Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 03.djvu/220

210 to blacken the Confederacy with it. No wonder that attempts have been made to explain away these figures, and even to deny their authenticity—one bold man charging that "Jeff. Davis manufactured them for Ben. Hill's use"; but all such attempts have proven ludicrous failures.

Mr. Blaine, with full time to prepare his reply and all of the reports at hand, did not dare to deny their authenticity, but only endeavored to break their force by the following lame explanation:

This explanation (?) cuts the throat of the whole argument to prove Confederate cruelty to prisoners, for if the Confederacy could make no better provision for its own soldiers in the field, how could it be expected to provide for its prisoners? And it is, at the same time, a very severe reflection upon the "patriot soldiers" of the North who (though hale, hearty, well equipped and well fed) not unfrequentlyinfrequently [sic] found greatly inferior numbers of these "emaciated and reduced" skeletons more than a match for their valor.

But The Nation evidently sees the force of these figures, and makes an attempt to break it, which is certainly adroit, whatever we may think of its candor. It says:

That sad abuses occurred occasionally is evident enough, but that there was any general ill-treatment for which the Government was responsible there is no reason to believe except certain suspicious statistics of prison mortality made up from statements of