The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-04-01
CAMP 9Th L. S. Colored t,
Troops, Feb. IS, 1864. {,
SIR mo friend of minel-l have the

and possibly, if directed tc some one OF your
eo-~orkers of iniquity (the myrmidon> o;
Jeii Davis 1T might have met their (or hisl
approval and have been reiterated IN Kind,
bat as for me scnin to own any such rebel
sympaihizer as friend Of NINE leur .t;-
ter appears TO be made up of the bitterness
of 4 heartless traitor, VINO being unable 10
express in mere words at home, or 10 force
upon falsome, tawning, syccphantlc copper
heads your Infinite wisdom, You took IN. l5-
erty 20 vent the full force OF Your enveIomed
spleen upon me, relying, perhaps. upon The
ties of cid friendship 20 tau.t me with what
L had once said in regard 10 " "niggers,' and
you are now pluming yourself upon hsring
adhered to the copperhead principle Of down
with the niggers," the administration ard
the Union. and allow Jeff ID avis and his sa-
herents TO rule this country. You seem 10
gl.'ry in the slayeoeracy and 10 wish that The
South might he suco >>tri in their undertak-
iLgs 10 establish Sru;hern Co.federacy and
make enc mighty slaIe sIerIet Of what WIS
0nce-ard We. aaai. SauH Js-the great
American JniCn. You say thaI you ccnsid-
er yourself E here because .ou paid The sum
OF $3.50 90 procure substitute fo save yopr
noble self from the exposure incident TO he
battlefield. Now, for one moment let me
inquire, AoT did you paw tha, $3.50 that yon
are PLAYING that inevitable democratic game
Of brag about? viii tel you, fer in all
probability you are of The opinion that /
know nothing about Il, or, at least, YOU seem
TO think so. In the first place the town OF
Straford voted to pay $500 to al those who
were drafted to help them hire 6 substitute,
IN order that no democrat should leave the
town, IA rather than such : thing would
happen they would subscribe the remaining
$50 las they did in your casel and keep
them II home to boast of their hero-e-ic con-
duct In nyt coming 10 the war. Truly such
Men are WI represented bv the aliens who
are hired by them Of the substitute brokers
Of New York, who hire them for a Mere pit
,ance, beside the cost of bad uhiskev which
Il costs 20 intozica:e them. Those Who are
ever ready TO COMPLAIN IF the amounts paid
10 soldicfs-and their familes-who are
fighting their cllntry's battles fer them
men who echo and re-echo the crv OF uncon-
s.itutionGl at every act cf Congress, (espec-
iaiiy the CONSUMPTION bilD-CowARDs who
dare not meet the FOE. but shrink behind
taeir $50 (subscriptionl as they would be-
hind some friendly rock or tree, if on the
battlefield, seeking some nook or corner TO
hide them from the foe. Can vru find no
better capa.ion-nothing better suited TO
yoar narrow mind than reviling me because
| an drilling q race Of human beings-yes,
human beings, IS m lch par, rf Gods Gre
alton as either you or I-wao have been en-
s.aved in 4 nominaly free country for wears ,
De you remember The Litter ycr wrote TO
NE two wears ago last September. in which
YOU made the remark taat i ;s the duty Of
very ynung man in the Nom n put his
shoulder 10 the Wheel and h,l - ight the hal
ties Q. his c-an'rv ?" Whe:e now is al
ycur ho@s,sd patriotism? | can answer
dWindfed down in:o four hundred and ffv
dollars to hire q substitute and thai paid hv
the town. Is that the wav in which YOU
think that every young man should Put his
shoulder 70 the uheel2 had hoped that
among my school fellows should not find a
Del svmpathlzer, one who would address To
me such language as YOU used in vour letter
"A man who being born north OF Mason
and D.xo'l's line that cooid say siarer, va.
right. OF :ntn-t -te as ruch lax saving what
YOU di,: in regard TO ne slaves returning Il
their masters. Tne man i say who lives
north o. that line ana c3n s,v that he thinks
slavery is right. must nave r, signed al claims
of manhood indeed he Pvs- was possess
e,i Of arv spch qlal.tv-anr such ennobling
quality as Il claim to manhood Think how
YOU would feel were Ven in The same position
that these men have been in being ground
down By the ron heel of the opnressur-
forced TO labor for the comfort ana aygran-
diz.ment Of scne southern iyrart and b.
rewarded b. blows and hnocks; ,es, 20 Tear
the sears G: such brutal tr.alulent through
he, ard tnen-bscaYee vou tad offered vo1r
lie upon your oouniEy's altar-io be sneered
al by Men .ho should be- loudest in Your
praise, ald advised 10 return to those brutal
masters and I've on life Q! slavery and
misery when the path OF usefulness lies
open before yod. What would be your feel
ings in that case2 appeal 10 your better
judgment, 10 your hum mlni;y, If indeed -rcu
have any such releeming quality, which I
doubt very much.
Sir, can but fee. g7a,efl! 70 yo1 for yo'Ir
coniesc=nsion in renewing your acqaail, ance
with cne t1at Won considered SO far beneath
you while in The Capacity OF q private soldier,
and stil! farther degraded by what you call
(to use your owa wo-ds) al heU Of pro-
motion, and one tia: viii ever illume the
career CT ice rIime-and that viii ever b.
considered a laurel of honor upon the de-
scendanis Of tie very patriotic Massa Prime
You speak Of the name Of "conscript as
being destined % live upon the pages 0: his
tory when tha. If baby bounty shall have