Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-02-12

quest the publication of the following, which
appeared in the Tribune
B. F. DECosrA.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune:
SIR: The Hartford COurant OF January
contained attack, by Mr. j. H. Trumbull,
upon me, in connection with my article in the
December GALAXY, on the capture Of Ticonder-
oga; and since my application for the liberty of
replying has gained no response, turn for jus
tce to The Tribune.
The writer in question has, however, made
my article an excuse for attack upon Mr.
Bancroft, our Minister at Berlin. | therefore
desire now to call attention to two points, leay-
ing the other portions Of Mr.. Trumbull's article
for treatment elsewhere. The point referring
more especially to myself, naturally comes
first.
Treating the question Of the origin of the plan
for the capture Of TcOnderOga. which, he says,
was laid in Hartford, April 27, Mr.. Trumbul
tells US that the Governor and his advisers were
net concerned in it. In support Of this singular !
opinion he quotes letter from the Governor
himself, to the Massachusetts, Congress, saying
that the work accomplished "by the united
councils and enterprise OF number Of private
gentlemen without public authority,
to our knowledge" But the full statement
runs as follows - The advantage was gained
by the united councils and enterprise Of a num-
| ber Of private gentlemen in your Province, New
Hampshire, New York, and this Colony, with
out public authority, (to our knowledge.) and
Of great and general Importance to the United
Colonies Here the point is made by Mr..
Trumbull to turn upon public authority and
priuGte gentlemen; forgetting the ail-mportant
fact that no one ever claimed that tine authority
was public, all having acted on their private
th0rty, which was most proper under the cir
cumstances, since hope was still entertained Of
reconciliation with the mother country. We
find that the people were still very timid, and
even when the fort was actually taken,
many members Of the Continental Congress felt
J deeply concerned on account Of the boldness Of
The act. Congress itself finally justified the
measure, on the ground that the guns and stores
at Tconleroga might have been used
GgIiAst them, AMI hence actually voted to
take an 60 exact inventory Of everything, so
that all might be 81 safely returned " when the
diff .ulties Nth England had been adjusted.
Thus tinil and sh0rt-sghtel was that .. Cont
mental Congress 50 By whose" authority - Ethan
Allen pretends to have demanded the surrender
7 of Iiconderoga Under the circumstances, there
fore, the Governor Of Connecticut could not have
given official sanction. nor have pretended that
he did so. But before leaving this quotation by
Mr.. Trumbull, the reader viii observe that De
has mangled it to throw out the part which
makes against him for whether the Governor
Is regarded writing Of the plan Of the capture
or the capture tsclf or both, Mr. Irumoull's
specimen argument is completely crushed. Er
peie Herculem.
And now. having illustrated the acuuen Of
the President Of the Connecticut Historical So
ciety, let me turn to notice the delicacy and con-
-iieration Of Lis language, both as regards Mr..
Bancroft and myself OF MY account Of the
capture he confidently says, that It, Sc IN the
number and magnitude Of IT. errors, outdoes
az that have prt-1fef IL, while Mr. Bancroft
anticipated the cijsfGaf u5rt Or miAe. Let Us
look at his proof. lie says " before examining
IN detail some Of the evidence on which Mr. De
Costa rests his judgment, will Introduce Ar
BlucIoit's version and indicate the errors which
Il has 20 common Nth N. De C0aI's." Tie
then quotes from am o'd edition of Mr.. Bln,rOft-
history when that author slid:
-ou s-.-rlly. Ga. t,,.iyu.a.h . Ap-ii. --aal
AianH aal iiaac'.a o.. tA. l'--s ;-'19. iirt-or.-
DAD 7,rr is nsi .i' e,'. .'Fi d. -'l i9.'' .' 'i
ft i.'.... p -,......-. i.''....
H.. .,-.-. .., ~, -.,+ ,r.., NIL
- II-,.e.-i 80. H.. .,,t. ,-t-.i, a.. .l,s
- - -,, ~. - ,,.I, ~.
