The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-24
JAMES cAILAwAY. in Macon

Dr. J. L. M. Curry in his Civil His tory of the Confederate States says:
 'tone of the most singular illus trations ever presented of the power of literature to conceal and pervert, to modify and to falsify history, to transfer odium from the guilty to the innocent. is found in the fact that the reproach of disunion has slipped from the shoulders of the North to those or the South
 On the prison question also we have permitted the North to transfer the odium of cruelty to prisoners to the South. when the reproach rests upon the North Nor can 1t slip from her shoulders the odium of her policy. The facts are slowly coming forth.
 When Ben Hill delivered his Ander- sonvflIe speech in the United States Senate in reply to Blaine. 1t was thought he had for all time spiked the guns that had shot forth calum- nfes and misrepresentations against the South concerning treatment or Federal prisoners.
 But the war wages on us yet The G. 0. P. objects to q monument to Capt. wirz.
 The return of battle flags was a gen. erous act. tending towards more perfect" Union, and it is strange that the State superintendent of public in- struction Hon. Alfred Bayiiss, Of Springfield, Ill, should issue pamph- let in 1906 holding the South up to scorn for inhumanity to prisoners. Professor Bayliss uses his pamphlet in his public schools. Hence. we should study the prison history of the South, and when investigated the fact is re- vealed that the Souths efforts to re- lease and relieve the prisoners stand forth like high monuments, as tesu- mony to her magnanimity. her gene rosity. her unceasing humanity.
 Let us look into the prison history of the Confederacy.
 On July 22, 1862. the cartel was adopted. All prisoners were to be re- leased in ten days after capture. The very day after this cartel of exchange was signed Maj Gen. John Pope. on, July 23, 1882, issued orders that ale lowed his soldiers to shoot as spies and as enemies to the Uuitsd States Government all Virginia farmers who were found tlling the soil or sowing grain or cultivatfng crops on farms within his rear. and even inside his lines. Hundreds were shot down in the field before the Confederate Government could arrest such conduct and get Pope's order rescinded. America, in later years, became incensed even to making war on Spain because Gen. Weyler issued similar orders in Cuba Did Weyler take his cue from Gen. Pope, that illustrious example that so pleased Weyler that he ordered his own walk along the same path7
 By persistent efforts of our commits sioner, the cartel lasted one year. The Confederacy, seeing the emaciated con- ditfons of such prisoners as had re- turned, was intense in her desire for exchange, and the Confederacy was unprepared for the action of Stanton, order No. 209, breaking the cartel. By this order Federal prisoners were not to be exchanged or even paro1ed. If paroled they were forced back into the Federal army. This order No. POS, caught the Confederacy unprepared to meet the prison problem. The ceme- tery at Andersonvilie was founded on this order. It was like passing sem tence upon Federal prisoners. for the North knew that the Confederacy was without medicines and doctors and not equipped to care for prisoners. Hence, Mir. Davis and Col. Ould, the commis- sioner of exchange, put forth every effort to get rescinded order No. 209, and Col. ouId was given the largest authority in dealing with Maj. Null ford. United States agent of exchange. Everything was done to emphasize the fact that we were scant of food, of doctors, of medicines-indeed abSo- lutely unprepared to hold captives.
 A deaf ear was turned to it all.
 It is interesting history to follow the Confederate authorities in their effort to abate prison suffering. Col. Ould. from the day the cartel was disre- garded pleaded for medicines and physicians, offering to pay the Fed erals in cotton for them, as the Fed eral captives needed these. No re- plies were made to Commissioner Ou1d
 In 1864 prisoners increased fearfully at Andersonville. and to care for them became serious No medicines for prisoners and acquaint the Lincoln Cabinet with prison conditions and the need of exchange and medicines and physicians, a delegation of prisoners were sent to Washington at urgent request of Capt. Wirz. These Federal soldiers and prisoners went on that mission of mercy and came back and reported failure" They told the pris- oners that their own government had abandoned them, and exchange or med icines they would not get from Stanton. This created despondency among the prisoners. It is to be hoped the fate of those who went on that mission was such as should befall heroes and brave men. A monument should be erected to them, thus illus trating the efforts of the Confederacy on the side of humaniay.
 These heroes met the same answer as Alexander Fl. Stephens, who was sent on a mission of mercy in behalf of the prisoners, authorized by Mir. Davis to plead for exchange, and fail ing in that to secure medicines and needful supplies for such as were kept in confinement. But MT. Stephens was l not allowed to see Lincoln as he hoped | Mir. Stephens always declared his mis- sion in behalf of the prisoners had not been failure had he been allowed to see MT Lincoln. Stanton stopped him ] at the ''outer guard" to use Mir. Davis
 language. Admiral s. P. Lee. U. s. N l commanding the blockade squadron al l Newport News, communicated with tho Washington Government, stating tho object of MT. Stephens mission. TG quote President Davis own words
 "Your mission is simply one of hu. manity. and has no political aspect l A most pathetic picture that-th,
 Vice. President of the Confederacy
 himself feeble. but for humanity's sak
 on a rugged tour to Washington to ap
 peal to Linooln's Cabinet to save life
 Tn the summer of 1864, by order 0
 the Confederate Government. Rober
 ould offered to pay for medicines an
 hospital supplies. also salaries of Fed
 eral surgeons, to be paid for in cotto
 delivered or directed by the Fedora
 Government All in vain. No exchange | ,o paro1a m medicines no Fedora