New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-06

Tor as they eHege, innocent ooutnern cltHehs IN
Northern bastiles. They declare they will not
release the handful Of civilians In their possession until
oil the Southern citizens are liberated. and until Gov.
eminent agrees not TO arrest any more.
Here is fair specimen Of the assurance Of our foes
They are entirely aware that there citizens,
properly speaking in the nsurgent DISTRICTS that they
all belong TO military organization, and that when
taken they therefore become legitimate prisoners Of
war. The idea, too. Of inducing the Government to
snch course,-supposing 1t possible for moment-by
holding hundred without social position, or
political or personal influence Of any kind
The sole hope the civilian captives have is in the
rest and close confinement OF Souherners as hostages
for them. 1 understand that do not hold any per-
sons without charges but II did it would be merely
an Offset for those the enemy retains II we have not
Southern citizens Of importance enough to compel the
Richmond authorities give up civilians, let us ar
rest them ms We readily can do since the In
yadiug armies and the occupants Of their territory
As have said, the civilian prisoners held in the
South are poor and unnuentia but is that any reason
they should not be protectedi 1t would seem SO
from the fact that during my captivity not less than five
or six hundred Rebel citizens many Of them OF high
social position and much political distinction, were re-
leased and sent South without any equivalent oeihg
asked by the Government This thing continues regu
larry. Every week or two prominent Soatherners VINO
have been captured by some OF our Generals are sent
home Internationally. And yet the poor fellows freez'
ing ard starving at Salisbury-most Of them confined
there b,.ieyeare constantly told by the Rebel au'
thorties they are held because their Government re-
fuses TO release Sou,herners against whom there are no
charges.
Would not this vex a saint Is not this continued
course turn the most earnest patriot from his
loyalty
IL may be thought the Government does not know
that its citizens pning and dying In hostile prisons.
gut IL docs know the fact which has been again and
again presented 10 the President the Secretary OF ar
the Comm OF Exchange. and Others and they
have been urged to hold hostages for the captured
civilians and they have promised tO do something and
have done nothing.
The Northern citizens are earnest. devoted oyasts,
and the Southern civilians deserve more credit for Their
Unionsm since they have suffered much, and bra'ed
danger and death for H. Both are willing 10 endure
trials and make sacrifices for the but they can
no, understand why the Government through gross
Indifference or oupabe neglect. allows them to remain
in odious bondage month after month. and season after
season. without making effort for their release why
il should continue to release Southern prisoners. for
whom they would be exchanged without even asking
an equivalent.
One Of the first paragraphs that me. my eve after
reaching Knoxville Tenn. was TO the effect that Rev.
Mr. - and several other prominent citizens, WHO had
be,n arrested by Gen. Sheridan in the Valley and con-
fined in tho Old Capitol at Washington. had been
released and sent home Was any one given for them
Was any one asked for themi or course not OuI
generc 1, ard magnanimous Government is indsposed
To Secessionists lie in prisons which parnds
aical TO those Of the South and sraciousy gives
them their freedomi but permits devoted patriots who
would have been exchanged for the liberated Rebels to
perish In loathsome dena
Is not this shameful and beyond all pallistion' Re
member too 1t has not happened once or twice. but
many times-is periodically repeated; while tho unfor
tunate civilians at the Salisbury Penitentary are told
by Commissioner Ould, with insuferable hypocrisy.
that be very much regrets holding them, but that the
barbarI,y Of our Government compels him to do so.
| The barbariiy Of our Government" truly enough;
but not as Ould has applied the phrase. Its barbarty
is manifested not toward the Rebels who deserve such
kind treatment at It's hands, but toward its own loya
citizens
1.-THE Secretary Of War Is determined not TO ask
for the few Northern civilians In Rebel hands he Ger
tainly ought 10 make some demand for the Southern
Union men. They have borne mp against the torrent Of
Secessionsm from the beginning; they have been per
secuted and threatened; have lost property and en-
dured untold suffering account OF their attachment
10 the old flag; and really deserve better fate than Il
rot in loathsome dens when their release might be Sc
cured BY very little trouble and the observa alton Of
mon justice.
The experiment Of holding hostages for Southern
Cnonists has been tried with success. Although Ond
has always sworn he would not release any "Confeder
ate citzens that the Government had no right to de-
mand them; that the "Confedercy' would not be die.
tated 10 in respect to Its own people, and all that gas
conading rubbish for which the Rebels and their Com
missioner especially notorious-thc arrest Of few
prominent Seccssioniss within or near our lines and
their close confinement has had the effect OF bringing
him TO terms very speedily.
Ny feelings have been deeply interested in. and my
sympathes largely excited In behalf Of the Northern
and Southern citizen prisones whose captivity shared
in Castle Thunder and the Salisbury Penitentiary
They are have mentioned. mostly poor men. with
large families dependent them. They have been
treated sometimes with barbarous cruelty as In the
Libby prison, where they were not permitted to pur.
chase anything and nearly starved that they
often could lot stand up long enough for rocaL Many
Of them have died. leaving their families dependent
upon the cold charities Of the world and they will oil
die unless they released at early day for their
situation constantly grows worse, and their capacity to
endure diminishes.
That an " angement had been made for the xchange
Of civilian US well as other prisoners read only few
days ago in the public Journals 1 read 1t, and my
cheek burned with indignation that another Of those
base attempts to deceive the people should be made
have no faith in the announcement and moreover do
not imagine for moment that Secretary Stanton, or
President Lincoln. or Gen. Halleck. or Gen. Grant, or
whoever caused to be made public believed the state
ment.