The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-03-14


They drove that invading army from
your borders, and restored quiet and 90.
curity to the inhabitants Of your North
ern frontier, and then returned to their
homes and to their daily toll. Not the
less meritorious nro they that they did
not take care that their names we're en-
rolled for payment or that they have
never called upon the Government, even
for just remuneration, until long years
afterwards, when they found the Govern.
ment, in the fulness Of it, Treasury and
in the magnitude of Its domain, dealing
out pensions and bounty lands to almost
everybody olso.
The objection that this will extend the
provisions Of the bill TOO far and embrace
200 largo number is not very salts
factory reason for an act ofadmittcd and
manifest Partially. Besides, sir, it
comes too late. You have already OK.
tended the provisions of the bill either
quite too far or not quite far enough. The
objection has already lost its application,
and therefore its force. The bill adop is
the principle Of granting bounty to all
who have ever rendered even nominal
service in war, and now we only ask you
to extend il SO far as TO reach all who
have rendered actual services in times of
pressing emergency, We ask you only,
in other words, to make your bill equit.
able and impartial in its operation.
The objection that the law cannot be
executed regard as a nero chinera. as
a naked and unsustained assertion. If
the law could be exccItod as the bill now
stands, embracing all who have evor been
mustered iuto tho military service of the
country, Or their generation after them,
it is Idle to pretend that it canno, be ex.
ccdied If it 10 made to embrace the
comparatively small addition of the uh-
enrolled and unpaid volunteers who, in a
time of imminent peril, went out to the
aid Of your regular troops and saved
them from defeat and your country from
dishonor apprchend there will be no
great difficulty in the execution Of the
law.
The digestion that it will open a wild.
er avenue TO the commission Of frauds
upon the Government have before en-
deavored briefly to answer. | repeat,
the evidence of the services of unenrulled
volunteers can be made as clear, as con
elusive, and as reliable as though their
names figured upon musterroll
Moreover, if frauds continue to be prac
tised upon the Government, as most I'M
douLtedly they will you may be assured
that it will be by other means and by
other modes than by attempting to show
volunteer service at Plattsburg or any
where else which in reality never
was rendered. Besides this, Mr.. Presi-
dent, your Government peculators and
your public plundercrs usually strike at
higher game they strike for richer
prize than the Paltry consideration of a
quarter section of public land. l dis
miss this objection as Of very little
weight
MIR. President, I was exceedingly gra-
tilted, when this bill was last under con-
sideration the other day, to hear the dis
tinguished Senator from Michigan (Mr
CAss) award the tribute of high com
mendation to the conduct of the Yer
mont militia during the war of 1912. l
can assure tho honorable Senator that
his commentator will be as highly ap.
preciated as it is well deserved. 1t is
true, as was stated by the Hon Senator
on that occasion, that the Governor of
Vermont, in Nov, 1913. issued proc
lamation ordering the immediate return
to the State Of a certain brigade of mill
tia who had previously PASSED over to
the opposite side Of tho lake into the
State of New York, where an invasion
of the enemy from Canada was daily ap-
pretended, and directing them to hold
themselves in readiness to receive the
orders of the State authorities, and TO
protect and defend the exposed frontiers
Of our own State Lake Champlain was
also, at that time, in possession of the
British feet, our own not having been
fitted out until the following spring. Its
borders were exposed to attack and In
fact two or three hostile demonstrations
had already been made upon the Yer
mont side. 1t is true. also, that that
brigade of volunteer militia refused to
obey that summons. Since reference
has been made to that proclamation,and
as it has often been made the subject OF
setere animadversion, it is but right and
just that | should read it to the Senate,
in order that the reasons assigned by the
Governor himself may be the moro fully
understood and his motives the better
appreciated
BY his Excellency Martin Chittenden,
Esq, Governor, Captain General, and
Commanderin.chief in and over the
State Of Vermont.
PROCLAMATION.
Whereas it appears that the third
brigade of the third division of militia OF
this State has been ordered from our
frontiers to the defence of neighboring
State and whereas it further appcars,to
the extreme regret of the Captain Gen
eral, that a part of the militia of said
brigade have been placed under the com
mand and at the disposal of an officer of
the United States. out Of the jurisdiction
or control of the Executive of this State,
and have bcon actually marched to the
defence Of sister State fully competent
to all the purposes of self defence, where
by an extensive section of our own from
tier is left, in measure, unprotected,
and the peaceable, good citizens thereof
are put in great jeopardy and exposed
TO the retaliatory iucursions and rayages
of an exasporated euemy and whereas
disturbances of very serious nature are
believed to exist in consequence of por-
ton OF the militia having been thus or
I'LL o,,t of Aha Ctata Thnrofnra IN