The Portland daily press., 1865-08-04
THn STARVATION on pRIsoNERs.

BUTLER, in response to the toast:-"Our Vol
nnteers"-took occasion to speak Of the treat
ment of our soldiers in the rebel prisons of the
South. Among other things he said:
In the far South, by the turbid river, in the
sands of the CarolinaS, or on plains and amid
the Wilderness of irginia, there are little
mounds, last disappearing under the tooth OF
time, which contain all thas is LEFT, save our
memories, to weeping sister, vile, children,
bereaved mother or country, of our -allant,
loyal, devoted soldiers, who have died th.t the
nation might live, even so long a, to celebrate
as people tue return of this day with its
memories of patri ,tism AMI Il nv
Would ~ Odd that the graves IF these loved
ones were all we have to IN nirll eeath on
the battlefield, TT tlp,9e \, e, i;n ny disease
even, in the path oi duty, i. IFS slice where
the cause sanctifies AMI hall rvs il as the iuevi
table result Of a struggle { r Liberty and Law
But lot * "nce again! Tn a sandy plain in the
midst of fhe pine forest, l,au'Llel by murlzy
swamp, there is pit, filed with dead mems
homes, Uuumbercl, ulnOletl, unc ,uI.ted, I'M
recorded, uiii oticea, Witilbtit sepultufe or the
sacred RIGHTS of burial. " Thousands not
dead by the bullet, ut stricken l,y disease
from the hand f (.,el--stsfse.l to death with
thecruel torture Of hunger, amid such plenty
thai an amy fisk myIiit Is with lis cattle and
oftle country in . raliil M .rcll past Anderson
ylile-or murderer with fr st mt Ter the shad-
dow # tie fat pines, which sang sal re uiem
To their mem ,ries as t,se winter wijuls meaned
thr dlgt tue branches, Who's very siglling cali
cd W il frenzy the happy homes and warm
heart L; II tie North - the wandering minds
Of q dying ,.,artyls.
Silall We do nothing but mourn and mingle
ON tears with the sorroW-bowed ones OF their
tonnes, for these our heroes so loved and lost?
Is there no responsibility for these so great
wrongs? Is idle grief ard useless sorrow all
the sclace that a grateful country and pow
crful people can give to tie sorroTing sister,
widol, ed wife and mourning mother for the
brother, husband, son, thus foully, cruelty.
basely murdered, with the set purpose to de
prive thst country Of the service of its sol
diers? IS, s,9a. is-s
Sl.an we take to our hearts and to our social
and p lticala folloy. ship the cruel jailors who
did these l.holesac murders by famine and
cold, ON our brotil ers and sons, helpless pris-
oners OF war, entitled to food an. warmth by
every law, municipal or rational, huma, or
divine? Not nj vengeance, but in mercy; not
i, retaliation, but in precantion; not in re-
verge, but in prevention, that this thing may
never be done again q long civilized men, as
il never has i,een nc before by q savage peo-
pie, shall these butchers be brought TO condign
punishment 5ffN WfN "a
VINO in all the world, philanthropist or poll
tician editor or historian, soldier or civilian,
has sent Up, or win serut up, petition that the
keepers OF the mprIer-penS, Libby, Belle Isle,
Alillen and Andersonviile, shall be pardoned2
The undried tears of the sister of every mas
sacred soldier demands their execution The
forlorn woo of each lonely widow cries for it.
Heavens justice, the silent agony OF every be-
rcaved mother, mutely pleads that her sons
murderer shall not blast her sight in life. All
natures God by lis holy llW, has decreod that
the brothers murderer shall not live. Who,
then, shall stay tire land Of justice? Who shall
stand betl. etsn these men and the penalty of
the law? There is none-nct one
But hold / Is there no answer for these pre-
judged criminals? Have they no plea to put
in when so sumaarily arraigned at your bar ?
Hear them in mercy, and tieal Eitla them in
justice. Hear them as t'.ey ansWer for their
lives. IL II e, the jaiiors of Indersonyille, Lib
by end Belle Isle, We're but Inferior military
officers. We did but carry out the orders Of
our superiors If we had refused to do their
bidding, We should have been court martialed
and hanged. We We're but the hands to do
WHIT tie herds y5illed. We but followed out
the policy of Jefferson Davis, the PRESIDENT of
the Confederate States, TO Geplete by starvation
the armies of tl,e United States, and only ex-
ecutod Ghe orders OF Robert L. Lee, Comman-
der-in-Cnief Of our erlnies, to prevent REIN
forcemenGs corning to you, on enemies, by ex-
change Of prisoners. why hang us and sub
scribe 5000 q in New York as Testimonial to
him? WHAT lind of justice ii your govelsl-
ment is it to shit us up il prison for obeying
his orders, and permit him to retire TO his
home in Virginia, like another Cincinnatus,
returning not from serving, but ruinipg his
country. aT - F
"Why visit all your punishment upon us?
We are pcol, illiterate men-aere jailors We
were not e'lucated at TIE peoples expense at
West Point as y,ere President Ds5vis and Gen.
Lee. We have never sworn fealty to your flag
in solemn service. We cid not hold, at the
beginning of the war, high offices, civil or mil
itary, in thu Senate and army Of the United
States. 8-sxN
" If We were guilty Of the death of your sol
diers at -AndersoiNiIle as subordinates, were
they not equally guilty as superiors? Beside,
did they not bring on the gssf by their action 4
in the Senate aid army, and without them and
such rs they, would Che sfar ever have been
begun or eeTried on at al p re they not gull
ty, ticn, of The death of all your brothers,
sons, llu,bands emf fathers on every battle
field, IN every hospital and in every prison p
fyou punish not them and such as they, why
punish us2' s'ss
AMI tleir uaSii rs we5c ,ls.r Il IN ,s7er.
These nen, ti not itlsticc say, o1Gilt nor
to be hsnged--at lcast alone.
If, then, we believe thu orr men were InTu-
derel at Anderso nvilie. If we lay not int
foIth q solemn t lseJ God 10 tho world in this
behalf against the Ssufh; if tsea ON ag3r,i-
vitel by nlIg' er lir,st f,ul and mn berries Is
worthy 81 Heath: IL slr = rs IN A. theIs ale
dear T. Us, il their blool h not beer, shed in
vain if llr Gu try + II 7,.4e safety 50 many
good nj brave nicn Ave seen oftrel III is
worth the sacrifice OF the lives OF great Grim
jnals, hen let these lcssders-repres entative
men-6e executed, as a Mning ami exianDle
that al men may understand hereafter thai he
who aims blow al the life of his couutly
shall surely die.
/ give you, therefora-4 ustico and Mercy:
both Q. ual attributes Of the Deity.
FRo7I lg:.. .1AsS ~. NJ .as,, tal. OF Aisle,