The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-09-15

| to IA '""e hout oo hohso q" iSn"'uou
lin the department. exchanges of prison
ers stopped under that order, because
could not give the rebels any of their
able bodied soldiers in exchange. BY
sending the sick and wounded forward,
however, some twelve thousand of our
suffering soldiers were relieved, being
upwards Of eight thousand $500 more
than We gave the rebels. In August
last Mr.. Ould, finding negotiations were
broken of, and that no exchanges were
made, wrote to General Hitchcock, the
commissioner at Washington, that the
rebels were ready to exchange man for
man, all the prisoners held by them, as
/ had proposed in December. Under
the instructions of the Lieutenant Gen.
Ieral, | wrote to Mr.. Ould letter, which
has been published, saying: "Do you
ineaa to give up all your action, and re-
Voae all your laws about black men EN-,
pioyed as soldiers?' These questions
were therein argued justly, as l think,
not aipIomatical!y, obtrusively' and de-
lnonstratively, NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF
FURTaERING EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS,
But FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTING
AID STOPPING THE EXCHANGE AND FUR
HisEING A GROUND ON WHICH WE COULD
FAIRLY STAND. am now at liberty to
sta,e these facts, because they appear 10
thc correspondence on the subject Of ex-
change now on the public files Of Con-
gress, furnished by the War Department
upon resolution. | am not at liberty to
STATE my opinions as to the correctness
aud p7opriety of this course of action of
tie Lieutenant General in relation to ex,
changes, because, as it is not proper to
u.teF word of condemnation of any act
| OF my superiors, may not even applaud
where | think them right, lest not ap-
psaUdng in other instances, such acts as
/ may mention would imply censure. l
only desire that the responsibility of stop
ping exchanges of prisoners, be it wise
or unwise, should rest upon the Lisuten-
~. General commanding, and not upon
ne. I have carried tho weight of so
grave matter for nine months, and now
propose, as the facts are laid before Con-
gyesS aud the country, not to carry any
onger any more of it than belongs to
ne Sipce wrote my farWoll address
10 he Army of the James, | have re.
oeivsd letters from the far West saying,
WHY DO You claim that you have not
useless, , sacrificed the lives of your men
wien you have left thousands of our
brothers and sons to starve and rot in
Southern prisons" In answer to all
such appeals l am allowed only to repeat
T have not uselessly sacrificed the lives
Of the soldiers Of the Union; their blood
does not stain my garments. This is not
criticism upon the acts of anybody, but
only the enunciation Of fact, in ez-
Dlanation of which the responsibilities
Of my position will not allow me to say
more.
The astounding recital by General
Butler unmasked one Of the most remar:
kable examples on record of cold-hearted
a,toeiiy, studied deceit and cruel impo-
si;ion on the public. These discreditable
transactions are a hideous blot upon
General Grants character; blot which
his whitewasEing eulogists can never
efisce nor cover. Butler, by his own
showing, was, to some extent, the accom-
I pliee and tool of Grant in business
reVolting to humanity. By his own ac-
count he gave his aid, he lent the re-
sources of his lawyer-like cunning, in
writing piece of chicanery deliberately
iatsnded to place the whole subject in a
false light. 1t was fixed and foregone
' conclusion that no prisoners should
be excbanged-a conclusion foregone
and fixed by the relentless disposition
and despotic will of General Grant. But
Butler was base enough, and heartless
enough, TO prostitute his talents in the
preparation of document setting fourth
! false reasons for an act Of monstrous in
humanity to the Union prisoners. He
knew when he wrote that letter to Mr..
| 0uld, that the reasons stated in it were
sham reasons; that while affecting anx-
ie.y for an exchange, no exchange was
either desired or would be permitted
that, to use General Buffers own Ian
Iguage, it was "not Tor the purpose oi
furthe,ing an exchange of prisoners, but
for the purpose Of preventing the ex
change"
Still, We must give even Butler his
due; and admit that he was not responsi.
bic for keeping the Union prisoners in
bondsge-that was stretch of cruelty
beyond even his bad nature.-hut only
for his completely in furnishing hollow
and insincere reasons to justify General
! Grants beartless atrocity.
What have General Grants apologists
10 say to this part of the record?
1 sesH Senator Sherman is willing to ad
NIT, in his speeches before Radical con-
vention, that his party has not been econ.