The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-05-15
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON D. c. THURSDAY MAY 49, 1884,


hundredths of the usual weight, death ensues.
COMPARATIVE MORTALITY.
The average mortality In the hospitals of Dublin
is less than per cent; in the civil hospitals of
France from to per cent.
At the Moyamensng prison II for many
years per cent, and for seven years in the New
York penitentiary it was less than per cent
The average deaths in the prisons of Massachu-
sets, Michigan. New York, and Maryland was
about per cent
The official records at Andersonville show that
2,67S men died in September, more than Is per
cent, in October more than n per cent. died, in
August 200 men died, and ON the 23d day of that
month one died an average every eleven min
utes out of the number present The Federal hos
pitfalls of Nashville received during the year 1864,
5000 sick and wounded, OF whom only per cent.
died.
The hospitals of Washington treated in 1868 IS 600
patients, and lost 1900 or less than per cent.
By the records of the British army it appears
that out of ASS, 600 British soldiers who
gagged in the twenty-five great battles OF the British
Empire from 1901 to 1854 but IA 900 men killed
or died from their wounds, or per cent
Had not the movements of Sherman compelled q
transfer of large portion of the prisoners at An
dersonvlle all would have died in brief period at
the rate of mortality then prevailing there.
Careful estimates show that the average dura-
ton of life of prisoner of war at Andersonvile
was ninety-five days.
rapidly were in no way enfeebled when captured
by the enemy. They were, by far the greater part
young men and middle-aged men, strong and
robust who had served from one to two years and
were Injured to all the hardshps of the field. Only
those having the greatest vitality and the strongest
constitutions lived to return. Ii because soldier
was by nature endowed with constitution and
power of endurance equal to two ordinary men and
has sacrificed onc-half of ii or more, but is yet
able to labor to some extent and not able to prove
disability to q pensionabe degree under the rules
of the Pension Office, he must not, under the
views of the majority, be granted pension. This
we cannot indorse.
All suffered alike. The soldIer who died often
suffered less than he who lived; the red dew of
one baptism is upon them ALL While cannot
india the dead w he inst
to the living.
Who that has examined, even specifically, the
treatment of these soldiers of the Republic with
all the shocking details of the dying and the dead
almost aggregating the total of those killed in
battle and dying of wounds during the war, and
say they could have passed such an ordeal and be
sound and able bodied men2
Who that has intimately known the survivors of
those fatal death-pens will say they are not dis
abled-are not entitled to a pension?
Who, in short, can endure similar abuse with
health and physical ability unimpairedP In the
found. Well might Winder say referring to An
dersonvile):
II am going to build pen here that will kill
more Yankees than can be destroyed In the
'front.'"
THE EFFECTS OF CONFINEMENT.
Your minority are aware of the increduity which
often obtains among the men of the present gene
ration who were not engaged in that great drama
concerning the applications of soldiers for PEN
sions the grounds of diarrhea, dysentery, and
ailments apparently no more serious, and which
even to the physician on superficial examination,
present serious evidence of specific disease. Yet
| the mortality records of AndersonyiIle, showing
the various diseases resulting in death, head the
list with chronic diarrhea, which alone was fatal
TO 600; next appears scurvy credited with 3,514
victims; next dysentery, 3S4; then acute darrhea
| sl7. Other prisons, SO far as records were kept
| showed similar results. Thus at Andersonyille
more than two thirds of the deaths were owing 70
| the four causes named.
The diseases named result in gradual weaken
| ing and breaking down of the system without
/ perhaps marked symptoms of any specific disease
creating pensionable disability! The soldier has
perhaps no former hospital record; his comrades
are dead, or their residence Ia many instances un
known, and SO for years hisapplication remains on
file at the Pension Office awaiting proofs which he
cannot obtain. As long as pensions are granted
only for disability, long the Pension Office must
be governed by rules defining disability. snc
require strict proof In support of them. The disa
biiities affecting prisoners of war, and the crcum
stances attending their captivity, render it more
difficult for them to comply with these require
ments. The permanent impairment of the digest
i've functions from the unwholsolne and indigesti-
BILE food also seems a general characteristic O
prisoners OF war who have undergone any pro
| trscted confinement.
/ 1t is not deemed pertinent or necessary In thi:
report TO discuss at any length the policy of ou1
| Government in the matter of exchange of prison.
era.
SUSPENSION OF EXCHANGE.
! Whether exchanges were interrupted because o
/ the refusal of the rebel authorities 10 recognize
and exchange prisoners of war the colored Unior
soldiers captured by them. or for other ethe
/
thorties, IL immateria TO the bill under considera
| ton.
Suffice 1t to say that those who would be tn.
benehciaries in this bill were in manner respon
Ebe for the failure TO exchange and that the direc
| result of their remaining in prison was to aid mos
materially IN bringing the war to an early close.
Thus the total number of Confederate prisoner.
| captured was &7e,547. While the number of Fed
| erai prisoners captured WAS ISIS, l45, or adding
morttary record, I9s, 218. Showing that more thar
| twice as many Confederates were captured as Fed
erals.
The number held prisoners on each side ct tn,
! close of the war in about the same proportion
IS the total number captured by EACH
By the failure to exchange at all our Government
| held and kept out of the field more than twice a.
many rebel prisoners were held by the rebels o
| our troops
Between our Government and It's citizens, a
well as between individuals there are in all under
! takings certain obligations, either expressed o.
| implied. In that OF the Government with its oiti
Sens who agreed to enter its service soldiers
sailors there was an obligation by the latter tina
they would obey the commands of their superior
and render good service on the part of the Gov
eminent that it would care for and protect them
and suffer no cruelty or indignity to be perpe
trated upon them not in accordance with the rule
of warfare among civilized nations. IT, therefore
| indignities and crueliies perpetrated upoi
them In violation of the laws of nations, and be
yond anything they were called upon expecte'
to undergo by their contract of service then Ger
tainly 1t cannot be denied that the Government
should, II 1t is able, make such additional compen
sation or reparation would be equitable; tbi
alike whether such results were owing to tn
iauit OF the SoVernnent or came about througl
unavoidable casualty.
In support of this proposition and as judi
cial determination of the fact that our prison
ers We're treated In 8 barbarous manner un
known to the law of nations, the report quote
the findings of The court-martial in the trial @
Henry Wirz, the commandant at Anderson
vile. Proceeding next to the consideration o
the objection to the bill that it provides 70
service pensions, the report shows that tn
presidents are all in favor of the action pro
posed by this bill, and referring to the Mexica
war bounty act of September %, 1850, quote
section 2 to show the discrimination Their
made In favor of prisoners. The section is a
follows:
SIGNIFICANT PRECEDENT.
SEC. 2. And be IL further enacted. That the perio
during which any officer soldier may have re
manned in captivity with the enemy shall be est
mated and added TO the period Of his actual service
and the person detained in captivity shall receiv
land under the provisions of this act In the sam
entered the service for the whole term made up b
the addition of the time Of his captivity and ha
served during such time
The report continues:
that were precticed upon our prisoners-and th
present ability OF the country to deal justly wit
the survivors of Southern military prisons, til
minority sustaining this report can but recommen
the passage of the bill under consideration, III th
belief that the relief granted falls short of ustic
rather than exceeding it.
From the most reliable data obtainable there al
not TO exceed 5000 to 10 600 surviving soldiers VIII
would receive pension under the present bill,