The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-07-31
RECOMPENSE THEM.
A Plea for the Ex.Prlsoners Of war.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Ny friend
and cOmIade, Owen L. Wright, of Meade, Kan,
makes a statement which l want him or some
one else to verify. This same statement was
made to the writer and others in Andersonyille
prison by rebel recruiting officers for the pur-
pose of inducing US to exchange our scanty and
disgusting diet Of cow-peas, including bugs etc,
for Southern cOrnpone and bacon, our heaven
canOpied and earth furnished touches for COM
Portable shelter, and our filthy, diseased and
vermin-infested rags for the gray uniform of a
Confederate soldier. In some instances they
offered commissions in the Confederate army.
Was the temptation CREATE Read any history of
that vile pen and consider that its horrors never
have been and never will be half told. Then
add their arguments as given by Comrade
Wright that our Government was bound to
protect us that the obligation was mutual /;
that we had done we'll our part, but that our
Government had disregarded its part of tho
contract and being the first violator of the con-
tract had left us free to assume new obligations,
aud that the whole fault of our miserable con-
diti0n lay with the U. 5. Government as they
had repeatedly notified the L. S. Government
of their inability to properly care for and
feed so many prisoners, and asked again
and again for an exchange, which our Govern
ment as many times refused. We character
lied these statements at the time as q rebel lie,
and now comes our friend Wright and reter-
httS tutIllt anu says ne can prove them, TOO.
Now, comrade, please consider what bad
very bad. position to place our beloved, aud,
may l say, prison saved Governments Had
this same Government recognized its saviOrs,
the ex-prisoners wide Grants and Stanton
reports) by any official action, pensions medals
of honor or anything COmpensatiug these
heroes for their loyalty, true and tried loyalty
in the very highest sense of the torn, this
complaint of eulpable neglect, to call 10 by the
mildest term, would not lie against it. Some
soldiers seem to think that ex- prisoners should
not receive special favOrs rs they did nothing
that any other soldiers would not do. To the
that is true, yet when such lofty, self-abnegat-
ing devotion TO our country is shown amid
such terrible surroundings as AnderSOnyille
the memory of the heroic dead should be prop
erly COMMUNICATED and the no-less deserving
survivors should be amply provided for, that
no stigma of shame, dishOnOr or neglect should
rest upon that Government we suffered SO
much for.
We have been just, and more than Just, to
the men who loaned the money to carry on the
war. Now let us DO reasonably just to the men
who furnished the muscle, the bravery and the
devotion TO country and made our great
Nation what it is to-day. Let us not forget
that owing to the very nature of our institu-
tions, We must always rely for our preservation
upon the bravery aud loyalty of our citizen
sOldiery, and whenever their lives or health
are lost in defense of our country, let that
country be honest with them, so we may live
foreyer.-R w. DRAKE Anthony, Kan.