Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-05-13

erations OF Vermont and protest against
the suggestion that the people Of st. Al.
bans cannot manifest such q token OF
'forgiving and forgetting rs 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 IL they refused
hospitality to this one-time foe forty-five
years after he has abundautly and brill
iiantly proved himself Worthy Of public
confidence and honor elsew here
Iueius RieeIow on Bennett Young.
To the Editor of the Free Press
1.-THE st. Adams committee OF arrange
ments" in letter to the Free Press says
that Ex-Governor Ormsbee ought to apoI-
ogize to Governor Prouty and Mayor Aus
tin for his letter to Roberts post, G. A.
r., of Rutland describing General Young
as one who "played the part of a brigand,
a pirate, a guerrilla in the st. Alhans
raid" Let US rise to the facts. About
the 22d day of October, 1854, Young with
band OF 80 or 40 armed Confederates
robbed the banks OF St. Adams of over
I 1900, 900, shot down two peaceful I'M
armed citizens OF that town and escaped
to Canada from where he had come, hay
ing used that neutral territory as place
Of organization for his expedition to rob
aRd murder in Vermont.
III General Young in this action did
not play the part OF brigsnd and land
pirate, " hat part did he play? He did
not play the part-ot q Confederate sol
der; he possessed a commission in the
Confederate service, but he did not wear
the Confederate uniform ana the service
he sought to perform was not such as
would have entitled him to the right of
prisoner of war; he was attempting to
commit acts of unlawful warfare, for
which be knew that he would be prompt
ly hung as spy and land pirate il cap
tured by the United States authorities
Only three days before the St. Adams
raid one Kennedy, commissioned officer
of the Southern Confederacy, ives arrested
IN New York CITY as irebug, having
tried to burn four OF the leading hotels,
and was tried and hung as a SOY, a land
pirate, November rs. 1864.
At an earlier date, John Y. Beall, hold
ing commission in the Confederate
navy, was arrested in the act OF destroy
ing United States vessels in the North
west, was tried and hung as a sry. The
mere fact that Young held commission
in the Confederate service does not invali-
date Ex-Governor Ormsbeo's description
of him as tone PLAYING the part of brig
and, pirate. He knew that his Con-
federste commission would not be treated
as emitting him to any clemency for acts
of unlawful warfare. The United States
government hung Beall, and Kennedy,
despite their commissions, because the
work they sought to do forced them to
wear the garb Of spies ia order to commit
acts of private murder and robbery
Capt. Wirz held a commission in the Con-
federate army when be committed the
acts of murder for which he was hung as
late as November, 1865. Morrison. one
OF the unarmed citizens of st. Adams.
shot down by Young, died Of his wound
the same day. One Huntington was so
severely wounded that his life was de-
SPARED of for several months. Hunting
ton was . ieweler, brother of the late
Samuel Huntington Of this city, and we
believe his daughter is still living, a resi-
dent OF this city.
No, Governor Ormsbee spoke only the
words Of truth aud sobriety when he
called the acts of Young those OF a man
playing the part OF "A brigand, pirate"
/ II not, why not? II a man commits acts
for which be would have been hung by
our government 10 caught, what is he il
he is not q brigand, a land pirate, spy?
He is certainly not a legitimate soldier or
he could claim the rights of prison
er OF war. Governor Ormsbee need not
apologize, but the committee Of arrange
ments are convicted of gross ignorance
when they think the possession OF q Con-
federate commission makes acts of muir
der and robbery other than brigandage
and piracy, when performed by Confed-
crate officer who without his uniform en-
tiers our lines to steal and kill. He Is
then only spy and pirate and his COM
mission cannot clotbe him with any
other character in any civilized country
in the world. General Young ought to
be "forgotten, but we do not feel quite
certain that his religious writings" and
mis- college degrees from Southern col
leges entitle him to lie forgiven" for his
shameful and cowardly acts OF robbery
and murder rs leader Of the St. Albans
raid of October. 1864.
The proclamation of general amnesty at
the close of the war, the payment of the
memorial honors of war to the gallant
dead of both sections, is worthy of all
pride, but acts of general amnesty ought
not to be construed as an expression of
admiration for Confederates who. in the
guise of spies and pirates, robbed and
murdered unarmed civilians behind the
lines of our army with the rat hole of
Canada to run to when pursued for their
crimes. Nevertheless, Young does not
need apologists half so much as do the st.
Adams committee of arrangements, who
do not appear to know that the posses
sion of a commission in the Confederate
army does not make a man any less a
brigand and land pirate when he doffs
his Uniform and hides his commission in
order to play the part of a spy. robber
and murderer within the enemy's lines.
Lucius Bigelow.
Burlington Free Press.
The Bennett Young Episode.