The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-07

a o,rIoueb of thirty or sixty days. Still,
The c,ct of their suffering a. they do Is n
reason for making this exchange as rapidly
as possible.
Question. And never has been reason
for not making the exchange
Answer. II never has. Exchanges hay-
lb, boon suspen,led by reason OF disagree
ments on the part Of agents Oh exchange
ON both sides before | came IN command oil
tho armies of the United states, and II being
near the opening Of the spring cam
paign. did not deem IL adVisa-
bic or just to the men VINO
had TO fight our battles to reinforce
the enemy with thirty or iorty thou-
sand disciplined troops at that time.
An immediate resumption of exchanges
would have had that effect without giving
lis corresponding benefits. The suffering
snid 20 exist am my our prisoners South
was a powcrlul argument against tle course
pursued. and so felt it,
hill TO BLAINE.
During the amnesty debate IN the House
of Representatives in 1876 Hill. OF Georgia,
repIyinp To statements Of Blaine, discussed
the history of the exchange OF prisoners.
dwelling on the fact that the cartel which
was established i'm 1862 was interrupted IN
1s,,3. and that the Federal authorities re-
fused TO continue the exchange 81 prisoners.
"'rhe next effort" he said. "in the same di-
roction was made in January, 1861.
when Robert Ould, Confederate agent
of exchange, wrote To- the Federal
agent Of exchange, proposing, IN view oi the
difficulties attending the release OF prison
nfs. that the surgeons OF the army Oh each
side be allowed to attend their own soldiers
while prisoners IN the hands OF the enemy
oh. of
mud medicine and provisions; when propo'
stion was also rejected
Continuing. Mr.. Hill said: sin August.
1861. there were two more propositions.
The cartel of exchange had been broken by
the Federals under certain prctences, ana
the prisoners were accumulating on both
sides 10 such an extent that Mr.. Ould made
another proposition to waive every ObJec-
ton and TO agree 10 whatever terms
the Federal Government would de-
mand. and TO renew the exchange OF
prisoners, man for man, and oihctr Tor ON
Ger. just a. the Federal Government mlsh'
prescribe. That proposition was also re-
iected. In the same month Of August, l1l.
finding that the Federal Government would
neithereXchange prisoners nor agree to send
ing surgeons to the prisoners on each side
the Confederate Government officially pro
posed in August, 1864. that If the Federal
Government would send steamers and
transports TO savannah, the confederate
Government would return the sick and
wounded prisoners on its hands with
out an equivalent. That proposition
which was communicated 10 the Federal
authorities i'm August, 1861, was not
answered until December, 1864, when some
ships were sent 10 savannah. The record
will show that the chief suffering, the chief
mortality at Andersonyille, was between
August and December, 1864. We sought 10
allay that suffering by asking you to take
your prisoners of our hands without equiv
alent. and without asking YOU 10 return a
man for them, and you reused
Mr.. Hill quoted a series Of resolutions
pessed by the Federal prisoners at Ander-
sonyille in 1864. september 2Sth, in which
all due praise is given the Confederate
Government for the attention paid them,
and in which il was said that the
sulerings which they endured were
not caused intentionally by the Con-
fcderate Government, but by the force of
circumstances. Commenting, Mr.. Hill
said: Brave men are always honest. and
true soldiers never Islander, ] would be-
lieye the statement of those gallant soldiers
at Andcrsonyillc. as contained in that rcsO-
luton. in preference 10 the whole tribe OF
Republican politicians.