The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-26
sxs=zsessfssessssstSssss ! The Confederacy and Its Prisoners
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On the 2eth Memorial Day comes. On this occasion it Is proper to recall the efforts of the Confederacy to alleviate the sufferings of Federal prisoners. The English government In appropriating s2o- c00,000 for rebuilding the Boer homes de- stroyed by its armies was never more magnanimous than the Confederacy in It's unceasing efforts to release and relieve the prisoners. No subject Is so little un- derstood, not only in the North, put Dy our own people of this generation.
 When Ben Hin delivered his Anderson vile speech in the United states senate in reply to Blaine, 1t was thought ne had for all time spiked the guns that had shot forth such calumnies and misrepre- sentation against the South concerning treatment of Federal prisoners But not
 The States went into the compact Tn order to form "a more perfect union, and now that we are united again lt would seem that the truth should be told. The Confederacy always advocated release of prisoners. It urged this policy with persistency, ana deeply regretted MT. Stantons order annulling the cartel for exchange and release of prisoners on parole.
 On July 22, 1s62 the cartel was adopt ed. All prisoners were to be released in ten days after capture. The very day after this cartel was signed Major Gen.
  orders that allowed his soldiers to shoot as spies and as enemies of the United States all Virginia farmers who were found tilling the soil or sowing grain or cuitivating crops on their farms within his rear, even outside his lines. Hun dreds were shot down in their fields be- fore the Confederate government got the order rescirded. It Is thought by many that the Spanish General Weyler in his wicked orders in Cuba took his cue from General Pope, finding Tn him an illus trious American example.
 By persistent effort the cartel was con- tinued to be recognized until July 3. 1883. lasting only one year-when Mir. Stanton issued order No. 209. breaking the cartel. By this order 2o9. Federal prisoners were not permitted by their roled. If paroled they had to go back Into the Federal army.
 This order, so unexpected, caught the Confederacy unprepared for the prison problem. But the emaciated condition of such Confederate prisoners as had been exchanged intensified the desire of the Confederate authorities for prompt &C., tion. Every effort was made to induce exchange. Colonel Ould, Confederate ex- change agent, was given the largest au- thority and he stated the case fully to Major Mulford. United States agent. em- phasizing the fact that the Confederacy had no medicines. nor physicians, and scant of food-not prepared to hold the captives. Colonel Ould further insisted. if exchange refused that surgeons and medicines be sent No reply ever made to the request for doctors and medicines. Thus every effort was made to abate prison-suffering. Where rests the re- sponsibility?
 In the summer of 1864 the Confederate government offered to deliver 15,0O0 sick and wounded at Savannah without ex- changc-without any equivalent. It was the last of November. 1864, before the off, fer was accepted, although condition of prisoners was urged as reason for haste. Federal ships came and carried off 1900.