Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-09-11
IINUH ID p -. ~ n
PUBLIC LEDGER.
.Dmce. No. ls niadioon stree,
s---- -
IARGEST CITY CIRCULATION.
rr,a,m.nt Of Prisoners.

With reference TO exchange Of priso-
mars and the causes of suffering during
the war, and particularly to the letter OF
Col ould lust published, the St. Louis
Republican has the following;
In yesterdays Republican We pub
l;shed n letter writteA by Robert QUO,
rebel commissioner ef exchange, dated
January "a, 1864. which has Just peeb
nublisbed for the first time. We regard
his letter as of much Importance as
touching the exchange OF prisoners uu'
ring the war. IL throws light upon
subject which has heretofore attrsc .si
a large share Of attention, aud wnich mas
been fruitful source OF discussion,
crimination and recrimlnauon' 4.
,oncbes upon point which justice ana
,rnth Of history demand should be cor
rac,lv settled. This letter contains a
nronosition to Gen. Il. A. Aitchcoek,
limited States agent for the exchange OF
nr;soners. 10 the effect that each party
70 he wor should be allowed TO send. It's
own surgeons TO take care of the prlso'
nsrs who had served as soldiers IN iis
its own army. Colonel Ould also says
II also propose that these surgeons Is
shall act as commissaries, with power 10
receive and distribute such contrip,u9tious
If money. food, clothing aud medicines
"a NAV he forwarded for the relief OF the
nr;Soners. further propose that these
surceons shall be selected by their own
Government. and that they shall have
E.,, l;bar,v AZ any and all times, through
tbe agents of exchange, TO make reports,
not only of THAR own acts, but OF any
matters relating to the welfare oil Tue
prisoners :. !. ala No
reply was ever received. This being So
i throws fearful responsibility upon
ax.Secretnry Stanton and upon General
Bntler The proposition of Ould Is GER
,ainlv n fair one, evincing every disposl'
ton On the part of the rebel authorities
10 deal fairly and humanely by the Union
nr;soners in their possession; and we
cannot help thinking that it It had been
met in a corresponding spirit, vast
amount Of suffering might have been
shared and many valuable lives saved
Why was it not so metz That questoh mr.
Stanton and Ger. Butler must answer
Satisfactorily. or they will stand accused
bv all impartial minds Of q terrible
crime But this is not all. The refusal
If Congress, when the committee was
roised TO investigate the treatment OF
our soldiers while prisoners 10 reoel
hands. to empower the committee 70
;nveat,0ate the treatment of rebel pris'
oners In our keeping becomes dou6ly
significant. Why WAS not TINS commit
tee clothed with this double function
Why was this proposition made IN
the House so to empower tnem,
voted down? We're the Radicals who
controlled the matter afraid of making
nublc such state Of case as this letter
d;scloses Were they afraid OF losing
the political capital which mas been Oh,
tanned by a Justification OF history
Were thew apprehensive that their own
Guns might be turned against them
selves? 1t is plain, not only from this
letter, but from other evidence, that TINS
thing of the treatment OF prisoners mas
been shamefully misrepresented with
view to promote party ends. There are
few subjects appertaining to the
war which have been more sys-
tematically obscured and misrepre'
sented we apprehend, than this one
and that for the most evil and SIN
lister purposes We trust the whole truth
NAV vet be brought to light. If the
South has not been to blame, in the de-
gree which has been imputed-and thf
testimony looks decidedly that way
is right that the world should know 1t
If Stanton, Butler and others are, a
last, chiefly to blame for the suffering
Of Union soldiers confined as prisoners
in the South, it is due that the fact SHOULD
be clearly established 1t must be admit
ted that the evidence looks that way