-. y .-'-, - -, -. '1,
III ,,. - -, r.
- 80 - -; n. -, a., -f'.
D. L. NH D.. f.a. H-l
"a " T'- 80. ", u .r--,,,,..'i'
,'''. i.'. '''' - - b., -.
'ss 'i'1 .'s ul o.' a 9i,i' ''ii' '' p'''''
DIS 5, a'iil'g. T e., ln.7 is ll'f i clear. -, ,, -
o' NI' -"H-lu.' eA JiIo's a-' ~" ,-.,i = ~.
5est tbe ease Hrr since he Is airo.i and I'M
able to explain for himself, may be permitted
to do him so much justice as to sho" TINT his
Mt Vl naaSS ,s ~ :5 n,,- ~ ~ , I-ye. hi. vEale
country more than any plrti.ular section Of it :;
hence he is constantly seeking Tor iro-h light and
acquiring new mAier.s iof the nlas,fa'on % i L., o.
- ri +. .,.-,I IL, + ,5ors If rs,i-
sion. In numerous Instances whole pages have
been cancelel AMI the subjects treated anew His
dis-uSsien OF the question oil iieonlergSi h's :
,a b,neft. & of vi ts 'ts iater .ts s. tbq- 5nr
ago (sir years AZ IeasO he had parysi his plg-
q hf IDENTICAL pa,sage Hor dfolghi C'triI4 oy
Hr 1Tlm5aii' and aeSl "lei5ea MS ooii SA'''i iis
~ Inc C''l'.,-''1' $500, ~, t.,
buil': ,r-nar,e in the Cosrraf: for while. if
be is ignorant Of Mr.. Blncrott's progress in
history iHose " Ao choose 10 10 50 e'n accept 'e
IJ'-.-'.-3.. -, 80. On t5s 1sb., t-rJ Il
! he Is 1.f ignorant. Mr. Bluero.t's Kindness anil
courtesy (see Hist. L. s. vol vii. P. 81, note)
e. have met with An unS'''eiul return r ~ c.-
g Va. y,.t Tan o1 1st.
We must confess our entire inability TO per-
e ceive how the words omitted by Mr. IrumouI
e and 50 ostentatiously supplied by Mr.. DeOosia'
" make aglins. - Mr. Trumbull, or weaken his
point. The rest Of the above communication Is
entirely beside Of the main question.
We find in the Boston -ifrertissr another
communication from Mr.. DeCosta, from which
: We take the following sentence
81 have been told by prominent Fermonters,
; aud among others Professor Benedict (-ee
Burlington FREE Pass. Dec 3, 1853, thar no
one ever believed that Ethan Allen hal anything
] to do with the plan or preliminary tansae-
: ti,rs
Nlr neCa.ta-s extreme e,relessness. TO char
( ,, -,
"''e''@e ID H''4'!' 'A MS ''
1 opponents points, has been before alluded TO
in our columns II Is such. that We are no
l,,,,,. s,.--..I At ,,,;s,,,..,i,rs si,lcr # an
clent documents 2r current ar'eies' AZ MS hlLus-
Professor Benedict has never said that &c no one
? ever. believed that Ethan Allen had ANYTHING TO
la, .t.t.,,,, -. e7,;..,,lo-.,.
4 u' "''i 'N' pan ''' ''''
/, what he SAID was that " neither Allen nor any
body else, ever pretended that he had anything
IN Ia with the nrsIirninarv pri,,te consultations
-.
. anu arrangements III '"a''l ''''s'''' 1'' 'o"-
9srflcd which Is very different statement
, The remainder Of Mr. DeC's last is sufficiently
,tt.,,lc.l 70 in tho gJr,r,i.e,.s alitoria1 which
! We copy oe''"- we Aho" % nothing lIiler o'
mere pitiahle than the exhibition which this
4, wouId-be inauguraior Of "uew school - Of
: II:s,... al. - I,;,s.le. l,,, in
i-'s'' . mas
! al @aiafy article and IN his Numbering efforts