Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-03-29


left its impress upon the generations sue
ceeding. From Maine TO Georgia it was
the same Hugenot or Puritan, Cavalier or
Burgher, each carried the seeds of new
order of things, each learned to spurn OPP
preston as monstrous to the soil. The ne
cessites of their condition had taught them
selfreiance, and this selfreiance had i'm
parted sturdy manfulness, able to stand for
the right.
Now the battle-cry of Lexington had been
echoed and re-echoed from North to South
Each and every State had been watered with
the blood of the Patriot; sacred and holy
were the drops which baptized the land to
eternal freedom-tle ashes of cities-little
ones, it is true, but hereafter to shake the
earth like Lebanon-the ashes of our towns
and villages had assembled in the face of
heaven to call down the day of retribution.
A needy and ill-equipped and ill-disciplined
army, an army of boys, indeed-for it is
well known that every true patriot sent forth
his household cheerfully to the contest, and
striplings of sixteen and eighteen crowded
the ranks-had made themselves heard in
many hard-contested field Bunker Hill
and Bennington, Saratoga, Trenton and
Camden, were but the higher points in the
mounds of our battle-feds and now it re-
NAMED to strike the final blowwhic should
decide at once the fate of the country.
1t was evident that whatever might be the
result, the feelings of our people had been
too fully outraged for anything like sympa-
thy to exist between us and our oppressors.
We must be totally and entirely separated
from them as government, or be reduced
to that unnatural complaisance enforced by
power over unwilling minds, which, cover
ing the ranking and Wondering elements
of revenge, are liable at any moment to
break forth, or if subdued, having the effect
to harden and brutalize the national char
acter.
The campaign of the Southern army UNI
der Greene, had been, on the whole, favor
able to our cause, and though Fabian in the
greater part of its movements, had not fail
ed to give evidence of power. The allied
French forces were ready to cooperate
wherever the wisdom of Washington should
direct and it remained for him to decide
whether his movements should threaten Sir
Henry Clinton in his position at New York,
or be directed against the Wanting Corn
wallis, who had stationed himself at the two
points Of Yorktown and Gloucester The
stress of the times, the evident crisis OF
events, which now became apparent, rend-
cred the greatest circumspection requisite
as the least false step might plunge the ar
my into disaster and ruin. 1t was period OF
terrible and intense anxiety; on its issue
depended the fate of the country, and the
hopes of the patriot. The skillful manage.
ment Of events should prove whether the
past had been the disorGery, accidental
movements of restless and turbulent class
of men, opposed to the wholesome disc
pline of government, or had been the wise
concentrated and resoute action of peo-
pie, determined at all hazards TO hold fast
to the prerogatives of lreemen.
The calm mind of Washington took il
all with its rare mprehensiveness, ant
came to results at once wise and for the
general good. Hitherto his movements haC
been such as to lead Sir Henry Clinton tc
suppose that New York would be the un
questioned point of attack; and the impress
sion had been given to our army, so hiatt
taking of New York had become the famil
liar gossip of the camp. 1t had been thu
termined by council Of officers but tn
subsequent reinforcement of the English ar
my at the above named place, together will
certain operations of the French fleet, hat
! introduced a new feature, and led to
change of measures, change known onl
to the few, and studiously concealed from
the army at large