The New Orleans crescent., 1868-09-06

EVIDENCE SHOWING GRANT HIMSELF RESPONSIBLE
FOR THEM.


faithful inquiry into The question 10 who orig
mated and enforced the policy of leaving federal
soldiers, taken by the enemy, TO starve aud rot IN
rebel prison pens and have at last struck UPON evi.
oenee that appears to Emove all doubt. The eyi-
denee, We are glad to soy. Is of a character and
comes from q source that at once carries conyic.
iop and relieves US Of any liability TO suspicion of
unfairness that might otherwise be entertained by
our Republican friends. We fDd IL in the docl.
mentsry evidence of the immaculate authority.
the committee on the conduct Of the war "-iu
report made TO that body by the chief Of the
Impeachment managers. Mai. Gen. B. F. Butter
The position occupied by Gen. Butler at this time
IN The eyes of the Radical parry OF the country
especially adds great weight 10 his testimony and
serves 10 give additional importance and interest
TO the subject under consideration.
10 his report Gen. Butler rectes the facts con.
cefDlDg The disagreement about the exchange Of
prisoners existing when he was intrusted with the
ooilts OF commissioner by the secretary of war
1n December, 1868. He succeeded during the fol.
loving three months. after much trouble, in ar.
TenRiOg basis Of exchange, man for man and
ofheer for officer, with the rebel commissioner
Mr.. Ould, with whom he held conference al
Fortress Monroe. He then says
Mr. 0uld left on the 3lst of March with the
understanding that / would get au hority and
information from my government, by which all
disputed points possible could be adjusted, and
would then confer with bin further, either me 4
ing him at City Point oy elsewhere for that pur-
pose In the meshiiDS the exchanges of sick
and wounded and special exchanges should
go on. a
Lieut. Gen. Grant vilited Fortress Monroe m
the lst OF april being the first time | had ever
met him.
{" To him tie state Of the negotiations as to ex
change was verbally communicated and most
emphatic verbal directions were received from
the lieutenant general not to take any step by
which another sble-bodied man should be ex.
charged until further ORDERS from him."
On the l4ih Of April. Gen. Butler received a
telegram from Gen: Gransat Washington, stating
had been referred to aim as follows:
WASHINGTON, April 4, lsGI-ll Pm
Major General Butler:
Your report respecting negotiations with Com.
missioner Ould for tie exchange Of prisoners of
war has been referred to me by my orders
Until examined by me, and my orders thereon
are received by you, decline ali further demon.
STATIONS. U. 5. GRANT, Lieut. Gen.
Six days later, after Gen. Grant had "exam.
med" he sent long telegram TO Gen. Butler.
stating that he had been empowered TO give
such instructions as may deem propern and he
gave Instructions, Of which Gen. Butler says:
!" OF course these Instructions 10 the then state
Of negotiations, rendered any further exchange
impossible, and retaliation useless."
General Butler says be then made an effort to
have the sick and wounded excepted, so that they
might be exchanged Aad he received the follow.
ing telegram In reply;
WASHINGTON $3.50 P. NJ, April 30 1864
MAJ. Gen. B. r. Bslder--Receiye all the sick
and wounded the Confederate authorities will send
you, but send no more in exchange.
y. S.NGRAET, Lieut.. Gen. |
Upon this extraordinary instruction f" General |
Butler remarks as follows:
% To obtain delivery Of even sick and wounded |
prisoners without any return would be some. |
Wnat difficult operation, save that the enemy bv |
giving us our sick and wounded n their hands wa /
retained all the rebel pick and wounded in ours /
burdened us with care and cost OF all the sick aud |
wounded on both sides--an operation Of which il
-fd 10 fhae 4. -
.e defended because Ct It's humanity 10 rescning
our wounded from the destitution and suffering
permitted to them by toe C0nfederates.
In August the question of exchanging prison
ers Was again up. the rf bel commissioners havinQ
renewed the offer to give up man for man and |
ofcer for officer. But General Grant interposed
sDu IN telegram TO General Butler dated CITY
Point, AUGUST Is, 1854, says:
" On the subject Of exchange differ with Gen.
hitchcock; Il Is hard on ourtnen held in southern
prisons not to exchange them, but il is humanity
10 th0se lett 10 the ranks TO fight our battles |
Every man released on papele or otherwise be.
comes an active soldier against u.s. directly or in
directly II we commence a system of exchange
which hberates all prisoners taken we will have
10 fight on until the whole South is exterminated.
II we hold those men esnght they amount to no
more than dead men. AT this particular time 10 |
release all rebel prisoners North would insure
sherman's defeat and would compromise our
safety here.r
Here we have full apds free avowal that the
leaving OF tens of thousands of poor federal
soldiers, whose patriotism aud bravery carried
them TO the front Of battle, TO sarve and rot and
ole 10 rebel prison pens, was a matter of studied
pohc]-a part OF the tactics by which Gen. Grant |
made war upon the rebellion. And the people
Will remember that willie this inhumtn pohev |
was being mercilessy carried out they were told
by the government and by fhe organs of the al.
minlstraton that the whole difficulty about the K
change was on the part Of the rebels-that our
government was willing aud anxious to get our
poor fellows out of the Jaws of the terrible dea
that awaited them in the rebel prisons bat could
not. The duphcity was IN keeping with the worse
than bsrbarity.
Gen. Butler concludes his REPORT in these words:
+" have felt it my duty to give an account with
this particular carefuness of my partici alton in
the business Of exchange of prisoners, the orders
under which acted and the negotiations attempt |
cd. which comprises faithful narration of all
insi was done, SO that Rll may become matter
Of history.
1.-The great importance othe questions, the fear
ful responsibility for the many thousald lives |
which, by the refusal to exchssge. were sacrificed
BY the most cruel forms Of death, from cold, star.
vatiou and pestilence. Of the prison peus OF Ra. |
leigh and Andersonville being more than all the |
British soldiers killed in the wars of Napoleon: |
the anxiety of fathers. brothers, sisters, mothers
wives, TO know the exgency which this terrible,
and perhaps. as IL may have seemed TO them use |
less and unnecessary destruction of those dear to
them, by horrible deaths, each and all have con-
PEELED me TO this exposition. so that il nav be
seen mat tnese lives were spent part of the
system OF attack upon the rebellion. devised by
the wisdom Of the general in-chief of the armies
10 depletion, depending upon our superior num-
btrs 10 win the victory at las4n
The loyal mourners will eoabtess derive solace
from this fact. and appresiarS all the more highly
the genius which conceived the plan and the sue.
cess won AZ so great cSst
II is Gen. Butler, chief manager Of impeachment
and leader Of the Radical psrty, now supporting
Gen. Grant for the presidency, who states these
facts and makes this criticism upon the originator
and executor Of the policy OF sacrificing uselessy
and unnecessarily. more lives thar the British
lost in all their wars WITH Napoleon. We have
nothing to add.