The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-01-16

pox that Tar. He certainly could not
have seen it, and 4 venture to say that II
the small p6x was at the prison camp no
one could have got him nearer than rs
miles He Ia q wonderful witness.
4 Laughter.l But II ~ not equal to the
from Maine introduced yesterday. We
eral hands II we chose to tell. Thou
sands Of our poor fellows came. home
from Elinira, Fort Delaware and other
places, with their fingers frozen OIL, with
their toes frozen on, and with their teeth
fallen out. at G59asa isfa
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE. 7SM6vs
But the great question il at last, Who
Is responsible for that state Of things
And that IL really the only important
question. Mr.. Hill went on to discuss
the histoIy of the exchange Of prisoners,
dwelling on the fact that the cartel
which was established In 1862, was IN.
terrupted in 1863, and that the Federal
authorities refused to continue the ex-
change OF prisoners. and alluded to the
fact OF Mr.. Alexander H. Stephens, Vice.
President Of the Confedemcy, having
been commissioned by President Davis,
In July. 1863, to come to Washington and
consult with the Federal authorities In
regard to the exchange OF prisoners,
quoting Mr.. Davis letter to Mr.. Ste
phens that. his mission was simply one
Of humanity. and had no political as.
pect. But when Mr.. Stephens appealed
TO Admiral Lee for permission to go up
to Washington In the steamer Torpedo,
Admiral Lee returned him this answer,
signed by Gideon Wellcs, Secretary OF
the NAVY. "rhe request of Alex. II. Ste
phens is inadmissable. The next effort
in the same direction was made In Janu-
airy, 1864, when Mr. Robert Ould, Con-
federate Agent Of Exchange, wrote to the
Federal AgentOf Exchange proposing, III
view Of the difficulties attending the re-
lease Of prisoners, that surgeons OF the
army on each side should DO allowed To
attend their own soldiers while prison.
ers III the hands OF the enemy, and
should have charge OF their nursing,
and medicine, and provisions. 10 this
no reply was ever received. In August,
1864, there were two more propositions.
The cartel OF exchange had been broken
by the Federals. under certain pre-
lenses. In 1854 the prisoners were &C.
cumulating on both sides to such an ex-
tent that Mr.. Ould made another propo-
sition to waive every objection, and to
agree to whatever terms the Federal
Government would demand, and to re-
new the exchange Of prisoners, man for
man, and officer for officer, just as the
Federal Government might prescribe.
That proposition was also rejected.
In the same month OF August, 1854,
finding that the Federal Government
would neither exchange prisoners nor
agree to send surgeons to the prisoners
on each side, and the Confederate Gov
ernmet finding itself with increasing
numbers on hand, proposed to send to
the Federal Government the sick and
wounded prisoners without equivalent.
The Confederate Government officially
proposed. in August, 1864, that IL the
Federal Government would send steam
ers and transports to Savannah, the
Confederate Government would return
| the sick and wounded on It's hands with
out TN equivalent. That proposition,
which was communicated to the Federal
authorities In August, 1864, was not an
swercd until December, 1864, when some
ships were sent to Savannah. The re-
cord will show that the chief suffering
the chief mortality, at Andersonvilfe
was between August and December, 1864
We sought to allay that suffering by
asking You to take your prisoners on oul
hands without an equivalent and with.
out asking you to return u man for them
and you refused to do 1t. Mr.. Hill went
on to quote aseries Of resolutions passed
by the Federal prisoners ut Anderson
| vile, on September -, 1864, IN which
all due praise Is given to the Confede
rate Government for the attention paid
to them, and in which It Is said that tht
sufferings which they endured were not
caused Intentionally, but by force Of
circumstances. Commenting upon that
resolution, Mr.. Hill said: Brave men
are always honest and true; soldiers
never Islander. / would believe the
statements OF those gallant soldiers
who were at Andersonville, as contained
| In that resolution, In preference to the
whole tribe Of Republican politicians
Laughter on the Democratic side.
Whit can be said of the people which
could reject such appeals from their owI
soldiers, and yet even in response tt
that siccor did not Gomez Why, he con
tinued, were all these appeals resisted
Why did the Federal authorities refuse
| To allow their own surgeons to attenc
upon their own soldiers when prisoners
81 war, and to curry them medicine ant
comforts Why did the Federal Gov
eminent refuse to exchange prisoners
man for man and officer for officer
why did It refuse to stand up to its owl
solemn engagement made In 1864 for thu
exchange OF prisoners? Who is In fault
There must be reason for this grca
atrocity, and that - the next point Y
which wish to call the attention OF thu
| House.
LISTEN TO THE REASON.
The New York Tribune In 1864, refer
ring to the occurrences which have re
lated, says-I suppose you would believe
the Tribune in 1864, even II you DO no
believe 1t now. Laughter. In Angus
tho rebels offered to renew the exchange
man for man, Gen. Grant then tele
graphed the following Important order
TT Is hard on our men held In Southern
prisons, not to exchange them, but 1t il
humane to those left In the ranks K
fight our battles. Every man released
on parole, or otherwise, becomes al
active soldier against us at once, eithe
directly or indirectly. Ii we commenc..
a system OF exchange which liberates al
prisoners taken, we will have to fight OF
until the whole South is exterminated
III we hold those caught, they count for NJ
more than dead men. At this particular
time to release all pebel prisoner.
/ North, would insure Sherman's defea
and compromise our safety here.
But here Is Gen. Grants testimon.
before the Committee on the Conduc
of the War, taken on the 18th OF Febru
ary. 1866. You believe him, don't you
| Laughter. Mr.. Hill here read Gen
Grants testimony before the commit
tee. explaining the reason why he wa
opposed to the exchange OF prisoners
and which was in effect the same as wa
Al Rvrx~v IA.