Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-01-31

", Upen the Conside ratton Of the
Joint Resolution Advising Retail
auen for the cruel Treatm ent OF
Prisoners by the nsurgents.
Mr.. HrspzIcu said:
Mr.. President: As I listened to the speech Of
the senator from Michigan IMr Howard was
struck sith the fact how much easier u - 10 noat
with The passion Of the boar than 10 stand hrmis
; vaerc . mao think il 10 right i knos that this
Il a subject Of extreme interest 10 the country
Every ueighbofhood has its representatives IN
the southern prisons. and whatever is said IN the
Senate l. listened TO In every neighborhood with
extreme interest But. sr. Whatever may be the
passion Of the hour, | feel that the right viii
Justify a man IN the future. During the times Of
the French revolution the orators ia the conven-
ten were inspired BY the frenzy Of passion. and
called for blood. blood, blood, we're the gods OF
The hour. and we're horne upon The shouts OF the
mob 10 the streets. and the spplauses in the club
houses. but history has assigned them their right
place, arc j an not afraid even upon this ques
lion TO cay What ! believe il right ] do not be
lieve that nv honor as a man, or the honor oil
nv country IL 20 be promoted BY adopting a
measure which has beer so forcibl, described BY
the senator from Massachusetts Mr.. Sumner1
this morning ss barhsrous and cruel
The senator from Ohio Mr.. Wade yester-
day in reply to q remark OF mine, said that war
was against christianity. and that the usages Of
nations engaged in war had not been Influenced
W the sentiments OF our religion. | do not
agree with Lin. Does the senator say that ibe
usagss Of this dsy. aud the benign influences OF
christianity among nations At war, are such a.
prevailed in The more barbarobs end darker ages
OF the ~orid's history WHY IL IL that no longer
any civilized nation dsres to strike its Toe with a
poisoned suoxf Why is il that an invading
army dare 10 longer TO poison the springs and
the wells IN an enemy's ~countyf Because the
iIaaenees of christianity and the civilization OF
the century nHbid i. Mark where christianity
erteuds upon the earth's surface. and see the
difference. Wherever christianity now controls
the judg of the world, We have a civiliza-
ton To some extent even amid the horrors OF
war; but 20 beg ond that; go into China. where
oar ehfistion religion is not regarded, they flaw
the cnpiiye alive to day: 90 into Tsrtary. and
into ell the nations where any sy.iem of religion
except our own controls the jude ment OF the
country. and yoa find yet bsibarites that marked
wars in the earlier ages Of the worlds history
But. sit. l am not going 10 discuss The cues
ton whether war is right or wrong, or whether II
b. &C cording TO christianity. We have a war. and
as civilized men II is our duty TO mitigate the
~crueities aud suferings attendant upon war TO
the greatest extent in our power, not to add to
them; not TO bring our fair fame and good name
as a civilized and christian people down. but n
ther ~ hold x up .
have sdvocaied An exchange OK prisoners.
and | I'm glad to- hear the chairman Of the mill
tary committee urge that as a possible aud pTac-
ticable mode OF relieving the country OF IT. pres
- ent anxiety in re- beet to our prisoners. Tbesen
atoI from Ohio cOBcuTTed in the views that | ex
pressed On that point. in very strong language.
he said tpat ii the war department could have
exchanged our prisoners, it was the duty OF the
department 10 have done so: and IL they had
neglected to 60 80. they ought 10 be severely
censufed. Perhaps thee are rot the words used
by the senator. but this j. the sentiment
Mr.. johnson - CuIpable" WIS the word.
Mr. Hendricks. :. CGlpable, ] believe, WAS
the word be used, a stronger word than ! en-
ployed. He said that tie administration was cul-
pable If il wassathin is power Tor these months
past to have brought our brothers and friends
home again and il refused TO do 20. But the
senator IRON Iowa Mr. Harlan aud even with
the high respect | entertain for that senator, | an
y glad that no other ser stor has adopted his senti-
meni- on this sutject--has said 10 The Senate in
the course OF this debs'e that II WAS right for the
administration thus for months 20 have refused
10 exchange prisoners, when il might have been
done Why 50 ? For the reason that We can
better afford 10 leave men in prison than they
that we have more men that We may bring ad
digional hundreds OF thousands into the field and
not feel the burden very much, because our pop
ulation is so large, while the south is exhausted
in its fighting force. That IL the argument OF
the senator.
Mr.. Harlan. l. the senator protesting to quote
from NV remarks
Mr. Hendricks. No, sir; | am not. am at.
tempting to give the argument OF the senator.
IL be prefers that / should fead his words. OF
3 course I can do SO. His argument went further.
He said that we were now fighting the enemy
within works; aud that one man 10 The enemy
was worth three or four 10 us. ! think | give
the argument of the senator correctly The
whole al u amounts IA just this; that We can at
ford, In a military point OF view. to leave our
soldiers suffering la southern prisons, dying IN
der The influence of o southern climate. nd IN.
der southern efse sscs. "a we'll rs yff I may admit
the fact by starvation. that we can afford TO do
this. and make in n military pOin. OF view and
therefore we will do il.
Again. the senator said that the term Of ser
vice OF the greater portion OF these prisoners OF
ours in southern prisons has now expired. and
that e We bring them home again we simply lose
that number OF men. and send TO the south men
Who are vet bound TO 90 military service TO the
southern government. aud therefore they would
make In the swap. These considerations ! could
understand in the exchange of property between
man and man. but when the appeal comes To U.
Ia the name of humanity on behalf OF DOR suffer
ing friends IN the south, | cannot appreciate the
sentiment OF the senatos fom Iowa.
We are not bound TO exchanN prisoners. We
are not bound by I'M laws ard ussgcs OF war to
parole prisoners Ii is not a question betw cen Us
and the beiligerents opposed to Us whether We
shall exchange prisoners. The south. as a bel
ligeTent, cannot demand IL OF ia as a right The
question - between the government Of the
United States and its solJiers; aud now what Is
the ias ppon that SUBJECT l quote from Hal
leck's international Law:
But while no state is obliged. by the positive rule
sftnteTI.aopal law. % enter INTO . cartel for The ex
cfsuge % prisoners % war. tsere j. Sstrong moral
cay iapsssd upon the goveTnn ent % every state ~
provite tor the release Of such gifts citizens and allie
sshave 4 lien into tn han - Of he clemy. They have
flient 4 b. his misfortune only by acting I'm its service
In the support Of rs cause. This, says vatel. Is q
ear- which he state ewes - tlose who have exposed
themselves In her cefeLss "-Hsleck.s lnternatiora
Law. page a..
The question is between Us and tie men Who
have fought Tor the govefnusnt aud who have
fallen into this misfortune because thcy were eu.
gagged in the public service; ant the senator from
Iowa SAYS NE shall not consider this obligation
which We owe TO ae soldier ~ho has fallen into
this misfortune. because We can make a military
|. profit by lss VIM him 20 Gle 10 a southern prison.
= sm elsd that sentiment has found no response
from any other senator ia this body
80 Bun I n to carry this thoaght a little fur.
therl The senator from Iowa saws that the term
has expired. Is that az argument whv We shah
f..a. tf~o., "a erufk s~F - .n~Sr n A ffx -