Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-12
Tho Exchange OF Prisoners stopped BY
General Grant.
From tho Cairo Democrat.I

Genernl Butler Is now y supporter VI
General Grant, upon whom he fastened
the imputation of brutal indifference to
the lingering starvation. in loathsome
Southern PRISONS, OF Union soldiers.
This be did in his Lowell speech. He
stated tha, be had himself made sue
cessful arrangement with Mr.. 0uld, the
Southern Commissioner, for the exchange
Of ell our white soldiers against AN eq lal
number Of rebel prisoners held by us,
leaving the exchange Of the, negroes for
a separate and subsequent arrangement.
This, Butler said, would have left bal
ance Of fifteen thousand rebel prisoners
in our possession, aud about Eve hundred
negro prisoners in the hands Of the rebels.
When the negotiations had reached this
stage, General Butler was brought to q
sudden halt, and his work undone, by su.
perior authority. What followed is so
remarkable, aud is so fraught with pain
| full interest, that the account must be
given in General Buffers own language: :
Il reported the points of agreement
between myself and the rebel agent TO the
Secretary Of War, and asked for power
to adjust the other questions Of differ
ence, so as to have the question OF en-
shaving negro soldiers stand alone, to be
dealt with by itself; aud that the whole
power of the United States should be
exerted to do justice to those who had
fought the battles of the country, and
been captured in its service. The whole
subject was referred by the Secretary of
| War to the Lieutenant General com
manding, who telegrsphed me on the l4th
Of April, 1864, in substance: Break off
all negotiations on the subject of ex-
change till further orders. And, there
fore, all negotiations we're broken of,
save that special exchange of sick and
wounded on either side went on. On the
10th of April l received another tele-
gram of General Grant, ordering not
another man to be given to the rebels.
To that | answered, on the same day !:
Lieutenant General Grants instructions
shall be implicitly obeyed. assume
that you do not intend to stop the special
exchange of the sick and wounded now
going on.' To this received reply in
substance: Do not give the rebels a
Single able bodied man. From that hour
so long as remained in the department,
exchanges of prisoners 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 upward of eight thousand
more than we gave the rebels. In Au-
gust last, Mr.. Ould, finding negotiations
were broken of, and that no exchanges
were made, wrote General Hitchcock,
the commissioner at Washington, that
the rebels were ready TO exchange maa
for man, all the prisoners held by them,
as had proposed inDecember. Under the
instructions of the Lieutenant General.
| wrote to Mr.. Ould letter, which has
been published, saying: Do you mean
to give up all action, and revoke all your
laws about black men employed as SOL
diers !? These questions were therein
argued justly as | think, not diplomatic
ally, but obstrusively and demonstra-
lively, not for the purpose of furIhering
exchange of prisoners, but for the purpose
of preventing and stopping the exchange
and furnishing ground on which we could
fairly stand. am now at liberty to state
these facts, because they appear in the
correspondence on the subject of ex-
change now on the public fes of Con-
gress, furnished by the War Department
upon resolution. | am not at liberty to
state my opinions as to the correctness
and propriety as to this course of action
of the Lieutenant General in relation to
exchanges, because ss it is not proper to
utter word of condemnation OF any act
of my superiors, may not even applaud
where think them right, lest, not ap-
plauding in other instances, such acts as
/ may mention would imply censure.
only desire that the responsibility of
stopping exchange of prisoners, be it
wise or unwise, should rest upon the
Lieutenant General commanding, and
not upon me. | have carried the weight
of so grave matter for nine months,
and now propose, as the facts are laid
before Congress and the country, not to
carry any more of it than belongs to me.
Since | wrote my farewell address to the
Army of the James, | hate received let
ters from the far West, saying, Why do
you claim that you have not uselessly
sacrificed the lives of your men, when
and sons to starve and rot in Southern
prisons2' In answer to all such appeals
| am allowed only to repeat, have not
uselessly sacrificed the livos of the SOL
diers of the Union; their blood does not
stain my garments. This is not criticism
upon the acts of anybody, but only the
enunciation of o fact, in explanation of
which the responsibilities of my position
viii not allow me to say more"
Upon the above, the New York World
comments as follows:
"This astounding recital by Gen. But
Ter unmasked one of the most remarka-
BILE examples on record of cold.bearted
atrocity, studied deceit, and cruel impo-
sition on the public These discreditable |
are hideous blot upon
Gen. Grants character; a blot which his |
eulogists can never efface |
nor cover Butler, by his own showing, |
was, to some extent, the accomplice and |
tool of Grant in business revolving to |
humanity. By his own account he gave |
his aid, he lent the resources of his law |
yer-like cunning, in writing a piece of |
chicanery deliberately intended to place
The whole subject in false light 1t was
a fixed and foregone conclusion that no
prisoners should be exchangei-a con-
clusion foregone and fixed by the relent-
less disposition and despotio will of Gen.
Grant Bot Butler was base enough, and
enough, to prostitute bis talents
10 the preparation Of document setting
Iorth false reasons for an act Of mon
strous inhsmaniiy to the Union prison
.rs. BE knew when he wrote that letter
10 Mr.. Ould, that the reasons stated in is
we're sham reasons that while affecting
anxiety for an exchange, no exchange
vas either desired or would be permitted;
- L. -. O.. nnaI..I. -. I........