, 1876-01-20

prison.
1ARF1ELDs REPLY TO n1LL.
Gen. GAnY1ELp's speech on tho Amnesty
bill was conclusive and crushing reply to
the false statements and suggestions made By
BEN Hill, Of Georgia, The two points
made By N1Ll were: ~ That the hardsh'ps
Of the Union prisoners at Andersonylle were
merely those incidental to- war; wera no
worse, and not in fact ~ bad, as those on-
dured by Confederate prisoners at the North;
and the Confederate Government was not
q party to them nor responsible therefor.
{2) Tint the Confederate Government, In
the interests Of humanity, appealed incea-
sanity for m exchange Of prisoners, which
WAS refused by the United States who not
only persisted in the policy Of a.non-exchange
Of prisoners. but refused to admit medicines
to tho Confeteraoy, thereby preventing any
relief being Afforded the sick.
Gen. GARFIELD completely silenced tho
Confederate orator on these pointa- In the
first place, he showed tho character OF tho
Rebel prisons BY the report Of a Congress-
ional Committee, both as to tue treatment Of
prisoners at Richmond and at Andersonville,
In the W1nz t1inl 1t was proven that the un-
feeling brute, Gen. WSpEn, WAS selected as
commander at Audersonville by JErrEnsos
DAy1a. When that infamous appointment
was made, q Richmond paper snid: "Thank
God that Richmond la rid at last OF old VIM
DER. God hare mercy upon those to whom
be bas been sent" At the trial Of W1nz, q
report, dated Audersonville, Jan. &, 1864,
signed by Liaut-Col CHANDLER, Assistant
Inspector-Genernl Of tho Confederate army,
was offered in evidence. This report de-
seribed tito construction Of that prison; that
1t gave nbout ar square feat TO each prisoner
that tho only supply Of water passed through
the Confederate camp before it reached
tho prison, and was thus unfit for uae.
The came officer mado another re-
port On Aug, 6, In the samo year, In
which he strongly recommended tho appoint
ment Of some person in p1ace Of tho cruel
tyrant W1NpER, whose conduct he represented
rs cold-blooded and horrible. He pronounced
the prison Disgrace to civilization. Flo do
livored this report In person to the Secretary
Of War at Richmond. Gen. Chiffon, the
Inspector-G General, indorscd this report, do
claring the prison to DO "a reproach to us as
n nation" To this Endorsement the Acting
Secretary Of War, CAMPBELL, ndded TINT the
condition Of things nt AndcrsonviIle demand
/ I'D the change What became Of it? 4 few
| days after, JRRTKnson DAVIS answered the re-
port by promoting the villain W1SDEn! At
ono time tho Confederate Secretary Of War,
| sEpDoN, wroto M order relieving W1NDEn Of
his command, which JEFF DAVIS promptly
counter1nandsd, writing thereon, +" This u en-.
tfrsly unnecessary and ttnealled fer" LII this
why knowledge OF the awful character Of the
prison aud It's dreadful management was
traced through all the departments up to the
vc7Y chief Of tho Rebel Government, JEyz
DAVIS himself. Having thus disposed OF The
character Of the prison aud tho responsibility
therefor, Gen. GARFIELD addressed himself
to tho question Of tho exchange of prisoners.
During tho War, tho United States arrutes
took 47G, 1C9 prisoners and the Confcdoratss
18y145 prisoners. The first cartel for az
exchange OF. prisoners was in July, 1862
The exchange continued for soma time, IT
October, 1862, DES Hill, Of Georgia, pro.
posed in the Rebel Senate that every persot
"pretepding 10 be soldier or officer Of tht
United States" captured on the sou Of ths
Confederate States, should be presumed te
havo entered the Confederate States with In,
tent to excite insunection and murder, ani
ahould suffer death! In December, 1865, til.
Rebal President, JrRE DAVIS, Issued pEocla
nation TINT NIL commissioned officers iu the
command OF DzsJAMlS r. BUrLEa should moi
be entitled to be considered as soldiers en-
gagged in honorable warfare, but ~ robbart
and criminals deserving death, and tha
| when captured they should be reserved. to
execution. That colored men captured ii
arms be delivered over to tho several States
to be tlealt with according to the slave lawl
OF such States, and that like ORDERS DO ero
cuted In al cases Of commissioned officer
found serving In company with negroes !,
insurrection, .eso. These wero extEaurtHuar
ordors: !. Tint ali otllcers under the oonl
,nand Of BuTLxR should ba oxeouted as rob
! bers. 2. That colored Federal troops wer
not 10 be rocoguizad a. soldiers, but aa slaves
) This stopped the exchange Of prisoners
: The Government of the United States coul
not live and recognize any such distinctions
between its soldiers.
. In HAY, 1868, the Confederate Congress
: by law enacted the general provisions OF tha
proclamation. There was the grand objec
ton which interrupted ths exchange Of pria
onsrs, and which crowded AndsrsonvilIa an,
II sthsr prisous. Il wAs t1s demand BY IL