Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-06-22

indecent, rude and insulting manner, swithz
out being authorized thereto. q p
This. however, is a serious Question, and
we shall now. proceed to consider the prin-
eipal points Of the case. But as our paper
to- day is already oyererowded with read
Ing matter, we shall postpone the further
discussion of this subject until tomorrow.
THE EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS AND GENER-
AL BUTLER's CONDUCT.
IFrom the volksblstt, October III T! T,
SECOND ARTICLE.
The class Of prisoners referred to by us
yesterday consisted of hostages, of such as
had made an attempt to escape, of others
who, by manly word, song or cheer. had
Offend led the fanaticisin of rebel turnkeys
or commanders, and of such who, for pur-
poses. OF retaliation or other reasons, had
been placed In close confinement or put In
irons. Many of these prisoners were kept
at hard labor. in the stone-quarries and
military penitentiaries of Virginia and
North CaroliDa. Others languished in sub
Fterranean dungeons, without light or fresh
air. In june and July, 1854. there were
eight hostagesiin the cellars OF the Libby.
They, were imprisoned In two contiguous
cells, in which they hardly had room
enough to stretch out their emaciated bod
les, Hunger had reduced them to despair.
sentenced to receive half rations-r only.
Their daily allowance, consisted OF. small
|quantity of cornmeal with the cobs ground
into it, of four ounces of boiled beans,
and two ounces IL of rotten, mag
goty bacon. They deyoured this miserable
pittanee as soon as they received it, and re-
manned prey to gnawing hunger during
the rest of the day. They were reduced to
such extremity that they killed and ate the
rats which haunted their dungeon. They
had become perfect skeletons, and would
have died a fearful death, had not the ne
groes who were employed in the Libby,
occasionally smuggled some little food in
TO their cells. Among these hostages there
were two Cincinnati officers-Colonel
Markbreit and Colonel Driscoll. There
also was among them a Major Goff, of
Clarksburg, West Virginia, VINO had been
sentenced by rebel Military Commission
to fifteen years imprisonment at hard la
Dor, in alleged retaliation for arebel Major
Armsly, then in our hands. In September,
1884, proposition was made to the rebels
to exchanne Goff for Armsly. Mr.. Ould,
the rebel Commissioner of Exchange, ac-
cepted this proposition. and added a coun-
ter proposition. to 1t, which we have copied
literally from the original document:
81 accept the proposition. l would
further suggest that all difficulties con-
nected with the detention of officers and
men. on both Sides in close confinement or
irons. can be satisfactorily adjusted on the
basis herein Indicated. Let all PRISONERS
OF WAR, on each side, be released from con-
tinement (close) or irons, as the case may
be. and either placed in the condition of
ordinary prisoners or sent to their respect
.5 IS ssy "RoBERT OULD,
.rr7 q. .Is~3g "Agent for Exchange"
Colonel Mulford, Assistant Agent OF Ex-
change. reported this proposition to Gen
eral Hitchcock. our duly appointed and
authorized Commissioner OF Exchange
General Butler, the self-appointed Agent
of Exchange, happened to be absent from
his post at Fortress Monroe. General Hitch
cock approved the proposition and recon-
mended its acceptance to the Secretary of
War. MIR. Stanton also approved 1t and
ordered that it be carried out Immediately.
Colonel Mulford was instructed to notify |
the rebel Commissioner that our Govern
ment had accepted the proposition and had
issued the necessary orders TO carry 1t out.
In consequence of this notification, the
rebel Government also ordered that the
prisoners above referred to should be re-
leased from close confinement or irons, that
thev should be "placed in the condition of
ordinary prisoners of war;" and be held
ready for exchange. These orders were
carried out. and the poor prisoners hourly
expected to be exchanged. Their relatives
at nome were gladdened by the joyful til
dings. But, alas, their joy was premature.
They had not considered that General But
ler still bad the power to do mischief!-a
When General Butler returned to Fort
ress Monroe, he saw with >displeasure that
during his absence an agreement had been
effected, to which he was not party. And
as he had not been able to do any thing in
the matter of exchanges. he probably could
not brook the idea that General Hitchcock
should be more successful. Moreover, But
Ter wanted to compel the rebels, who per-
sisted in addressing themselves to General
Hitchcock, to negotiate with Butler. Hence,
ne d1lnutLed the as'.eesssent oeerrll[ed the Secre
tdry of War, and arbitrarily counternsanded
the orders aohich had gone forth in compliance
1cith the agreement. The result Of these doingS
scas, that our poor Union martyrs Goere put
back into their dreadful cells, and that those
toho had been In irons aoere again btrde1led
soith chains. -..---r. |
of course, General Butler had to invent
an excuse for his unauthorized and arbi-
trary interference. But it is not difficult
in such cases to find pretext. On the 18th
of September, he addressed comnunica-
ton to the Secretary of War, in which
agreement in question would release some
prisoners who had been sentenced to i'm
prisonment by our military commissions
Before we dispose of this objection we
must remind General Butler that nation
should be guided by the same rules of hon.
or and good faith which should regulate
the conduct of private individuals. After
the rebels had been officially notified of
our acceptance of their proposition, and
after the necessary order had been issued
to carry it out, it was too late to raise such
an objection. An agreement had been
made which our Government was in hon.
or bound to peform Our Government was
lI-xI 49,. 49,,
cartels with rebels and traitors but when
ever it had chosen to do so, whenever such
agreements had really been entered into,
the national honor required that the public
faith should be kept. And even with ref
erence to a civil contract the rule is that
the contracting parties must make their
objections before it is made, and not after
ward. .-tr
B .sides, General Buffers objection was
shallow and far-fetched. The agreement
aft cted only prisoners of soar, and not po-
liGcal or State prisoners, or persons charged
with crime. Where our military commits
sions had sentenced one prisoner of war,
the rebel commissions had sentenced four
or five. Hence, we could only have profited
by adhpring to the agreement.
Mr.. Hassaurek, being personally inter-
ested In this matter on account of his half
brother, Colonel Markbreit, appealed from
Buffers decision to the Secretary of War.
Mr.. Stanton referred the whole question to
General Grant for decision. General Grant
commanded Butler to furnish him with the
papers In the cases. But General Butler,
OF whose military virtues that OF subordi-
nation had never formed part, neglected
to do so. General Butler did not wish to
be disturbed in his arbitrary doings; and
In order to allay the alarm of the many
friends of the prisoners in question, gave
them false hopes. General Weitzel, for in
stance, who also took an interest in one of
the hostages Colonel Markbreit3, said, here
in Cincinnati, that at that time Butler told
him that Colonel Markbreit had been " de-
clared exchanged" two months ago. If