Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-02-07

Northern prisoners in its hands than
the Northern Government had of
Southern prisoners, the mortality in
the Northern prisons was more than
twice as great as in the Southern. 1t
is thus that facts and figures disprove
the violent calumnies which were set
ahoat in a time Of passion regarding
the treatment of Union prisoners by
the Southern Government and its
agents. The reader will not readily
forget the shocking charges which
were made during the war, not only
against such men as Capt. Wirz,
but against high-minded, honorable,
Christian men, like Mr.. Jefferson
Davis, himself. Had these stories
been true they would necessarily
show largely disproportionate ex-
cess of Mortality in Southern pris-
ons. The official records-not of the
Southern States, be it remembered,
but of the Northern States-show
that the death rate was much greater
in the North than in the South.
We do not pretend to say there
were not hardships. nay, grievous
sufferings, experienced in both the
Northern and Southern pens. To say
this would be to say what was not
the case. But it is evident that if
the results are to be taken as indica-
ting the character Of the treatment
received-and we think they may be
very fairly SO taken-the Northern
prisoners in the hands of the Confed-
eracy were treated more leniently
than were the Southerners who had
the misfortune to fall into the hands
of their Northern oppressors. As
sutning that the mode of treatment
was the same in the North as in the
South, the death rate 10 the Southern
prisons ought to have been greater
than in the Northern. For it is an
indisputable fact that a Northern
man will naturally suffer more in a
Southern climate. Besides, during
the war, the Northern Government
experienced no want of wholesome
provisions wherewith to feed the
prisoners who fell into their hands,
if they had intended to treat them
we'll, whilst the Confederacy was
not SO highly favored. Taking all
these circumstances together, they
60 to show that without the exercise |
of any extraneous influence, the |
mortality in the South ought to have
been much greater than in the North.
That the opposite was the case-and
to very great extent too-must be
taken as utterly disproving the
charges of wanton cruelty against
The South, which were so common at
The time, and which, grossly ex-
by artistic Imagination,
helped to disigure the pictorial col.
lmns Of Harper's Weekly.
We would have allowed this sub
ect to slumber on as it has been do
ng lately, were it not for the publ.
cation of the official figures which
come so OPPORTUNITY 10 relieve every
'esident of the Southern States,
man or woman, whether
abroad or at home, Or of the oppro-
'ium which interested parties have
sought to cast upon them by the cir
of the most glazing false
loods; and because even now, Radl-
al sheets in the Northern States do
lot hesitate to fling the accusation in
he face of Jefferson Davis, with
'iew of influencing public opinion
gainst him, whilst he is retained in
ustody, and, of course, debarred
rom replying to the falsehoods. I'm
'artial history will record that the
southern people fought their cause
With nobleness of conduct which
i'd them honor. TIey fell, but fall
ng, could say in the memorable
words Of another people, who, like
themselves, had striven but in vain,
Or independence-"All is lost save
oror" There was no fouler charge
made against the Southern people
han that of having cruelty treated
'orthern prisoners By the mouths
t their enemies have they been
lilly indicated.