The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-29

lone i'm behalf OF the prisoners" 1 met Il
Mr.. Young at Halifax, on my way here, j
IN May last He showed me letters from e
men whom 1 knew by reputation to be q
true friends of state rights, and there g
fore of Southern independence, voucn-
ing for his integrity as a man, his piety
as Christian and his loyalty as a sol {
der of the South. After satisfying me
that his heart was with us in our strug- {
ltle, and that he had suffered imprison-
ment for many months as soldier OF
the confederate states, from which he
had escaped, he developed his plans for
retaliating some of the injuries anu
outrages inflicted upon the South.
thought them feasible and fully war
ranted by the law of nations, and there
fore recommended him and his plans TO
the Secretary of War. He was sent
back by the Secretary of War with
commission as second lieutenant to exc
cute his plans and purposes, but to re-
port to Hon. and myself. we
prevented his achieving or attempting
what / am sure he could have done for
us. and which may be fully explained
hereafter. Finally, disappointed in his
original purpose, and In all the suose--
auent enterprises projected. he proposed
to return to the confederate states via
Halifax, but passing through the New
England States and burning sometoWns
and robbing them of whatever he could
convert to the use of the confederate
government.
This approved as justifiable retalia-
ton. We attempted to burn the toWn
of st. Adams, Vermont, and would
have succeeded, but for the failure of tile
chemical preparations with which he
was armed. Believing the town was al
ready fired in several places, and must
be destroyed he then robbed the banks
of all the funds he could find, amount.
| ing to more than two hundred thousand
dollars. That he was not prompted ny
| selfish or mercenary motives, ana that
| he did not intend to convert the funds
| taken to his own use, but to that OF the
confederate States, / am as we'll satlshed,
as T am that he is an honest man, true
soldier and patriot; and no one VINO
knows him will question his title to this
character. He assured me, before going
on the raid, that his efforts would be TO
DESTROY towns and farm houses, not to
plunder or to rob but, he said, II after
firing a town he saw he could take funds
from bank or any thing which might
inflict injury on the enemy, and benefit
his own government, he would do so.
He added most emphatically, that what
ever he took should be turned over to the
government or its representatives IN
foreign lands. My instructions to nm,
+ oft repeated, were, ITO destroy Whatever
+ was valuable-not TO stop or rob; bu!
if, after firing town, he could seIze ana
carry off money, or treasury, or bank
!. notes. he had a right to do so, upon con-
, dition that they were delivered 10 the
nroner authorities of the confederate
States.n That they were not delivered
according to his promise and intention
was owing, I am sure, to the failure o
= his chemical compound to fire the town
and to the capture of himself and men
on Canadian soil, where being surprised
, and overpowered by superior numbers
from the United States. On Showing
: me his commission and his instruction.
from Mr., Seldom, which were OF cours
!, vague and indefinite, he said he wa
i authorized to do all the damage he coul'
. to the enemy in in way of retaliation
:. RI this be true, it seems to me the Con
~ federate States government should no
!, hesitate to avow his act was fully au
~ thorjzed as warrantable retaliation. !
70 the government do not assume the res
nonsibility of this raid, think Lieu
tenant Young and his men will be givel
: nm To the United States authorities. i
u so. fear the exasperated and alarme
u people of Vermont will excite cruel an
q summary vengeance upon them, eeior
- they reach the prison OF st. Aloaus.
=, The sympathies OF nine tentns OF ti
Canadians are with Young and his mel
~ "a majority of all the newspapers lustli
# or excuse his act as merely retaliation
Az and they desire only the authority OF tn
20 tota
~ resist their extradition. The refusal 9
" extradition is fully warranted by Tn
~ like course of the United States in man
" cases cited lately in the Canadian liape
y which cannot now repeat, but whiG
al YOU can readily find. The refusal of e,
Tradition would be of salutary polite
-. influence, it is thought, both in the Bri
III isb provinces and in England. | cal
u not now explain why. l trust thereto
u for the sake not only of the brave SC
~ diers who attempted this daring exploi
which has caused panic througho
the United States bordering on Canad
and the organization of forces to rests
w. as well the arbitrary and tyraupo
order of Gen. Dix touching the comii
presidential election, but for the sake
our cause and country, that the Pres
: dent will assume the responsibility
the act of Lieut.. Bennett n. IouuS, al
that you will signify it in such form
OF will entitle it to admission as eviden
"a. In the pending trial.
m, / send the special messenger who bea
- this that your answer may be broug
ne back by him within ten days, or by t
Ike 18th inst. The final judgment can a.
ia. will be postponed for the action OF
he confederate States government as 10
as possible, certainly for ten days.
az avail myself of this opportunity
jr., bring to your notice the case of CAPITA
he Charles II. Cole, another escaped prls
w ner of Gen. Forests command, W
was taken about six weeks since in
40 Michigan, (the Federal war steamer
ida Lake Erie) and is charged with an
to tempt at piracy, (for attempting to ca
ro. ture the vessel with being. spy, .
w The fact is that he projected and cal
yery near executing plan for the ca
ture of that vessel and the rescue OF I
~. prisoners on Johnson's Island. He fail
ned only because of the return of the captf
ties Carter of the Michigan day soor
by than expected, aud the betrayal in ca
ara. lseuoence of CPS return) of the ent
led plot. The only plausible ground
of charging him with being spy Is u
the he was in Sandusky, on JohnsoiPs
Us land and oo,the Michigan frequent