The Rebels have attempted but one defense to the terrible charges against them, and that is, that our Government persistently refused to exchange, preferring to let its men rot in prison, to yielding up the Rebels it held.  This is so utterly false as to be absurd.  Our Government made overture after overture for exchange to the Rebels, and offered to yield many of the points of difference.  But it could not, with the least consideration for its own honor, yield up the negro soldiers and their officers to the unrestrained brutality of the Rebel authorities, nor could it, consistent with military prudence, parole the one hundred thousand well-fed, well-clothed, able-bodied Rebels held by it as prisoners, and let them appear inside of a week in front of Grant or Sherman.  Until it would agree to do this the Rebels would not agree to exchange, and the only motive—­save revenge—­which could have inspired the Rebel maltreatment of the prisoners, was the expectation of raising such a clamor in the North as would force the Government to consent to a disadvantageous exchange, and to give back to the Confederacy, at its most critical period one hundred thousand fresh, able-bodied soldiers.  It was for this purpose, probably, that our Government and the Sanitary Commission were refused all permission to send us food and clothing.  For my part, and I know I echo the feelings of ninety-nine out of every hundred of my comrades, I would rather have staid in prison till I rotted, than that our Government should have yielded to the degrading demands of insolent Rebels.

There is one document in the possession of the Government which seems to me to be unanswerable proof, both of the settled policy of the Richmond Government towards the Union prisoners, and of the relative merits of Northern and Southern treatment of captives.  The document is a letter reading as follows: 

Citypoint, Va., March 17, 1863.

Sir:—­A flag-of-truce boat has arrived with three hundred and fifty political prisoners, General Barrow and several other prominent men among them.

I wish you to send me on four o’clock Wednesday morning, all the military prisoners (except officers), and all the political prisoners you have.  If any of the political prisoners have on hand proof enough to convict them of being spies, or of having committed other offenses which should subject them to punishment, so state opposite their names.  Also, state whether you think, under all the circumstances, they should be released.  The arrangement I have made works largely in our favor.  We get rid of A set of miserable wretches, and receive some of the best material I ever saw.

Tell Captain Turner to put down on the list of political prisoners the names of Edward P. Eggling, and Eugenia Hammermister.  The President is anxious that they should get off.  They are here now.  This, of course, is between ourselves.  If you have any political prisoners whom you can send off safely to keep her company, I would like you to send her.