Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-07-25
The SIN Kes,. ami, ,l,r Connsinnnds.

] orders"
The sth KeGt. and the Conn;ibaud.
GRAFTON, July p, 1862.
Mr.. SwsgN ~ notice in an editorial j
your last TINEs reflection that the me
in company II, Sth, regiment VI. Vols. wer
returning load of contrabands a. tlse tim
they were shot near New Orleans, thong
the better which you publish, does not seer
to warrant all you say.
Any such reflection, does great injustic
to'those noble and patriotic young men, VIII
have given their lives to their country,
Lieutenant Franklin who is serioasl
wound, and another young officer in sal
Co. before leaving, told me that they wer
opposed TO returning contrabands, and in ia
vor of putting arms in their hands and max
ing all possible out of them, to put dowr
this rebellion. II is meeting with the penal
ty Of death, to refuse to obey orders in the
army. The fearful responsibility, of sup
plying the enemy with men, to dig ditch
es, raise food or otherwise assist them in
destroying us, should be placed where il
belongs. Did not the Vermont Legislature
last year, refuse to pass senator Wheeler
bill, requesting the government not to en-
ploy Vt. soldiers, in catching and returning
fhe rebels, slave? Does not every conven-
ton and meetingof politicians in the State,
indorse this policy of the government? II
there is any Blame, or reflection, to be made
let 1t be upon ourselves, where it belongs, not
upon as fine company Of young men as
has left our State.
/ amTled TO write this correction, because
l heard man, who has son in the Poto-
mac army say: "That he wished all had
been killed." The public should not be
deceived to place responsibility upon the
innocent. D.
We do not think cur brief allusion to
this matter, last week warrants the con-
struction placed upon it by our correspon-
dent, as it will be seen, that we referred to
the time our soldiers were fred into, while
sending back the negroes, and not at the
time they were actually killed or wounded
but as others may possibly understand it in
that light, we are glad to have this oppor
tunity to say, that no reflection whatever
was intended on Co. H., and all our cores
pendent says in their praise, we endorse
most heartily. We know some of the men
personally. 1t is Captain buttons compa-
ny raised in Townshend, composed of
men of education and of the most undoubted
patriotism. They were doubtless obeying
orders, and certainly we would not have
them do otherwise. The very foundation
Of good soldier is to obey orders, and if
our soldiers have orders repugnant to their
feelings as men, and yet obey those orders,
they only prove themselves so much the
more worthy as true and faithful soldiers.
What we wish to condemn is the act of
employing our troops in returning slaves,
and with cur correspondent we wish to
place the responsibility "where it belongs"
II the sending back of he forty slaves--un-
der fire of the enemy, be it remembered
contributed toward putting down the trail
tors in that region, very well we are
willing to submit to any military necessi-
ty." In fact it is the military necessity"
that we have been waiting for ever, since
the war began. But the bare idea Of our
soldiers being engaged in returning negroes,
and shot at by white traitors during the
operation, is monstrous to the last deeree.
and in this we no doubt have the hearty
concurrence of our correspondent, and every
truly loyal man in America.
Thank God, tire signs Of the times are
propitious. The president is giving "fair
warning" The "extreme measures" which
were whispered about last year, are now
talked out loud. The constitution, which
most mistakenly by some good men, has been
held up between us and the rebels, is now
being withdrawn, and is no longer to serve
as screen 10 traitors, under the tender
footed and mistaken plea of "unconstitu-
tienality."
ca A correspondent ofthe Pienir, Civ
ing an account of the same affair of Capt.
Dutton, Co. II, Sth Vermont, with the re-
bells, which we published last week, signific-
antiy says