Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-07-19

"hiJ IlOltillRi uut WOlhuR uut lhpu iuioiho' WV
son in his department, claiming all the time The
protection Of the Constitution and laws of the
United States, at last sent the following letter to
Gen. Burbrdge:
llEADQ'Rs Mil DIVISION on THE Miss,
In the Field, Big Shanty Ga, June 81. !
Gen. Brpbridge Com'dg District Of Kentucky
General: The recent rail Of Morgan, and the
concurrent acts of menstyliog themselves UonIed-
crate partlsans or guerrilas, call for determined
action on your part
Even on the Southern Estate Rights theory
Kentucky has not seeded. Her people, by their
votes and by their actions, have adhered to their
alleg auce TO the National Government, and the
South would now coerce her out of our Union
aud into theirs, by the very dogma OF coercion "
upon which so much stress was laid at the outset
OF the war, and which carried into rebellion the
people Of the Middle and Border States,
Put politics aside these acts Of the so-caed
partisans VI guenilas are nothing but simple muir
der, DEMONSTRATING, arson and other well.defned
crimes, which do not sound as well under their
true name as more agree lille ones OF warike
meaning.
Now, before starting on this campaign, fore
saw, as you remember, that this case would arise,
and asked Governor Bramlette ~ at once organ
lze IN each county small trustworthy band, un-
der the Sheriff il possible, and at one dash arrest
every man in the community who was dangerous
10 IL and also every fellow hanging aboat the
towns, villages and crossroads, who had no hon
est calling the material out of which guerrilIas
/ al do ~ lint al
power doubtless seemed to the Governor arbi-
trary.
| Inc fact IL, in our country personal liberty has
been 70 well secured, that public safety is lost
sight Of in our laws and Constitution, and We
are thrown back one hundred years in ciyili-
zuon, law, and everything else, and will 70
straight to anarchy and the devil, if somebody
don arrest our downward progress. We, the
military, must do il, and we have rights and laws
on our side. All Governments aud communities
have right 70 guard against real and even sup
posed danger. The whole people Of Kentucky
must not be kept in a state Of suspense, and rea
DANGER lest lew innocent men should be wong
fully accused.
l. You may order all your Post and DisIic
Commanders that guerrias are not soldiers bu
Wild beasts, unknown to the usages Of Nar K
be recognized as soldiers they must be enlisted
enrolled, Differed uniformed, armed and equipped
10y recognized Deliigerent power, and must,
detached from a main army be Of suihclen
strength with written eIder, from some arm.
commander to dc some military thing. o. cours
we have recognized he Confederate Government
as beligerent power, but deny their night e
our lands, territories, rivers, coasts, and national
liiy-admltting the right TO rebel and move tt
some other country, where laws and customs art
more IN accordance with their own ideas anC
prejudices.
2. The civil power being insufficient to protec
HE and property &" Il necessitdtd rti,' to proven
anarchy, which nature abhors,' the military
steps n, and is righttu constitutional and lawful
IND this aw, everybody can be made to stay
At home and mind his or her own business, anC
l. they won't do that, can be sent away, where
Itey cannot keep their honest neighbors IN iesl
u danger, robbery and insult
). Your military Commanders, Provost Mar
sbas and othfr agents, may arrest all males and
feml es who have encouraged or harbored guerll'
las aud robbers, and you may cause them 10 be
collected in Louisville, and when you have enough
say three or four hundred, | will cause them to
oe sent down the Mississippi, through the guer-
r'la gauntlet, and by sailing ship send them tc
a land where they may take their negroes and
make colony with laws and future of their
own. II they WORT live in peace in such gar
den as Kentucky, why, We will kindly send them
to another, il not better ! nd, a surely thl'
would be kindness to them, and Gods bles
sing to Kentucky. ] wish you 10 understand thai
no personalities are mixed up in this, nor does a
full and generous love Of country, cot the south,
Of their State or country, form cause of Danish
ment, but that deyilsh spirit that will not be sat
isfed, and that makes war the PreteIt Tor murder
son, theft, in all ts grades, perjury, and all th
crimes OF human nature.
My osn preference was and is, that the CIV
authorities OF Kentucky would and could do TIL
in that State but il they will not or cannot, thel
We must, for il mus, be done. There must be al
" end to STRIFE and the honest, industrious PEG
Of Kentucky aud the - hole world would be ben
nehtted and rejoiced at the conclusion, hoveve
arrived at.
use no concealment in saying, that do no
object to men or women having what they cal
" southern feeling II confined to love OF countr
and OF peace, honor and security, and even it'll
family pride, but these becomes crimes, wheu CT
Iarged to mean love OF murder, Of war, desc laton
famine and all the horrible attendants oil anarchy
| am with respect, your friend,
(Signed) W. I. SHERMAN, Ma. Gen.
We cannot refrain from saying that The aOov
plain talk seems to us to be very nearly night !
and it stirs the blood like the blast Of trumpet
1t has determination, point, cearness, force an
manifest justice and righteousness peryading 1t
and more of such energy and force of expression
as the above, at Washington, and less spasmodi
and unnecessary violence, would have been, and b
now of great service to the country.
| -