Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-09-08
CANADA-JEFF DAviS-ANNBXA-
ATION

(frVAte Letter.
Your welcome letter | received in due
time and was much interested In your de-
scription of southern treatment OF Union
prisoners, and do not at all wonder at your
wishing to see so many of them dance the
tight rope. l think that the Northern Gov
eminent should make at least few exam
Piles say take the one mos. guilty in each
Of the rebel States, and with JEFF for com
pany, string them up. do believe tina. the
demagogues Of the South who "fred the
southern heart" are more to blame for the
rebellion than the fighting leaders. If In
Johnsons place would select from among
the class referred TO, and don't know but
would also add the foremost smcng the
southern members of Congress- who withdrew
from Washington and from their seats in
Congress. II few Of these were thrown in
it would be (if wroug) errng on the safe
side. II no one suffers death then no one
has committed treason, for does not the con-
sutution say, treason shall DO punished by
death"
1t may have been providential the whole
affair, that slavery should die by the war and
good may have come ou' of evil. II JEFF was
the instrument Providence used to break
down slavery does it follow that he should
now be allowed to go unpunished br plung.
ing the country into wati But for tie re-
bellion slavery would still be in existence,
but no thanks to the rebels for its extinction.
l have heard the above plea made for JEFF,
but hold that in such matters men act free,
and that their acts are overruled for great
est good in the end. Az Jei's intentions
we're not to accomplish the good that has
been gained, but rather to roll back the age
at least a century, his guilt is Of the blacklist
character, and should meet the fate It de-
serves, and which | hope Johnson will have
the frmness to mete out to him Those 10.
human wretches, too. who starved prisoners
at the bidding Of the Richmond officials, and
all of the latter on whom any Of the respon.
sibihty Of such acts rest, should be made to
"pull rope"
In Canada, at present though it is not
much agitated, there exists strong feeling
in favor Of anne xation, except among thai
class who fatten on Government pay. Nearly
every man almost feels and knows that If il
took place his property would be enhanced
in value at least from fifty to one hundred
per cent. As soon as all look at it in thi,
way the feeling would be general The Ca
madam Parliament is to meet on the 8 b inst
when those delegates who have been to Eng
land to arrange about confederation of the
provinces will make their report. do ho
think the project will succeed. The Eastern
Territory is not much in favor of the
scheme, prefer-ing to wait and float into an.
nexatiun in preference to being confederateJ
with the other provinces. This opinion i,
good in regard to large portion Of the Fin.
glish speaking Inhabitants. The French, too
are divided on this, many Of them being il
favor Of il.
Tse United States delegates at Detroi
seemed to to be rather opposed to a renewa
of reciprocity some OF them thinking /
would force annexation upon the CAM dian :
| hardly think IL would have this effect, q,
many would look at it as unfriendly, an,
would perhaps think that an effort to devel
ope our own resources. aud confederation o
provinces, and railroad to lower province
through British territory, would in the ent
be better for US than to be annexed. am o
opinion the best way (for believe il will no
come through war or rebellion. would he Il
make a treaty so as to brig about the great
est amount OF intercourse between the tw
countries, and the people would begin to Sc
that if an adopted child Of Uncle Sam, Can
ada would share in the old gents pTopert
far more than if only friend and neig Dor
take it as a proof of high civilization
when the people of whole continent, boun
together by bonds Of iron, railways and tele
: graphs) can consent to have one government
} Take the other extreme Of small communitie
having jealousies Of each other, and perpet
ua feuds and standing armies, and how d
, the people OF such compare; In the begin
ming we have tribes of men and then nations
Trioes occupy sm III portions of territory, ma
tons occupy large ground, as in Europe
which, though it may boast Of its fine cltie
and ancient systems, their broken up countr
divided into twenty or thirty separate State,
continually 10 trouble, is proof of their nc
! having yet been able to shake IF all the DARK
4 ness of the middle ages. America put fol
ward as the hope of the world. Her bHgh
example Of people governing themselye
without any aid from titled aristocracy q
hereditary princes, where merit, as il Shout
be, is natures and the only mobility az
: knowledged, where all start equally in III
race of life, and the highest place in the Ian
is open to the mos humble born if his talent
fit him for the post.