The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-15


or, u battle.feld), Mr. Davis always repelIed
the suggestion ss odio1s; and be once gave
very sound aud phifosop hicaErcason for
bis refusal 10 allow such measure. He
said 1--WE ought not to adopt that because,
besides the atrocity Of ii. we should be our
selves The sufferers by it. For While those
people will avail themselves OF 1t to perpe.
trate increased crnelties, our men. can peVer
be brought to murder prisoners-it Is not 10
he nature of the southern soldier to refuse
quarter to him who asks it," ~.
The most cruel and deliberate act OF cruel
ty ever perpetrated In any war OF modern
times was the refusal Of the exchange OF
prisoners. Is there any man living who Is
audacious enough to charge Mr. Davis WITH
that acti Did not Mr.. Davis resist IT, and 40
oil In his power TO induce MIR. Lincoln TO re-
lent and to slow the prisoners to be ex-
changed? and who now stands before the
tribunal OF history charged and convicted OF
this stupeudous crime against humanity.
the most deliberate aud the most cruel
crime Of modern war.
Referring to Rev. J. William ,Jones's work
on Gere- al Lee we will find extracts from
the official repclts Of the United States War
Office showing that during the war we clp.
tured and held about $780, 900 Federal pri.
soners, while they captured and held IN
northern prisons 100000 Confederates. OF
the 100000 Federal prisoners about 10000
died 10 our hands. OF the 100000 Confed'
crate prisoners over 10000 died in northern
prisons n
We fed our prisoners and cared for them
as vel! as we could. They had the same
rations as the Confederate soldiers who
guarded them, while the rations ofthe Con-
federate prisoners in northern prisons were
explicitly cut down by order Of Mr.. Lin
coin, go that thousands Of our men died OF
starvation. A general officer from Missis.
sippi informed the writer that he was t~en-
ty-eight months in prison at Johnson's
Island. For the las, year of'his Imprisonment
he did not know what it vas TO be free of the
pangs of hunger.
When wcrenembor that all Of these $4,000
men who thus anguished and died in the
course of two years were able.hodied young
mer, how severe must have been the prlva-
tiOns which killed them, ard how cruel the
authors Of their incarceration and death
This double crime against humanity was an
avowed ard recorded part Of Mr. LlncoIn's
war policy. Dir. Lincoln first, Stanton next,
and then Grant, will be held to account As
authors and accomrliccs in this monstrou5
cruelty.
Mr.. Blaine may have brought it up for the
purpose Of having it fastened upon Grant az
o part of his "poicy Of attrttion }" for 1t
is plain Grant could have opened all those
prison doors and sci free those 100000 IN
happy men. But in order that 200 900 Con-
iederate soldiers should be kept out of the
Confederate armies be aided and abetted in
the continued incarceration Of 260, 000 Of bis
own men.
Was ever such thing heard Of before:
Mr.. Davis continued to the last to do all
Christian gentleman could TO procure Il
relaxation Of the rule which consigned these
brave men to their HOPELESS doom, and was
ready and anxious to send all Federal prl-
soners back to their homes and to facilitate
the promptcst exchange. On one occasion
he allowed the prisoners in Anderson
vile to delegate three of their number,
men Of influence at hcmc, to whom Mir.
Davis gave a iurlough on parole for sixty
days, and sent them through our lines to use
their Influence with Mr.. Lincoln to procure
resumption Of the exchange of prisoners
aud the release of the 10000 men coEfined
at AndeIsoavile. When these gen,l !mcn re-
turned to their "prison pen" they had only
to report TO their suffering comrades that
they were unable 10 procure an auutence
with Mr. Lincoln. When be knew their
errand be would not admit them to his pres.
encc!
His tender nature could not bear the trial
Of such an Interview
Mr. Davis finally proposed to Mr.. Lincoln
70 return 10000 of the ArdcrSouvillc pri-
soners, with or without exchange, II be
would send tie necessary transportation 10
Savannah for them. Mr.. Lincoln refused TO
do so, ard 10 tie very end Of the war per-
sisted in executing bhis extraordinary waT
measure.
And when the war was ended, poor Wirz
was hanged !or it-judIcials mDrdercd-nT
The Judge dv2ca:c, named Chanjlrr, b.
liere, revoked :he SvJpRnaS Of several I'm
portant witnesses tor the defence and sent
them away.
And now, in the face OF these recorded
facts, comes Mr.. Blanf, in that marne>S
which goeth before destruction, and reopens
q question Of all Others the most danaSnS
to his own faction. Fare "ell 10 the pre>i-
dcncy for you, Mr. Blaine. ID. ii. NJ.