The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-06-11
The Cat Out of the Wallet
Why Gen Stone aoas Arrested-His
Letter to AdJutaat GeneralS. Williams
TFrom the Boston Post.7

Governor Andrews Hunter letter is not
the first outburst he has made in the way
of melting insubordination, in attempting
to control the soldiers of the q. States,
who had been enlisted in Massachusetts
Ia December last he addressed letter to
Lieut.. Col. Palfrey, then commanding the
Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts
volunteers, in which he ordered him not
to allow his soldiers to be employed in
returning fugitive slaves. Gov. Andrew, !,
like Mr.. Charles Sumner, did not stop to
inquire whether those troops had been so
employed in returning fugitive slaves, or
were likely to be so employed; but, hav-
ing heard the word negro rushed on
biindly, like the bull at the scarlet cloth
Colonel Palfrey, of course, transmitted
Governor Andrews extraordinary letter
to his commanding General, and General
Store again transmitted it to General
Met Clellar, with letter which we print
below, This letter was copied and sent
by General McClelan's order to Governor
Andrew. We understand that, at the
same time, General Mcclellan addressed
another letter directly to Governor AM,
drew on the same subject, and in the same.
vein. @
We recommend Governor Andrew to
get these letters off file, and read them
over carefully, lay their telling truths to
heart, and see if he cannot learn to per-
manently school himself TO silence, aud
leave military matters to the officers and
officials of the United States.
[coPY.
I. HEADQUARTERS CoRPs OF OBsERvA.
TIoN, PoeLEv1LLE. Dec. Is, 1861.
BRIaADIER GENERAL s. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adj't General:
GENERAL: / have the honor 10 in
close herewith copy of most extraor-
dinary letter, addressed by authority of a
Governor of State, directly to the
Lieutenant Colonel commanding a regi
ment of Unitad States volunteers, serv.
ing in this division. aud respectfully re-
quest that the matter may be brought to
the attention OF Che Major General com
:,
to devise measures which shall in future
prevent such unwarrantable and danger
Gus interference with the subordinate
commands Of the army.
sThe fact that most of the soldiers in
the regiment referred TO, were enlisted into
the service of the United States, in the
State of which the Governor referred to
is the respected Chief Magistrate, does
not, / conceive, give his Excellency 8
right to assume control of the interior
discipline of the regiment; nor does il
give him authority to command the pun
ishment of mer.torious. officer, for any
often e, either real or imaginary.
4 ..If the officer referred to has beer
guilty of any offeuse, (Which am free Il
+ say, do not believe he has been, tn
military law prescribes the mode of pre-
, ferring charges and the channels through
!, which they shall be preferred, as well q
the mode of trial and the extent an,
> manner of punishment. 10
j, "While / endeavor to hold those unde
( my command strictly amenable to ster
7 military law. which they have sworn t
S obey, it is equally my study to protect a.
f whom l have the honor command agains
e wrongs attempted to be inflicted on ther
r in defiance of the laws of the Union-
the supreme law of the land.
D Thousands of brave men, gathered in
: to the service of the Union ethe whol
i. Union) from FIVE or more different State
S Of the Union, are now serving in this d
t vision. and enduring, unmurmuringl
o cold, hardship aud fatigue, simply be
d cause ambitious State officials have nr
a constitutionally used their power to wres
$ from the United States officials the trust
o confded to them by the nation.
e "The usurpations. by these ambition
q State authorities commenced in muc
smaller matters than this, of assumin
j. authority in United States regimen
serving in the field against the public Ell
b emy, far removed from the State of whic
J. His Excellency is Governor, and it ma
n ters little to me whether the, usurpatio
# comes from North or South, Georgia {
d Massachusetts, feel it my duty to brin
J. the matter at once to an issue, and,
If possible, to srrest the evil before its ne
e ural fruit (open rebellion) shall be PR
If duced, D
it 1.-The course of Major Anderson, OF
10 yeer since, in refusing to permit interfe
d ence in the internal affairs of his con
e mand in Fort Sumter, on the part of IL
a Governor of the State in which he W,
= serving the Union, was eminently distast
e full to the Governor of South Carolin,
. Nevertheless, Major Anderson's sense
le duty prevented him from fulfilling th
8. Governors desires. ss.ss.sT
9, "Disagreeable as it may be to me
At do anything distasteful to the Govern
of of any State of the Union, / do not fe
of that it is consistent with my sworn du
t. to permit any Governor to give orde
is affecting the discipline of any regime
SIS which the Government of the Union b
le intrusted to my command.
4 At ~, not owora that fhoro l. =