The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-02-03
Gen. b. F. Butler.
The Exchange of Prisoners.

lit ILACHduSC vi IIASOuclSs
Gen. Butler returned to Lowell last
week. where he had an enthusiastic recep-
ton. notice of which Is given elsewhere.
We are not of those who wish to make
martyr Of Gen. Butler, or get up any
more jealousy than now exists between
the officers Of the regular and volunteer
forces: and we copy from his speech at
Lowell now simply to show where he
throws the blame of arresting the ex-
changes of prisoners. which we, as well
as others, have heretofore considered as
resting with Gen. Butler himself. If
there is one wrong committed by the Off
GERS of our government which seems to
us greater than any other, it is that OF per-
hitting so many thousands OF our own
men to die by slow torture in southern
prisons and pens.
Congress IS now aroused somewhat, and
Mr. A. ID. Richardson and other newSpa-
per correspondents who have been held
prisoners between one and two years, are
giving their testimony at Washington be-
fore the committee Oh the conduct of war.
They are only corroborating what the
whole country knew six months or a year
ago.
But most folks will be surprised TO no
tice that Gen Butler laws the whole re-
sponsibility Of stopping exchanges upon
Gen Grant:
:: Sometime in March last Mr.. Ould.
the confederate agent of exchange came
to Fortress Monroe, und there after a full
discussion of all matters of difference, we
came to a just and equitable understand
ing, arranging the adjustment OF numbers
delivered, paroles and exchanges, on all dis
putcd points but one, and that related to
exchange of uegro soldiers. The contea-
crate agent persisted that negroes hereto
fore in bondage, when captured. should be
treated as slaves, and SET to work as slaves
under their masters. This | could not
permit Whoever had worn the uniform
of the United States. as a soldier. was
entitled to its protection in the fullest
sense. Having settled all else, however.
had determined to bring about system of
special exchanges, until we should receive
all the white men held by the rebels and
should give them an equal number iii ex-
change, and thus all our white soldiers
would be liberated. When the exchange.
man for man, had given us all our white
soldiers in their prisons, there would still
remain about fifteen or twenty thousand
rebel prisoners in our hands and only about
five hundred negro soldiers in theirs. Ar
irving at that point. proposed to say to
the contedrrateS, we are willing to take
these five hundred men and give you an
equal number of your soldiers If the
rebels refused that offer. and still held our
negro soldiers in bondage and at labor. |
designed to say to them, IF YOU do not
deliver me those men like other prisoners
of war. and ii you work those five hun
bred | will work your fifteen thousand
and as Napoleon built the canal of Lam
gucdOc with forty thousand Austrian pris-
oners Of war. SO will this government
build the ship canal we want to connect
the Mississippi river with the lakes. by
the labor OF the rebel prisoners in our
hands My word for it. if that stand had
been taken, We should never have built
much canal because when afterwards the
rebels set some of my negro soldiers at
work on the Notifications, and | put an
equal number Of Virginia reserves at work
in Dutch Gap in retaliation. the negroes
were instantly taken out of the trenches.
and treated rs prisoners Of war re-
ported the points OF agreement between
myself and the rebel agent to the secretary
OF war. and asked for power to adjust the
other questions of difference 80 rs to have
the question OF ems having negro soldiers
stand alone to be dealt with by itself, and
that the whole power OF the United States
should he cNertcd TO do justice to those
who had fought the battles of the coun-
try and been captured in its service. The
whole subject was referred by the >ecreta-
~ of war to the lieutenant general com
nlandin@, who telegraphcd me on the lith
OF April. 1861, in substance. Break of
all negotiations on the subject of exchange
till further orders And therefore all ne
gotiations We're broken off, save that a
special exchange Of sick and wounded on
either side went on. On the Goth OF
! April | received another telegram from
Gen. Grant ordering not another man to
the rebels To that | answered. on the
same day, Lieut. Gen Grants inSlruc-
tons shall be implicitly obeyed | as
sumo that YOU do not mean to stop the
special exchange Of the SicI, and wounded
now going on. To this | received a re-
,pIy i'll substance. DO not give the rebels
a single able-bodied man From that
hour 50 long as | remained in the depart
ment, exchanges Of prisoners stopped I'M
der that order, because | could not give
the rebels any of their ablc-bodied sol
diers in exchange. BY sending the sick
and wounded forward, however, some
twelve thousand of our suffering soldiers
were relieved, being upwards Of eight
thousand more than we gave the rebels"
g. Concord, y. H.. Is beautiful but