The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-09-20
The Case Of Captain Writ and
the AndersOmyilie Prisoners.


Anlersonville prison has acquired a noto-
riety second only 10 that Of the Back Hole
of Calcutta. 1t has been deemed a sgno-
nyme Tor infamous cruelty, aud every tale Of
horror connected with it has been brought
forward as q proof that the Confederate
Government treated prisoners with system
attic barbarity. Captain Writ has been
held up to execution as fitting tool for
such purposes, he has been written down as
monster by the press of the country, pre-
judged by public opinion and, in accordance
with the new style of fair play and enlight7
encd justice that prevails, condemned before
trial. We are too fast people to wait
for the slow forms of law. How else can
we account for the liberation we have ac-
corded to shoulder-strapped judges and mil
itary commissions.
Military Commissions, however, not being
exploded yet, Captain Writ is to be tried
by one, and in order to smooth The way for
it, the journals have been bnsi!y engaged in
blasting public opinion, and in destroying
the character of man whose, very life
hangs upon his character. Fortunately for
him, there are men 10 the North who know
the full facts ofthe case, and who are willing
to testify in his behalf. From the state
ments of these parties, it appears that The
inhumanity to Union prisoners, of which we
have heard such circumsiaatial details, was
not exhibited by Confederate soldiers the
wholesale plnndering that vas carried on,
was not by organized bands of Confederate
marauders, but by Union soldiers, by fellow
captiVes, by rufians who banded thems Ives
together for the purpose of preying on their
miserable comrades, by lawless gangs Of
Union desperadoes, who, by their license
and cruelty, made that wretched prison a
very he'll upon Garth. -
What had Captain WirtE 10 10 with these
seoundrels? flow is he apswerable for their
misdeeds? 1t appears that haIfa.dozen of
them, after being convicted by o regularly
organized Court Of their companions, en-
powered by Major General Wibder to try
fncb cases, were hung, and this was brought
against Captain Wirtz. Was there ever
such Eeryision as this? Writ had nothing
to do with it, even surprising tito be wrong,
which we think no man will venture to as
sert. 1t was the only efiactnal means of
protecting the poor delenceless prisoners.
exposed as they were to the depredations of
the scum Of a orGlein prisons
As to the charge Of starving the prison
ers it turns oat now that they Jared as well
as the Confederate soldiers, and from the
restitution talat We know prevails at the
South the only wonder is that they did not
suffer more.
How could be expected that they could
feed $4,000 prisoners on full rations when
our armies had raided over the South, carry
ing of provisions, and destroying what they
could not consume. Our Government must
have known that terrible suffering would be,
fail the prisoners from the scarcity OF pro
visions and the difficulty of transportation
why then did 1t not exchange these menu
Why then did it leave them to starve and
rot in prison? On them let the indignation
of the people fall, and not on Wirtz. Che |
men who prevented the exchange of prison
ers are responsible for the horrors Of the
Andersonyile Prison, not Captata Wirig.
Ii our wrath is not tempered by mercy at
least letitbe directed by siastire and let |
punishment fall on those who are guilty.
In conclusion we would say tllatieven lei
Captain Writ were guilty there is some
thing cowardy 10 attacking a man who can
not defend himself, and there is something
mean and hnmanly in whole community
banding themselves against one. Let him
have fair trial il not for his sake then for
our own. If we Cannot attain to the eleva-
ton of justice for justice sake, let us pre-
serve the appearance Of it ior the sake of the
national reputation.
Metropolitan Record.
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The ShpnanaOaSs.