The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-05-06

raid certainly was q deplorable affair
II brought taste Of the alarm and peril
Of actual warfare right home to US here
at the North after We had ourselves
been spreading desolation and ruin, hay.
oc, pillage, slaughter, throughout the
4 South. 1t has been condemned as an
act of irregular warfare BY good author.
tiles, but the South sought to justify
Il as measure Of retaliation. II must
be recalled that the raid took place in
the last despRiring months Of the Con.
federacy when the desperate leaders OF
the Rebellion we're ready to resort to
almost any means to bolster up their tot.
tering cause. The South was the seat
Of the war and It had suffered long and
I fearfully. 1t was ailame with the spirit
Of sacrifice, women and men alike, and
not enterprise was too hazardous, no
Undertaking too perilous, for the martial
spirit of young and old, if only there
might be some chance that the forlorn
hope might somehow infict damage upon
the hated enemy.
Under these circumstances and in the
temper Of this memorable II melancholy
season, Young. lad q years old, with
the graybeards and councillors Of the
Confederacy behind him, with the au-
thority OF the government be had sworn
to defend and preserve behind him, I'M
dertook and executed what be believed
was a desperate act Of retaliation upon
the foe that might mean simply that he
and his men were sacrificed and nothing
gained. IT is not difficult now, after all
these forty-fiye years have passed, 10
understand how Young at bis age might
have plowed with patriotic ardor at the
opportunity to signalize himself at sucn
great risk for the good, as he believed,
Of bis country. We may say that the
war, but the South was desperate and
was ready to turn to anything in order
to strike terror into the North that had,
after al, known nothing OF the real hor-
rors Of the war that was waged 50 far
away. At all events It Is fair TO assume
that the lad. with all that was behind
him urging him to the task, did not
believe himself to be "a brigand, a pirate,
guerrilla at the time, and nothing in
his life since has ever suggested that
such was his nature. On The contrary,
we find that Bennett II. Young Il q
man of conspicuous public seryfse and
usefulness in his city and state, we find
that he enjoys high distinction for his
learning and talents, that. so far from
being Of the pirate type, be IS the writer
Of several books on religious matters aud
has been given the honorary degree Of
master Of arts by a religious college and
the degree Of doctor Of laws by Ten
nessee university.
In the face Of all these facts, and
more than might be summoned. OK. Gov
ernor 0rmsbee is not justified In stand
ing forth to assail Che good intentions
Of the governor Of the state. the mayor
Of st. Adams, and ether honorable men,
and to incite by bis prominent example
the patriotic sentiment Of Vermont to a
wrong impression OF the affair. Not only
are the facts against him, but the CON
eiliatory spirit Of the present generation
that wants to forget the niiseries or
the War Of the Rebellion is against
him. Most Americans Of to-day posi-
lively refuse to fight that war all over
again.
Governor 0rmsbse may have his
own opinion as to the desirability OF
inviting Young or the propriety Of invit-
ing him and with this the committee will
make no quarrel. No man on earth could
have been invited but that there would
be some dissent Of opinion in that re-
spect, But the committee believes he
viii upon reflection, conclude that he
ought not, at his age, and with proud
record of public service in peace and war
behind him, stand before the rising gem
erations Of Vermont and protest against
the suggestion that the people Of st.
Adams cannot manifest such token Of
Torgiving and forgetting as that which
has been proposed
1.-THE war is over. st. Adams and Yer
mont would be the scorn Of the South
and the whole country If they refused
hospitality to this one.time foe forty.fye
years after he has ahundantly and brill
liantly proved himself worthy of public |
confidence and honor elsewhere