Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-02-08
The Care. of Rebel Prisoners of War.

In the Yankee.Senate, Mr.. Lane. (Rep) of
Indiana. presented the petitionsof citizens OF
Fort Wayne, Indiana, asking that the rebel
prisoners now in Northern prisons be placed
under the care and control OF discharged
,union prisoners, and be furnished with The
same rations and clothing furnished Union
prisoners in the South.
Mr.. Lane addressed the Senate Oh the sub:
iect Of the above memorial, advocating action
in accordance with its suggestions.
Mr.. Wade, (Rep.) of Ohio, interrupted Dir.
Lane to offer q joint resolution, that all prls-
,oners, both officers and soldiers, OF the so.caH
ed Confederacy, who are now or shall be
hereafter in the control and keeping of the
Federal Government snail receive the same
rations and the same amount of clothing, end
be subject 10 the same treatment In every
respect, as Federal prisoners officers, who
are now or have been in the keeping or pow
erof the s0-called Confederate. Government;
that this treatment shall be changed tcr bet
Ter or worse, whenever the President of the
United States shall have reliable information
that the treatmentof of our soldiers in South
era prisons is changed for better or worse,
and that any officer IN charge ofrcbel prison.
erS who shall fail to carry outthis policy Shall
be dismissed the service.
Mr.. Lane, Of Indiana. said this resolution
did not 40 far enough. 1t did not provide
that the. rebels should be kept under the care
ofreleased prisoners OF the Federal army.
This was very important part OF the matter.
It.had been said that retaliation would make
the war more bloody. He did not care how.
bloody it was. He hoped it would make cv-
cry Southern river run with the blood OF
traitors. There were forty four thousand
Union prisoners in the South, and double
that number OF rebel prisoners in the North.
We owed it to the brave men who had gone
forth to 6ght in good cause to- inaugurate
this system.
Mr.. Wade said that q year ago committee
on TIE conduct of the war found more than a
hundred dispositions concerning the barbara
ties practced upon our soldiers in the South.
Many men were dying when their testimony
was taken.z 1t was the general impression
then that if the rebel barbar;ties were sub
stantiatcd by this investigation the executive
authorities would iaaugurated system OF re-
taliation. The report was printed and left
no doubt that all the stories Of rebel cruelty
were true. But yet no action has been ta'
Ken by The executive authorities. Ec was
sorry 10 sec 50 much sympathy extended by
the people ofthe North to people who inau,
gurated the rebellion, while they TRANQUILITY
tolerated these craetics to our soldiers in
the South. lie was sorry to see people send
ing provisions to rebels in Savannah, while
our soldiers were s;arving.in Southern pris-
onsa> He had d,hesrd thai distinguished reb,
el was recently arrested white coming NORTH.
and that the President had threatened to re-
taliate if lair of his head was hurt. Ii re-.
ta!iation was jnsiifable in tie case Of a rebel.
how ,nucI, more SO was it in the case of Our
brave soldiers? ii might be right enough
to reta!iatp for Mr.. Foo'c; but he (Mr. Wade.
would not hurt o dos in retaliation icr any
thing done TO such arian
On motion Of Mr.. Howard: rep of Mich
igan, the matter was referred to the Military
Committee. !.