Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-01-10
From the Burlington Times
THE VOICE OF PATRIOTISM.
RING OF THE TRUE METAL.

he yet lives, (and long may he live y
among the hOnored treasures Of American
history. No more gallant deeds, no high
er wisdom or skill, in strategy, no nobler
daring in battle, have distinguished any
name in our country's annals. From the
bloody heights of Queenstown, in 1912,
TO the 'crowning carnage of Buena Vista,
in 1847, General Wool has gone pari
p0sSu. in high renown, and in the deeds
which Justify high rcnown. with his illus
trious, superior associate and friend. Scott.
and now 10th these veteran chieftains are
found, where their lives have been spent,
defending and upholding the UNION.
We give, below, a straightforward, pa
triotic letter from General Wool. recently
addressed to a friend in Washington . In
tone and sentiment it Is the counterpart, of
the one he addressed, on the 9th of De-
cember, to General Cass, (Srcre:ary Of
State,) strongly urging the reinforcement
OF Major Anderson, the sturdy defender Of
American honor in Charleston harbor. If
war and bloodshed follow the reasonable
action Of South Carolina, it will be be-
cause the counscls Of that letter were not
needed by Buchanan.
1t must be remembered that General
Wool, in his political predictions, has
ever been an unwavering democrat But
to the true patriot. at such a time as this,
party politics are less than nothing Gen
eral Wool illustrates and interprets the
united sentiment Of all patriotic men. His
letter is as follows
Troy. Dec. 81. 1860.
-uy Dear Sir South Carolina, after
~ years. Mr.. Rhett says 80 years. of con-
slant and increasing efforts by her leaders
10 induce her to secede. has declared her
self out Of the Union; and this too with
out the slightest wrong or injustice done
her people on the part of the Government
OF the United States. Although she may
have seized the revenue cutter. raised her
reasonable Palmetto flag over the United
States Arsenal, the Custom House, POST
office, Castle Pickney and Fort MouItrie,
she Is not out Of the Union, nor beyond
the pale Of the United States. Before she
can get out Of their jurisdiction or control,
a reconstruction Of the Constitution must
be had or civil war cn,ue. I'm the latter
case it would require no prophet to fore
tell the result
1t Is reported that Mr.. buchanan has
received informally the Commissioner, APP
pointed by he TeDul~ OF South Carolina To
EegGiate for the public property in the
harbor OF Charleston and for other purpo-
ses. 1t is also reported that the Pre-i-
dent disapproved OF the conduct Of Major
Anderson, who, being satisfied that lie
would not be able to defend Fort MouItrie
with the few men under his command.
wisely took possession of Fort Sumter,
where he could protect himself AID the coun
try from the disgrace which might have
occurred, il he had remained at Fort Moul-
trie. Being the commander in the harbor,
he had a right to occupy Fort Sumter, an
act which the safety of the Union as well
as his own honor demanded. II is like
wise stated that apprehensions are ent-r-
tanned that Major Anderson will be requir-
ed to abandon Fort Sumter and re-occupy
Fort Moultrie. There can be no founda-
ton for such apprehensiOns, for surely the
President would not surrender the citadel
of the harbor of Charleston to rebels. Fort
Sumter commands the entrance, and in a
few hours could demolish Fort Moultrie.
So long as the United States keeps posses
sion OF this Fort, the independence of South
Carolina will be in name and not in fact
If, however, it should be surrendered to
South Carolina, which do not apprehend,
tie Smoothered Indignation Of the free
States aoouid be r0uSed b,y0ad control. 1t
would not be in the power of any one to
restrain it. IN t,ceaty days t,c0 hundred
thousand men ocouid be IN readiness to
take vengeance on all ,oho ,could detray the
Union into tie hands Of its enemies. Be
assured that do not exaggerate the feel
ings OF the people. They are already sut-
ficiently excited at the attempt to dissolve
the Union, for no other reason than that
they constitutionally exercised the most
precious right conferred on them, OF voting
for the person whom they considered the
most worthy and the best qualified to fill
the office of President. Fort Sumter
therefore ought not, and | presume will
not, be delivered over to South Carolina.
am not, however, pleading for the Frss
States, for they are not in danger, but for
the Union and preservation of the Cotton
States. Those who SOW the wind must
expect to reap the whirlwind. The lead
ers of South Carolina could not have no.
ticed that we live in an age Of progress,
and that all christendOm is making rapid
strides in the march of civilization and
freedom. If they had, they would have
discovered that the announcement of ev~
cry victory obtained by the Hero of the
10Th century, Garibaldi, in favor Of the OPP
pressed OF Italy, did not fail to electrity
every American heart with joy and glad
ness. where liberty dwello there is my
| country was the declaration of the Illus
trious Franklin. This principle is too
| strongly implanted in the heart and mind
of every man in the Free States, to be
surrendered because South Carolina de-
sires it in order to extend the area OF Sia-
very. With all chriotianized Europe and
nearly all the civilized world opposed to
Slavery, are the Southern States prepar-
ed to set aside the barriers which shield
and protect their institutions under the
United States Government? Would the
separation of the South from the North,
give greater security to Slavery than 1t
| has now under the Constitution OF the
Union? What security would they have
for the return of runaway slaves! ap-
prehend none, whilst the number of runa-
ways would be greatly augmented, and
the difficulties of which shareholders COM
plain would be increased tenfold. How
ever much. individuals might condemn Sla-
very, the Free are prepared to sus-
tain and defer guaranteed by the
/ Constitution.
In conclusion, would avoid the bloody
and desolating example of the Mexican