The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-11-21
Letter from a Uniou Judge I'm Ala.
bama.
THE MISTAKES OF GEN. MITCHEL-HOw RED
ELS SHOULD BE TREATED

The Louisville Journal publishes let
ter from Hon. GEO. W. LANE, q loyal
judge in northern Alabama, to the Secre-
tary of War. AS the only civil officer of
the government in Alabama, he feels inter-
ested in the policy to be pursued by the
administration towards the citizens of that
State, in view Of its repossession by the
Federal army. He calls upon the admi-
nistratiOn to have care that the new COM
handing general of the department shall
avoid mistakes fallen into by Gen. BUELL..
He says:
When virtue is prosecuted and vice re-
warded, the principles of justice are re-
versed and the foundation of all wise gov
eminent is reversed. 1t matters not if
virtue is prosecuted through the neglect
which does not take measures to protect
it and vice remain unpublished through
pity for the criminal, the result is the
same. The criminal who is not punished
for his crime is encouraged in his vicious
course. The honest man who is
not protected and rewarded for his
virtues is encouraged to be vicious
The citizen who is not punished for his
disloyalty is encouraged to be traitor.
The loyal citizen who is not protected and
rewarded for his loyalty is urged to be dis
loyal. The tendency of the whole is to
make treason respectable. When General
Mitchell came into power in North Alaba
ma, care was taken to announce that the
army of the United States came for the
purpose of protection. AS far as it went,
this was right; but it should have said
who was to be protected, and it should
have told who was to be punished. Facts
which are not to be denied will show that,
during the occupancy OF the district by
the United States army, citizens who have
been guilty OF treason were earthly pro-
tected, and, in many instances of poverty,
provided for. To this class of known re-
bells care was taken to show that the Unit
ed States government was humane and
forgiving government, and, as a cOnse-
quence, it was made to appear that it was
not a just one. Rebels were the first to sue
Gen. Mitchell for protection. Some who
were Union at heart did not ask for that
which was their due and thus granted tothe
government, lacking in the first great at
tribute of justice. The result was as
might have been expected. Guards
stood at the doors of traitors to protect
them from the struggling and riotous SOL
diers who follow every army. Petty thefts
were committed in unguarded houses of
Union men who had not sued for protec-
ton and for guards. Whsn levies were to
be made for supplies, those in charge of
foraging parties found safeguards in the
hands of avOwed rebels, and, respecting
them, seized the property of Union men
who had sought no safeguards. Union
men saw all this daily. They saw that no
effort was made to detect crime, and Grim
inals saw, in fact, that treason was not
looked upon as a crime, nor traitors as
criminals. Loyal men, who had been forced
to leave their homes, returned to them I'M
der the protection of our flag, to find their
traitorous neighbors, who had aided in per-
scouting them, also under its protection.
No disloyal citizen fled at the approach of
those whom they had declared to be their
enemies, and whom they declared they
regarded as Vandals. In short, Union
men saw it was safer to be traitors than
loyal men, because the United States gov
eminent was not just enough to punish the
traitors, and the rebel authorities only per-
secuted the loyal.
The Judge urges that rebels should be
regarded as undeserving the protection of
the government, and should be banished
beyond the federal lines, and not permitted
to return. THE army should subsist upon
the enemy. The rebels have chosen to
look to rebels for protection; they should
expect none from the loyal army"
In conclusion, he urges an immediate
advance of the army upon the region to
which Chattanooga is the key. He says
that "from Tennessee comes the entire
supply of coal for the rebel confederacy.
To stop that supply would put an end to
the operations of nearly all the foundries
and arsenals of the south. To take Chat
tanooga would be to cause the evacuation
of all East Tennessee, and the important
point of Knoxville would fall into our
hon1u