Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-09-13

In lne course ~ tue N"i W. H'"NFN"-
drnce the State Legislatures passed various
acts for the punishment Of the sympathiz-
ers with the enemies Of tile country. In
Massachusetts they could be arrested under
a Magistrates warrant and banished, unless
they would take the oath of allegiance to
the Wing cause. The selcctmen or trust
ees Of towns conld prefer charges OF poi;l-
cal ireachery in town meetings, and the ae-
cused, if convicted by jury, might be i'm
mediately banshed into the region occupied
by the enemy. Many persons were su'Jec-
ted TO these penalties in that State.
Rhode Island passed laws still more Sc
we're against the tories. Any person who
should communicate with the ministry, or
their representatives, or who should pilot
armed ships Of the Kings, or who afforded
supplies to the enemy's forces, might by
law, be punished by death and conf cation
of estate. There we're also special acts
passed in that State, by which the property
of certain persons named was confiscated
and sequestered.
In Connecticut, speaking, writing or act
ing against the doings of congress, or the
assembly of Connecticut, subjected the Of
fender to the penalties of disqualification
for office, the seizure of his arms and i'm
prisonment. For furnishing the royal troops
with supplies or personal aid, the offender
might be punished by the confiscation Of
his estate, and Imprisonment for term not
exceeding three years.
In New Hampshire similar laws were
passed, and under them large number of
tories, former citizens of that commonwealth
were prohibited from entering within her
borders and the estates of about thirty
residents were confscated.
In New York those who opposed the dec
laration of independence were prohibited
from practicing law in the courts, and their
property might be contiscated. A parent
whose sons joined the enemy was taxed
nine pence on the pound of his estate for
each and ever such son. County commit
tees were authorized to apprehend and de-
eide upon the guilt of all persons who should
be accused of correspondence with the en-
my, and they had the power to punish
them with Imprisonment or Punishment.
The legislature of Virginia provided by
law that certain tories should be treated as
aliens, their property to be sold and the
proceeds placed in the public treasury
They also, by law, forbade certain persons
entering the bounds of that commonwealth
and subjected them to penalties for the vic
laton of the command.
New Jersey passed several acts for the
punishment of tories, subjecting them t.
imprisonment and forfeiture of estates.
Tie People and the Tories.
Long before the war broke out, and dur
ing its progress, the people without dut
process of law silenced or banished many
troitors and sympathizers. Among the re
fugee tories who fed to Canada and Nov
Scotia many had dismal tales to tell Of thei
. harsh treatment by their incensed country
q men. | refrain from giving examples c
these summary punishments, which aboun
/, in our Revolutionary annals, because moi
and their actions cannot be tolerated nc
. justified without injury to the well-being {
society.
That the patriots of the Revolution wer
n clearly right in their treatment of the ira
u tors in their midst, no well-nformed ma
will deny. They worked secretly as we
% as openly. Whilst thousands of them wei
~ privately plotting the ruin of the patri'
! cause, others were in open hostility. Owe
u 10000 of them according to Mr.. Sabine
:. estimate, took up arms for the King durin
the war. Their Vaccinations greatly pr
longed the contest and caused an immen:
waste of blood and treasure. They wei
the most insidious and urelenting foes
the freemen of America who were stru:
\ /
Cling for liberty, and independence and goo
Government. Such being their position
:. it was plainly right that they should suff'
. in person and property at the hands
those whom they had so terribly injure
- The latter, as Mr. Sabine says = Americo
= Loyalists, page 92. devoted their ow
, fortunes, they importuned most of Il
:. powers of Europe for loans, and they e
tailed upon their posterity a large deb
:, and ii would indeed be strange if they cou
~ not have made forced levies upon the e
es tates of those who not only refused to he
S them, but were actually in arms, or othe
40 wise employed against them, on the roy
u side.
ms Upon precisely the same principles
lie action, it seems to me, our Government
justified in nsing vigorous measures AGAR
the abettors of this unprovoked and mo
ar strous rebellion--the tories of our da
, : The loyal men of the country are engag
h. in struggle far more momentous than Il
The of the revolution which gave birth to I
nd nation. They are struggling for the Or,
ief. ervation of the life of that nation arou
me which cluster glories never dreamed of