The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-29

| OF the messenger VINO had charge o
it, and fell into our hands
ST. CArHARISE, C. W., Nov. l, 1864.
SrR:-You have doubtless learned through
/ the press Of the United States, of the RAJ,
| on St. Albans, Vermont, by about twenty
! FIVE Confederate soldiers, nearly all Of then
escaped prisoners, led by Lieutenant Ben.
net II. Young, and their attempt and fail
ure to burn the town, and the robbery o
| three banks there of the aggregate amount
| Of about $3.50 GOO; of their arrest in Canads
/ by United States forces, their commitment
! and the pending preliminary trial. Their,
are twelve or fourteen of the twenty-five
/ who have been arrested and are now il
! prison at Montreal, where the trial for com
| nitment for extradition is now progressiu 2
| a letter from Hon. j. J. NJ. Abbott, the lead.
! ing counsel for the prisoners, dated Mont
real, 2Sth October, says to me, "We (prison-
er's counseD all think it quite clear that
the facts will not justify commitment for
extrsdition under the law as it stands; and
we conceive the strength of our position 10
consist in the documents we hold establish
ing the authority of the raiders from the
! Confederate States Government. But there
is no doubt that this authority might be
made more explicit than it is, in-so- far as
regards the particular act complained Of,
aud / presume the Confederate Government
will consider it TO be their duty to recognize
officially the acts of Lieut.. Young ana his
party, and will find means TO convey such
recognition 10 the prisoners here in such a
form as can be proven before our courts. If
this were accompanied or followed by de e
mand from your Government that the pris
oners be set at liberty, think good effect
would be produced, although probably,
the application would not be reeeiv-
ed by the authorities. There will
be at least a forInight's time, and prob
ably more, expended in the examination of
witnesses, so that there will be plenty of
time for anything that may be thought ad-
yisable to be done in behalf Of the prison
ers." l met Mr.. Young at Halifax, on my
way here, in May last. He showed me let
ters from men whom l knew by reputation
to be true friends Of State Rights, and
therefore of Southern Independence, youeh-
ing for his inregrity as a man, his piety as
Christian, and his loyaly as a soldier Of the
South. After satisfying me that his heart
was with us in our struggle, and that he
had suffered impri Onment for many
months as a soldier Of the ConfederateSlates,
from which he had escaped, he developed
his plans for retaliating some of the iDj u
res and outrages inflicted upon the South.
! thought them feasible and fully warranted
by the Iaw Of nations and therefore com
mended him and his plans to the Secretary
Of War. He was sent back by the Secre-
tary Of War with commission as second
lieutenant to execute his plans and pur-
poses, but to report to Hon. - and my
self. We prevented his achieving or at
tempting what l am sure he could have
done for us and which may be fully ex-
planned hereafter. Finally, disappointed
IN bis original purpose, and in all the sub
sequent enterprises projected, he proposed
to return 10 the Confederate States ria
Halt fax, but passing through the New
England States and burning some towns
and robbng them Of whatever he could
convert to the use Of the Confederate Gov
ernment.
This ! approved as justifable retaliation.
He attempted to burn the town of St. Al
bans, Vermont, and would have succeeded
but for the failure Of the chemical prepara-
tions with which he was armed. Believing
the town was already 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 $780, 600. That he was
not promted by selfish or mercenary mo-
tiyes, and that he did not intend TO convert
the funds taken TO his own use, but 20 that
Of the Confederate States, am as well sat
isfied as / am that he is an honest man, a
true soldier and a patriot, and no one who
knows him will question his title to this
character. lie as ured me before going on
the raid, that his efforts would be to burn
towns and farm houses, not TO pluuder or
rob; but, he said, If after firing a town he
saw he could take funds from a bank, or
ANYTHING which might intlIct injury on the
enemy and benefit mis- own Government he
would do so. He added most emphatically,
that Whatever he took should be turned
over 10 the Government or its representa-.
