The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-07-23

OttOH HRdef It,
But it is replied, this would be revolution, OF
resistance to the authority of Congress. Not al
all. Congress can enable and cure as often as it
chooses. That body will be constantly in session
from December, 1867, to October or November
1868. Congress will take case of its own. 1t
will protect and sustain the loyal and at least
disregard the disloyal 1t will not permit the
latter to prevent the return of the State to the
Union. Our opponents will count in vain on
the success of their own Vaccinations to defeat
the reconstruction acts. They will count in vain
On the influence of President johnson or the
Copperheads of the North. North Carolina will
be restored to the Union before the 4th ofJuly,
1868, sin spite of lamentations here elsewhere"
TREATMENT OF PRISONERS OF War;
Some days ago resolution was adopted by the
House Of Representatives authorizing the ap-
pointment of select committee to inquire into
the treatment Of Federal prisoners in the hands
of the Confederate authorities during the war.
A day or two thereafter Mr. Mungen, of Ohio,
sought to have adopted resolution directing
the same committee to inquire into the treat
ment Of Confederate prisoners in Federal pri
sons, but the House refused to entertain the
resolution. Mr. Mungen renewed the attempt
but with as little success as upon the former &C.
casion. General Logan, Gen. Schenck and
others seemed to be indignant that any man
should dare to entertain even the thought that
Confederate prisoners had not been treated with
the utmost humanity by all Federal officers
Mr. Ingersoll, who occupies front position in
the radical wing of the party, was not SO we'll
satisfied, however, that abuses had rot existed,
and he therefore favored the investigation pro-
posed, but his party refused to entertain the
proposition, and finally quetus to the whole
subject, Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin, got in
resolution declaring in substance that the whole
country knew that rebel prisoners had been we'll
treated, and that the House would entertain no
resolution for an investigation of that subject
unless it was accompanied by specific charges.
The New YORK Tribune Ga radical paper)
very justly objects to this action of the House
and says that the investigation ought to extend
to both sides. The Tribune quotes from the
sworn testimony of witnesses before the Con-
gressional Committee of the Confederate Con-
ers were badly treated in Northern prisons-as
follows:
ain exchange, number of Confederate sick
and wounded prisoners have been at various
times delivered at Richmond and at Savannah
The mortality among these on the passage, and
their condition when delivered, were so deplora
bic as to justify the charge that they had been
treated with inhuman neglect by the Northern
authorities.
Assistant Surgeon Tinsley testifes : 4 have
seen many of our prisoners returned from the
North, who were nothing but skin and bones
They were as emaciated as man could be to re-
tain life, and the photographs (appended to Re-
port No. 67.) would not be exaggerated repre-
sensations Of our returned prisoners to whom
thus allude / saw $50 of our sick brought in
on filters from the steamer at Rockets Thirteen
dead bodies were brought off the steamer the
same night. At least 80 died in one night after
they were received
"Surgeon Spence testifes: 4 was at Savan-
nah, and saw rather over 900 prisoners received
The list showed that large plumber had died
on the passage from Baltimore to Savannah
The number sent from the Federal prisons was
g. 500, and out of that number they delivered
only 3,O2S, to the best of my recollection. Capt,
Hatch can give you the exact number. Thus,
about 472 died on the passage. l was told that
81 dead bodies had been taken from one train
of cars between Elmira and Baltimore. After
being received at Savannah, they had the best
attention possible, YET many died in few days
'In carrying out the exchange of disabled, sick
aud wounded men, we delivered at Savannah
and Charleston about II 900 Federal prisoners,
and their physical condition compared most ia
yorably with those we received in exchange, al
though, of course, the worst cases among the
Confederates bad been removed by death during
the passage.
"Richard II. Dibrell, merchant of Richmond,
and a member of the Ambulance Committee,
whose labors in mitigating the suffering of the
wounded have been acknowledged both by Con-
federate and Northern men, thus testifes concern
ing sick and wounded soldiers at Savannah,
returned from Northern prisons and hospitals:
II have never seen a set of men in worse condi-
that we lifted them like little children. Many
of them were like living skeletons. Indeed, there
was one poor boy, about II years old, who pre-
sented the most distressing and deplorable ap-
Pearance | ever saw. He was nothing but skin
and bone, and, beside this, he was eaten up with
vermin. He died ia the hospital in few Gays
after being removed thither, Notwithstanding the
kindest treatment and the use of the most judi
clous nourishment, Our men were 10 SO reduced
condition. that, on more than one trip up on
the short passage Of ten miles from the transports
to the city, as many as five died. The clothing
of the privates was in a wretched state of tatters
and filth. The mortality on the passage from
Maryland was very great"
We think it is unfortunate that Congress has
taken any action in the matter, for it will only
stir up bad feeling-but if one side is to be in
vestigated, the other ought to have a showing
and fair play.