The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-13
Not an Hour too Soon.

AS much as we may have deprecated the ca
lamites of the present war, and as great as we
know must be our sacrifices to prosecute it to q
successful issue, are not the considerations daily
multiplying on us, which all combine to show
US that the outbreak did not occur one hour too
soon to ensure the salvation of the Free Sta ties
No, not one hour. But to be understood We
must elucidate.
No discriminating observer of the times can
have failed to note the alarming march which
political corruption, within the last ten years,
has made in this Countrywide fatal political
heresies which, in direct contravention to the
cherished creedS of the founders of our Repub-
lie, have SO strangely made their appearance
among us, and the Wholesale bribery direct or
indirect, that has been resorted to to carry GER
tain Of our National elections, or those peculiar
public measures intended to benefit one section
OF the Country, or advance its power, though
at the expense of every other interest, directly
at war with the whole spirit of the constitu
ton, and all the most sacred compromises which
were made under it. So great and palpable, in
deed, have these enormites latterly become, that
hundreds and thousands of our best and most
far-seeing men had begun to despair of the sue
cess of our free institutions, and to prophecy
that, without some great change, the days of
our Republic would be, within score of years
at least, numbered and finished. And we'll NAV
they, as things were going on, have SO prophe-
sled. And we'll may all intelligent and thinking
men, as they were on the point of doing, have
joined in the dismal forecast.
But from what source have all these heresies
and corrhptions invariably emanated? Has any
one Of them, at all subversive of any great car
dlnal principle of republican liberty or general
national interest sprung up and been fostered
among the people of the North Not one Thew
have all emanatcd in the South and been spread.
as far as they have obtained foothold at all.
by the intimidations and indirect briberies of
southern politicians who by preaching their
false and fatal dognras Of the supremacy of State
rights over those of the national compact-by
fostering the robber creed put forth by the Os
tend letter of the detestable tool and traitor
Buchanan, at the bidding of the South to Sane.
zion the seizure OF Cuba-by auduciously over
the Missouri Compromise, and, finally,
oy their bold attempt to foist slave constitu
ton on the people Of Kansas against their wish
es and their votes, had nearly subsidized the
great Democratic party at the North, corrupted
all but bare majority in Congress, and gained
over to their subversive and destructive doctrines
md purposes half the officers of the government.
Now who does not see that had the insidious
march of the political corruption and hcresv
thus begun and progressing, been allowed to 90
IN few years longer, republic anism. even in
The North, had been but name? These bale
ul doctrines and influences of the slave code
before which all sound republican principles
we're made to yield, were fast spreading their
contamination through the free States, and but
or the over haste Of the South in hasteninr on
he issue, all would have been lost. The free
institutions of the North would inevitably have
'een subverted, for no republic on earth could
tand on the practices and principles which have
atterly obtained in the South, and which have
'ut found natural developement in the pres
mt rebellion. But, thank Heaven, the poljti-
al quarantine is at Length established The
contamination can spread no further: and
whether the rebellious confederates sink or swim
he tree States, at least, are saved. Their plo.
ious Tree institutions, doubly guarded from the
ansers, and purified by the fiery trials thew
ave passed through, will now be more frmlv
and their perpetuity more strongly ;
insured than ever before. But we of the North !
ave escaped tremendous peril, all the greater
ecause we did not fully see and realize it's ex.
ent and magnitude. But our ewes have now )
cen fully opened by the astonishing develono.
1ents OF this mad Southern rebellion which ]
70 repeat In the words of our caption, did not
ccur one hour too soon for our safety.
The war then, if these views are co,roct :,
Eead OF calamity should be viewed rs tho :
lean!s destined to secure to ourselves and ma
'rlty the priceless boon of freedom. which otb-
r"ise we must have soon lost forever,
we have reports from Missouri of two sk;r- I
of VIII IL