The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-07-13
Our Prisons.
From the Syracuse IN. " Courier. ]

From tne syracuse M = courier.
All history has established the fact that the
tortures and deaths of our prisoners was due
10 the restitution everywhere prevalent in the
South; to the cruel policy of the administra-
ton which refused to exchange prisoners; to
the orders of Stanton to Butler, and Buffers
strategy, since confessed by himself, whereby
he sought, by frivolous pretenses, to cast the
odum of the refusal on the Confederates.
And yet, at this late day, the Albany Evening
Journal has the audaeity to repeat, in the
face of historic truth, the following libel:
Observe that the papers which are re-
printing, with such unctious satisfaction, DIR.
Craven's account of JEFF. Davis's tortures in
his prison at Fortress Monroe, are those
which had never word to say in denuncia-
ton of the horrible outrages inflicted upon
moor Federal soldiers who fell into the hands
Of Davis as prisoners Of war,-but which al
wavs had sought some apology for those in
famies. that were almost without parallel in
history certainly without comparison in the
history of civilized nations" bae
The real difference between the Journal
and the papers to which it alludes was simply
this,-that while it and its associates fruit
essly clamored against Jeff. Davis, by whom
they were unheard, and the impoverished and
sabled Confederates, the other papers allud-
ed to clamored for an honorable exchange of
our perishing braves by the Government
which they served, and assaied Stanton, the
real author of all their inevitable woes.
Major Gee, of the Confederate service, was
III charge of our prisoners at Salisbury, and
has recently, after long imprisonment, been
tried at great length and finally acquitted.
A correspondent, who has read most OF the
testimony of the trial of Major Gee at
Raleigh gives the following points as having
been established by that testimony
First--1hat every officer connected with
that post and prison made every possible eff
fort to supply the prisoners.
Second-That they were supplied to the
iul extent of the ability of the country and
the Government.
Third-That at no time, in no way was
there ever made any difference as to the
quantity and quality of supplies furnished
them and the Confederate soldiers who guard
ed them; and
Fourth-That their suferings were caused
by the failure of their government to furnish
them with proper supplies, by its refusal to
exchange them, and by its hostile operations,
which rendered it impossible to select pro-
per place for prison depot.
The suffering and the mortality Of the pris-
oners at Salisbury We're admitted but we
have in the above second and fourth para
graphs the original cause of whatever Of mis-
cry was entailed upon them in that prison,
1t is not litte bic that while seeking
to make their prisoner answerable for the
pangs at Salisbury, the prosecutors of Major
Tee should have convicted their own govern
ment, that was at that time, Of being the
cause of these wrongs
All this is but semi-oficial confirmation
the conversational statements of Davis, as
given IN the book published by the.loyal sur
geon IN attendance upon Davis, by Lipcoln's
order