The Liberator

A correspondent of the Boston Bee writes to the editor of that paper in the following pathetic strain :

Why Don't They Pay The Military? Yes, why don't they ? Can you answer that question, Mr. Editor? It is time that some one should. I hear it asked every day by military men, ' When are we going to be paid for the duty that we did during the Burns excitement?'

It seems to me, Mr. Bee, that our United States authorities are rather slow in paying their debts, for they have not paid any bills contracted during the slave trouble. There are many reasons why the military should be paid for the services which they rendered.

To begin with, the military were on duty from the arrest of Burns (May 27) to his rendition (June 3)-just one week. Only think of the lost time, and, I might say, lost situations, for many men who turned out that were members of military companies were in the employ of Free Soilers, who turned them out of their employ for doing what every soldier is in duty bound to do, obey orders. That is what the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia always does.

However, such mean acts as mentioned above, it is useless to comment upon. The authors, some of them, to my certain knowledge, feel ashamed of what they have done, and would be glad to give any amount to recall the past.

There is also another reason why the military should be paid : every company in Boston is out of pocket at least $200, for victualling their men while on duty.

The day that poor Burns was marched down State street, every company had 1,000 ball cartridges, which cost them $25.

We should think that the United States government would, at least, pay the militia what they have paid out of their own pockets.

High Private.