rol naked and eo'hed H. not rcs 4Na " pfi'o"
sHd " visited ule not" , NJ,
solG!cIs sent with arms AZ tier banda ~ ccsirOy
tie lyes Of our peOp', 70 waste our land burn our
lOusJs aud barns AID drive u from o1f h0Me., can
zoe regarded by US os the followers ~ re meek ana
lOwiy edeemer so as 10 claim he benefit Of hs words
Yet even those soldiers, WHOM taifh captive bl us,
have Teen treated With proper Lhiniiy Toe eeiiles