The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-08-15
Military Criticisms.

We clip the following paragraph from the
printed report Of the war meeting at Bellows
Falls, on Tuesday of last week
Several calls were made for Col Slough
ton, and, in obedience thereto, he made his
appearance on the platform. when he was
greeted with tie most tumul,uous applause.
He briefly depicted the state of affairs on the
peninsula. and ascribel the blame of all our
defeats TO the radicals at Washington, inii-
utii t55'u Jtti'tnt It,.",vl,,, EyT,..T,y V.t'.
hare made short wo,k Of that aboitiion nest.
B. +. IrguS, July 81.
1t is the universal Judgment of this COM
muni;y, we believe, that since his appoint
ment as Colonel of the Ith regiment, Colonel
Stough,on has discharged the laborious and
responsible duties Of his POSITION well and
bravely and none bear more willing testl
mony in this behalf, than those who honestly
believed that his youthfulness, and conse-
quent inexperie ice, afforded sufficient ground
to fear that he might be deficient in that calm
self control and mature judgment, so indi>
pensable to those who hold the health and
lives of their fellow men in their hands. But
all such fears have passed away. He has full
" justified, in his military career thus far,
the high expectations of his friends, and has
happily disappointed the fears of those who.
for the reasons above recited. were less conf
dent of his success. Thus far, well.
But in our judgment Col Stoughton did
neither well nor bravely. and not even deco
rously, when, holding a commission in the
service of the government, he so far forgot
himself as to utter the sentiments attributed
, to him relative to these in authority over
him, and especially relative to that branch OF
the government, upon whose will and author
ity the army depends for its very existence.
! Is it indeed true, as has sometimes been as
serted, that spirit of INSTRUMENTATION has
been Systematically cultivated or foste:ed in
the army of the Potomac, until it has come
to be considered allowable to contemplate
even, the violent overthrow of the civil gov
ernment Has it come to this, that Con
gress-the repository of nearly all real pow
er under our frame Of government-is to bt
threatened and bullied, and be bespatteret
with foul epithets, by military officers of hisl
or low degree, because, forsooth, they DECLINE
: to shout peans, in advance Of victory, to thi
or tha: military leader! Such a spirit, if i
exists, will neither preserve republicanisn
nor win victories.
In denouncing the abolitionists-a class,b
the way, who, whatever their former sin;
now stand almost to man shoulder to shou
| der with the loyal hosts Of the North in sur
port of the President and government-Co
S Stoughton simply follows the lead of the VI
t thinking crowd, who mistake slang phrase
for argument. He should be capable {
f something higher and better. Col Stougl
e ton did, and probably still does, claim to be
democrat; yet he, and scores like him, ha1
+ been generously placed in positions whel
e great emoluments are sure, and high honol
9 may be won, by the official organs OF part
h nineteen twentieths of whose members
e now denounces for by the term "abolitiol
'. ist,' he evidently means, like many of simll'
n political faith. all who do not love slavery fl
Of its own sake. How far such language
r, conduct comports with good taste, to use I
D. harsher term, may be safely left to the mo
lie sober reflection of Col Stoughton himself
n- decide. 1t is exceedingly fortunate tn
a these evidences of youthful indiscretion cr'
of out in his oratorical rather than his militia
le eGorts.-Brataeboro Ph9nir.