The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-02-11
0ur rrisoners n tne eoutn.
THE APrKAL OF A. O. R1cHARDoN, THR Es
CAPPED TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT ],
THEIR BEHALF.

CAPPED TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT IN
THEIR BEHALF.
After Salisbury became . receptacle for
regular prisoners Of war. ii was siieu. Like
the tomb. 1t sent back nc echo. No man
was exchanged from IT. few escaped. We
used TO long-O how earnestly that some
intelligent and trustworthy voice might 60
up to the North and tell tie CONDITION Of
those dying prisoners. After our escape,
when it seemed i'm possible that we c3u,G
all survive the trials and pesiis which en-
virOned US, We promised eecn other, re-
US did live to regain home and freedom, he
should give the ,na.terhis earliest ard most
earnest efforts.
We have eEde2vored, under The soiemni-
ties OF an oath, to give lie plain, simple
facts. witnou; exagge-ation c! coio-inS, 10
the Government and the pablo. .nat the
rebels are deliberately killing GER AMEN by
dance Of com and fuel, are truths which
canno. be denied. When he prisoners
went there, they were newly cap:a-ed. and
like the most OF or soldiers II Ike Eeld,
young men ic robust heel,E. ie: seventy
days later We left them dying al .a,e rate
Of thirteen per cent. per nloL.t--a inor. ali
ty which in ior,y.eight hours would de-
populate any city in the void, and ..send
its inhabitants flying srom j! as from .
pestilence! And my associate. Nr. browne,
who Ead the very best facilities so- know
ing, testl6es that out Os an average o. nea.-
~ eight thousand prisoners there We're not
at any one time tive hundred well men
an estimate which the rebej Surgeons IRE.
quenLy and eOiphatically cenn.med e my
own hearing.
Mr.. Lincoln's well-knewn kindness Of
heart makes hir, reluc:an: 20 adopt meas.
ures of severity. Butsure!y j. canno. be
possible that his strong sense OF justice and
bis peculiarly logical mind, accept fora
the nons.rous proposition we
cannot as nation afford 10 Goany inhuman
and unchrist;an thing; therefore we must
shut our ears TO The xgonizing ,ry which
comes up from SO many Sos..lern prss-
ons.'' 81.
The power is in our OWL hands. We aold
the long end ofthe lever. We Lave az ex-
cess OF prisoners, by a. leasiti.eeu o. txeE-4
" thousand. We can exchange man fer
man and yet retain rebels enough TO Insure
the good treatment OF eny cap,ives, black
or white, whom they may take hereafter.
Ifexchange is ;mpracticabie,w We can compel
them to stop this atrocioas and systematic
bsrbarity, Ifany man believes that we
can "aford" 20 be inhuman and unchris-
tiah to the last extent, towards those who
wear OR uniform and follow oar fag and
fight our battles, bat cznEo. afford 10 exer-
else the least severity towards men whose
hands are red with the blood OF our braveet
and best men-in short, tina. bum ani!y and
christianity require as 10 eonnlve IL the
murder Of our own soldiers, then nay God
mend his understanding.
/. Is very easy for well-@.oihsa and vel
fed Senators, in their warm cnsin Der, 10
rise up iroxn their cushioned chaar, and talk
about humanity and Cnr.ssa1t.ty. wish
they could be prisoners themselves long
enough 20 look at this sEtjec. from The
other side. J wish they could I've awhile
amsng the daily and nightly horrors wh5oa
for sixty days surrounded 70. AID burned
into our memories like hot iron. wish
they could Jock into those foai nens 81
Salisbury, which, Dy a perverslon OF me.
English :cngae, are called hospitals; wne-e
orr poor fellOwsate c-owGeG upon be cold
naked, siithy floors, witnoutoss wo:a of
sympathy or one lear Q. affection without
even that decree o. warmth and cieaEli-
and sec their wasted torMs. auc sac, p.eaa-
ing eyes. visit hey ean.a ~ske, Ct any
hour OF tho night, and hear, CT al sides,
far and near, that terrible back. !" mack"
hack, in whose pneCluonie zones almost
every prisoner seems 20 ns coughing, nIs
life away. wish they could look OF the
dead car. with It's rEG.i tc-ms, pSie3 upon
each other like logs-.Le t,s2.,s, sway nE
arn.s-.ke white, gaas:lv faces, with their
dropped jaws and their staring, stony eyes
as i: rattles along, bearing away Its pre-
cioQs freight 20 be thrown into trenches
and covered with little ear,h. / th.as q
few hours in the stiffness Of tia. garrison,
entivened 10y 10 nliari;y o: athletic game,
broken by no soaad or iargb,e. o. ofsarg,
would change their view OF the matter.
say nothing Of the deliberate murders
which are 80 frecuen., because they are
Kindness itself compared with tbs dying
by inches, while the body grows weaker
and weaker, and the morbid. vacant, des-
pairing mind preys upon itsei until he
lamp OF life goes out. II there IS z early
relief il store for these Salisbury prisoners,
believe, before U cd, it woalG be mercy
TO theu if their keepers, any. morning.
were to draw them up 10 Inc aud shoot
them, to the las. man. n
Mr.. S:anton's long hers 5beorY-1
that we can't afford TO exchange seis .ed.
rugged men, for skele.o and uvaliQs-
that returned soldiers are ten zines as val
liable 10 the Rebels as to US, because theirs,
to man, will be inexoraoly heps in the
army, while thesterms Of many OF ours
have expired and they wiz 10. -einlis.-
is, to characterize it very mildly, { rather
cold-blooded one; though il has 8. certain
degree Of FEASIBILITY. It's adoption has
cost Us, al the very least, ten thousand
lives. II it was essential 70 success, The
country accepts /: with bowed heaa and
fees Of the war. But il it was not neetlfui,
who shall measure the load OF Responsible
ity resting upon its author? e ne Will not
exchange, why don't we re:al.a.e; aud III
We will act resalis.e, why Cont We ex-
change?
Several remedies ere inaaru-a.ea or sas-
gested; 10. US see if they are adequate
ones.
It IS proposed to send Conn, issone.s to
the Rebels to investigate and fsdjus." the
matter. But, in Salisbury, q. least, they
are acting systematically enc with q well
defined purpose.. They don'z wan. to sd
just it: The ink is hardly dry on the paper,
in which the Richmond Government re-
fused to allow Commissioners FROM each
side, to visit their own prisons and report
upon their condition. II they found it "in-
expedient' for Eve gentlemen, wholly IN
connected with the Government. or with
politics, and known throughou: tho world
for their moderation, tru:hsnlness; and
Christian philanthrophy, TO learn the Sc
crets Of their prison house. does my sup
pose they viii accept THE proposition from
Washington, with honest purpose?
It is announced that re are sending
blankets and TODD 70 our prisoners IN the
south. Will IL require four years moro o.