tiyes in foreign lands. My instructions to
him, cit repeated, were "to destroy what
ever was valuable, but not TO stop or rob
but if after the firing of a town he could Sc
cure and carry oil money, or treasure, or
bank notes, he had q right to do so, upon
condition that his men delivered TO the
proper authorities ofthe Confederate States"
That they were not delivered according to
his promise and intention was owing, am
sure, to the failure OF his chemical com
pound to fire the town, and to the capture
Of himself and men on Canadian soil, being
surprised and oyerpowered by superior num-
bers from the United States. On showing
me his commission and his instructions
from Mr.. Seldom, VIII ch were OF course
vague and indefinite, he said he was author
lied to do all the damage he could to the
enemy by wav Of retaliation. If this be
true, ii seems 10 me the Confederate States
Government should not hesitate TO avow
that his act was fully author zed as war
rantable retaliation. If the Government do
not assume the responsibility Of this raid, !
think Lieut.. Young and his men Will be
given up TO the United States authorities.
II so, fear the exasperated and alarmed
people Of Vermont will execute cruel and
summary vengeance upon them before they
r.4oah the prig.tn of ST Albaua-
The sympathy of nine-tenths Of the Ca
nadians are with Young and his men-R
majority Of all the newspapers Justify or
excuse his acts as merely retaliatiOn-apd
they desire only the authority Of the Con-
federata States government Tor It 10 resist
their extradition. The refusal Of eXtradi
ton IS fully warranted by the like course of
The United States N many cases cited lately
in the Canadian papers, which ] cannot
now repeat, but which you can readily
find. The refusal Of eXtradition would lie
Of saluiary political influence, It Is thought,
both In the British provinces and in Eng
land. J cannot now explain why. l trust,
therefore, fer the sake not only OF the brave
soldiers who attempted this daring exploit,
which has caused d panie throughout the
United States bordering on Canada; and the
organization Of forces 70 resist, as well the
arbitrary and tvrannOus order Of Gen. Dix
touching the coming Presidential election,
but for the sake OF our cause and county,
that the President will assume the Tespon
sibility of the act Of Lieut.. Bennett H.
Young. and that you will signify ii in such
form as will eutitle il to admission as eVl-
dence in thG pending trial.
] send the special messenger who bears
this, that your answer may be brought back
bv him within ten days, or by the tn
n 4 yFTHI hIa
prstpoued for the action Of the Confederate
statsz Government as long as possible, ces-
tainly for Ten days.
1 avail myself Of thiso opportunity to bring
Z, vour notice the case OF Capt. Charles ID.
cole. another escaped prisoner OF General
F8-rest's commaud, who was taken about
~ weeks s.ucsi n tie NJ chigaII theFedersi
W. etsarpor on Lake Eriel, aud Is charged
with an attempt 81 piracy for attempting
40 ,snt1ra the vessel, with being a spy,
&c. The fsct is that he pr9jscted and
came very near executing pian 10Y ne
capture Of that vessel and the rescue OF the
prisoners on Johnson's Island. We Alled
only bCcsIse of the return Of the captain
Carter OF the Michigan day sooner than
expected. and the betrayal in consequence
Of his return) Of the entlre plot. ne only
plausible ground for charging him Ullh
being spy is thst he was IN saneusky, on
Jobnson's Island, and on the Michigan
frequently, without having on has person
the Con ielarate uniform, but wearing the
dress Of 3 private citizen. NJ and 1
have addressed a letter l. the commandant
al Johnson's Island, protesting against his
being treated as q spy, for the following
r1ss5ns. ssrhat he was in the territory Of
Ire uitsd States as q prisoner against his
consent that be- escaped by changing his
rarb; that he bad pQ Confederate uniform
when ne visited Sandgsky, Johus1n's ls-
land. and the Michigan; that be dii not
visit them 81 sn emissary from the Confed-
ersfe Ststes. that whatever be conceived,
h. hal not executed anything; that he had
c6avevel no information 10 his Govern
meut. and jid act contemplate conveying
apv information TO the Goyernment. HIS
trial has been postponed, ! know not Why
or for what time. His sxchsnge shopld b.
proposed and notice given that any punish
meat Indicted en- HIM VIII be retaliatsd
mon So otscer Of equal rank. lie Is very
braye ana dsrinE soldier, and patriotic, and
deserving the sppFobstion Of his Govern
wrote 10 you on the 18th Of June, to the
President ash June, and to you en- ths 18th
OF August and 18th Of September last ITasI