New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-09-15
TEE EXCHANGE QUESTION.
The Rrspcnsibiiify Of Secretary Stanton
agaiu Considered-The Sfatcments Of
Charles A. Dana and Gen. Hitebcctk


Examined.
At the risk Of obtaining the reputation of q
great American card writer" feel compelled by the
stliemen ts Of the elitorinchief Of The Chicago (i)
Republican, in that Journal Of August ls and OF Ie"
Z. A Hitchcock in The Washington Chronicle OF August
% respecting the responsibility of Secretary o'a'on
for the useless mar;yrdom OF urpTisoners-oi"ai " 'o
South once more and for the Last time hope to refer
70 the painful subject.
Mr.. Dana, alluding to nv statement in The TRIBUNE
of the nth ult.. says:
What Mr.. Browne has complained OF. and what ne
stiu camnains of ia that Mr. Stanton would not make
exchanges unless our negro soldiers then IN tbe power
of the Rebels "a prisoners OF war; were includeu Ac-
cordiDg TO Mr.. Browne MI stanton ous W ,,d;srs
sbandoncd every effort TO rescue tbs class OF SOLDIERS
from dc tornres which the wohSh hate OF Jeh rs0h
Dayiss and Gen. Lees subordinates were inhletng
upon ,heui"
This is so gross and apparently 20 wilfu ana deho-
crate ms.statemen. my remarks that hesitate IN
this place to apply to it the only epithet it deserves
never alluded to the negro soldiers at ALL for it seems
they had nothing TO do with the question inasmuch a.
the exchange so far as has ever been asoertancd was
resumed without any referenceto them Indeed was
OF that coppiaued; and-i challenge either Mr. Dana
or Gen III :hcock to show fiat when exchanges
were finally resumed. the black as well as white sodeiS
wore included" 1t is easy enough ut this late day. 10
say SO; but no information Of the kind has ever been
given 10 the public officially or unoi'ciaiiy aS am
declare therefore. that when the exchange did take
place not the slightest alteration had occurred In the
question, and that our prisoners might as well have
been released or Is months before at the resrmp
ton OF the cartel.
Ifthereb be any facts corroborative OF the position
assumed by Mr.. Dana or Gen Hitchcock let them be
gwen and Secretary Stanton relieved from the dread
ful responsibility Of which would be more glad
than 20 see hm acquitted
Having long been prisoner In Castle Thunder at
Richmond and in the Military Penitentiary at Sails
bury whore al the black soldiers were confined and
having fur better Of knowing than either the late
Assistant Secretary II War or the General can state
that there were never at any time thee hundred OF
them the highest in captivity; ard tie idea that such
handful Of men, whatever their color. should be made
pretext for holding fifty sixty thousand other
soldiers who were perishing by hundreds daily from
systematic cruelty on the part Of tie Rebels Is too out
rageons and absurd for comment.
lis calculated that from twenty TO thirty thousand
brave men were sacrificed by their long confinement.
and that orsooth for the protection of three hundred
certainly not more brave more loyGl nor more de-
serving who after all were 30; benefited in the least
| by the tremendous sacrifice.
1t would have been source Of great consolation tf
those three hundred defenders OF the Republic TO have
suffered as they did suffer- for some purpose for sol'
advantage b. the common cause but Secretary Stanton
dccreed that ell they endured should rebound either
to their own benefit that Of the country ut large
Moreover at least six months before tie exchange
made the Rebols repeatedly offered 10 exchange
for man. and leave tie balance which Of that time
amounted 1000 900 prisoners in our favor in
our hands 10 insure the faihfnl carrynsout Of any
agreement that might be made between the United
States and the insurgents This certainly would have
Guaranteed protection TO tie 800 blacks; end yet the
proposition, often as it was made never accepted.
or even apparently entertained by Secretary Station
Gen Hitchcock has good deal TO ssY about tie civil
ian prisoners held by the enemy. and VINO never mum
bered intending southern Uniouists over 30 or on
persons They oompa atiyely Of no consequence.
and have never referred to their TO that Of
AIR Richardson and myself for whom the General ex'
preston Of sympathy is superGaols and entirely gratu
Ous.
am weary Of this avoidance Of tie main issue.
speak and spoken only for the tens Of thousands Of
brave soldiers that Secretary Stanton permitted
to perish without tInaking effort for their de
lverance
Touching otaiation the General disaPproves OF the
measure declaring it would have been barbaroGs 30
taiste on the Rebel officers was proposed by Mr.
richardson and myself al Washington after our escape.
although such would no doubt as was proved
by Gen Buffers conduct IN more Instances than one.
have been effective In ameliorating il not entirely
relieving. the condition Of prisoners OF var. No
one demanded retaliation for retaaons sake only for
protection OF the heroes who helpless in tho hands
Of malignant and barbarOus foe.
Most strange that the opponents o. retaliation should
have all their sympaihies enlisted in behalf Of the very
men who had brought tho war, and be utterly re-
gardess q the poor fellows who gave iher lives to the
defense Q! the Republic.
Those maudiD sentimentasts could look calmly on.
ard see orr heroes frozen and starved and murdered
BY the enemy, but were touched TO the heart, and
raised their tender hands in holy honor when 1t "a
proposed that the Southern oicers should be- made IT,
suffer- that their victims might be relieved from the
slow torture the gradual murder. and the breadth!
agony that have welded Southern leaders 10 eternal
uauy, aud made their reproech in the eyes Of
oil civilized Nations. JusIUs HENRI BaowsI.
| The Tribune Office Sept. s. 1863
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