New-York daily tribune., 1865-09-25
HOW WE TREATED OUR PRIs.
ONRR4.

In view Of the testimony on the WIZ trial,
much of it from Rebel sources, we presume the
effort to deny that Union prisoners were in
humanity treated will not much longer be per.
sisted in. Mr.. Lawley Of The London Times
will find even his imagination overtasked to
explain away Belle Isle and Andersonville
Mr.. Baker, counsel for Wirz, in his last speech
to the Court, does not pretend to be able to
control the evidence already in. All he pro.
poses is in some cases to prove an dfb' Tor his
client, and in the rest to show that he was act
ing under orders from Richmond. This being
the case the Rebel organs here and abroad in
dicate a change of tactics. The defensive is to
be exchanged for the aggressive, and sort Of
tn guoqne TO be pleaded at the bar OF pnblc
opinion. If the Rebels treated their prisoners
cruelty, so did the Unionists-that is to be the
next allegation.
We are very glad TO have the question raised.
1t happens that the evidence is already at hand,
and whatever is wanting is sure to be elected in
the course OF the discussion. II any OF it bears
hard on our side, so be it; we will readily give
il all the weight it is entitled to- Individual
cases Of hardship may have occurred; there
may have been instances OF cruelty; If so, none
reader than we that the guilty parties should
be exposed and punished. 1t would be strange
if among the numberlcss officers on our side
charged with the care cf Rebel prisoners, now and
then one had not shown himself cruel; whether
moved by the atrocities he believed were in
ficted on his fellow soldiers, or being himself
by nature brutal. But the fact will still remain
that the prisoners in our hands during the war
we're. as rule, treated with great kindness, with
every attention TO their comfort, and OF course
with perfect freedom from anything like the in-
.entional and systematzed barbarity which, on
the part of the Rebel Coniederacy, was lnstl-
gated and authorized by its highest officials.
A recent letter to a Washington paper gives
, GOOD account of the condition of the Rebels
At one of the largest Of our prisons, Fort Della
ware. But the fullest and most satisfactory
testimony is supplied by the report OF the San
tary Commission, to which we have often re-
crTtQ LOT p1OOI VI tuO OutldE'o Vui oVi"ioi' ""'
iered. OF that report we desire to repeat that
though it has sometimes been characterized
abroad as partisan document, it has never
been successfully impeached in single parhc-
ular. 1t was published with the evidence on
which it was based. 1t contains nearly two
hundred pages Of sworn testimony from
about seventy Union and Rebel soldiers.
No fact thus sworn to has ever been
specifically contradicted, nor the veracity of q
single witness assailed. More than year
before the public, and sustaining every test by
which such statement can be tried, it is
entitled to full faith and credit in every respect.
It was deemed at the time, we remember,
supeIAuous pains to present evidence of good
treatment of its prisoners by our Government.
The recent assaults Of such papers as The
N. Y. Daily Nsrs, and such men as Mr.. Lawfey,
prove that the precaution was not in vain.
The paragraphs we quote are not expressions
of opinion; they are simply convenient sum-
maries Of tho evidence. And first ss to the