Year: 1868




most soldier of the republic, into
which some Democratic papers seem
to think they arc forced by their des-
perate prospects, is carried on by
few of them as they liked it; and,
to all who love their country and
arc proud Of its splendid names, is
one of the most painful features Of
the political canvass. The World
of this city seems to take the lead in
this peculiar line, but is sharply fol-
lowed up, and even with improve
ments, by many country journals.


The last device of partisan malice
is to represent General Grant as
cruel. 1t is asserted that he was re
gardless of the brutal tortures in
ficted on our soldiers by the present
leaders Of the Democratic party in
the Southern states, and refused to
exchange prisoners with them, man
for man, except on unreasonable
conditions. From this assumption
the World infers that all the anguish
of starvation, exposure, slow disease
and lingering death of mind and
body, to which leading Southern
Democrats subjected thousands of
patriot soldiers at Andersonville,
Charleston and Richmond, are to be
charged solely to the General of
our armies.


If there is anyone feature Of Gen
~ aho, A. 70 fn
this nation that partisan passion
cannot obscure it, it is his distin-
guished humanity. In every stage
of his career he has been noted for
that tender sympathy with suffering
which joins with valor and skill to
form the triple star Of great soldiers
glory! The soldiers who were res
cued by his triumphs from their liv-
ing graves in the Libby and at An
dersonville, have told their story to
the world and all men now know
that, although the men who had fol
lowed Grant, when they were linger
ing On the brink of death, and hoping
for it as a deliverance, might doubt
of their owu rescue, might even
doubt Of their country's cause, they
never doubted of their great COM
mander's heart. And to them might
safely be left the answer to his
chargea=


But there are other facts, equally
well known, which come forward in
every memory to refute the SANDER
We print elsewhere the account
given by General Meredith, one of
our commissioners for the exchange
of prioners, showing exactly why
the exchanges were so much inter
rupted. The notorious fact is that
the rebel Government Systematically
subjected prisoners of war to bad
treatment as a matter of fpolicy. BY
torturing the prisoners they thought
to disgust their Northern friends
with the war; as well as to distroy
Union men. BY giving them food
of less quantity and meaner quality
than is necessary to sustain healthy
life, they saved their own stores and
and prolonged their existence. But
their main object was to force US to
an exchange of prisoners on their
own terms. -c ......-...


Our soldiers were of two classes,
white and black. The rebels would
exchange the white men, if they
could retain the blacks to murder
them. The Government refused to
this. The rebels claimed that the
whites were prisoners Of war; but
the blacks were traitors and spies.
they would only give up the former,
reserving the latter to be dealt with
according to their own bloody laws
against negro revolt. Neither MI.
Lincoln nor General Grant would
acknowledge this distinction; nor
yield up any portion of the defenders
of the Union, as out of the protec
ton of the flag they fought for.
This was the first difficulty; and
under all the complications the
question afterwards assumed, this
essentially the difficulty in
exchanging.


Suppose it to be true, as some of
the leading Democrats who were
then prominent in torturing our sol
diers now claim, that towards the
close Of the war they were eager to
waive that point for q time and to
all prisoners, man for man
what does it show? Merely that
the situation had changed, so that
they clearly saw that if an exchange
could be effected they could prolong
the war, but that without it they
must speedily fail.


The rebel armies were now in
state of siege. Fighting behind
Notifications which could easily be
defended against triple numbers,
their great want was men. The
grand strategy of General Grant
and the heroic fighting of his armies
had so reduced the rebel forces that
they could no longer effectively man
their intrenchments. Under these
one able soldier be-
ing worth to the besieged as much
as three to the assailants, they were
willing to give man for man. They
were willing to carry forward to the
front the faint and dying victims of
their torture houses, and exchange
them for as many stalwart, well-fed
rebel prisoners. Under all the pres
sure of the thousands who could
not understand why their friends
should not be delivered at any cost
our Government took the responsi-
bility of refusing.


If this decision was made byGen-
eral Grant, it is one for which the
country will honor him for ever.
1t was a far sighted humanity, a
higher charity than a pitiful senti-
can understand but
rugged and a noble charity, which
saved the lives of scores of thou
sands. 1t cut short the war. 1t de