Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-02-01
THE REBELLION.

The mhllb hDu sAOA 'ASA- A0''S
of the progress of rebellion. Each day brings
Information of some new seizure of Govern
ment property, or some new accession to the
ranks of the rebels, and so we drift on to-
wards the great struggle.
So far the rebellion has been q complete
Success, and it is to-day far stronger We
doubt not, than the most sanguine OF !"
leaders dared to hope for so soon' when II ~
gan. The original plan which 'ne p'' -
tota notion of South Carolina ct one ''ine
threatened to destroy, is now beng ral1diy
-srroctea and towards its accomplishment
r. rob,ls work with untiring energy hT-
-.l,,,r ca far has favored their scheme.
g r their friends have failed them. The |
Administration was to furnish them with |
arms and il has done 50 TO deliver to them |
tsem the forts and it has been done; TO con-
tinue their mails and it does it TO make no
blockade of their ports and it has made none.
They were to meet with neither let nor hind
rance in extending their plans and combining
their forces. so as to be in a position TO COM
pei the free States to submit to a re1onStruo-
tion Of the Union on a plan to secure pe'Pef-
ual poorer in the hands Of the slave States or
10 try the fortune Of war
Floyd was to disarm the Nation and arm
the rebels, and be did it. Cobb was
TO bankrupt the National Treasury and
he did it; Thompson was to help
Cobb and to stimulate the traitors to
action, and lie did it. Toucey was to do
nothing with .he Navy to hinder their oper-
atious. and be acted his part; and to crown
all traitorous President goes FIR beyond the
covenant of his bond with them. They no
doubt expected much Of him, and with good
grounds, but what traitor Of them all believ-
ed that they could fire upon L. S.troops and
actually compel them to fly and still the
Government do nothing? Such a humilia-
ton of the North was not dreamed Of, and
indeed not desired, for it was part Of the
plan to form the Confederacv and strengthen
it well on all sides before the aroused nation
should call on the Executive for action. This
danger they have however escaped. The in
dignaton OF the people has been braved by
the Executive and It's calls for action 70 pro-
tect the government itself disregarded, so
that when the appointed time arrives the
Southern Confederacy Will take its stand as
Rebellion already successful. 1t will claim
10 have already shown that it is not only
willing hut able to wage war with the forces
Of the Union. This scheme. thus far so sue
cessfully carried out, will receive no check at
Washington. The President tells Congress
in plain terms that he will do nothing. Nei-
ther viii there be any concession to the |
demands OF the rebels which viii defer the |
trial of the issae for 4 few years longer, or |
give them the victory without contest. |
They have advanced too far to retreat. An |
armed struggle must come, and the time OF
Il draws near.
History We believe contains no record of
treaclery like that which our country now
offers to the sight Of the world. Every
rational government, no matter what its
f,-m is, Of necessity has its chief executive !
lower vested for the time being in the hands |
Of some one. To protect the power Of the
nation, to use that power for the enforce
mcnt Of its laws, is Inherent IN the Office To
admit that the Executive may at bis pleas
ure refuse to protect that power, abandon |
the enforcement of its laws, league himself |
with traitors, suffer its arms to be transferred |
70 the hands Of its enemies. refuse to al |
low its fortresses to be Reinforced to protect |
them from rebels, tie the hands OF honest !
subordinate officers and openly assure the |
rebels that he Will not allow blow to be
struck to break the force Of their combina-
tons,-is to admit an absurdity. No gov
eminent ever did stand on such basis No |
one can stand on it. When was it ever seen
before that a diff Erecutire. no matter how
weak, how heartless, how wicked how cow
ardly, d4rel thus to betray his own govern
ment, aud to encourage those who were in
arms to destroy it?
W GU IL lS lbl Itllo llotAOAA thAt GUM I'LL
heard Of treason has but little mere than
four weeks to 60 On witho ut check; but even
that short time is enough 20 allow the REBEL
ion to make fearful strides towards involving
the country in long and bloody strife. Our
hopes that such disastrous result will be
avoided grow fainter every day.
Yet We have no fears as to the final result.
We have faith in the great body of the peo-
pie of the Free States, although abettors of
rebellion mot few ARE found among them
We have faith that though rebellion is now
in the ascendant in the slave States, there is
a large population there who abhor it, and
will come out against it, as soon as the gov
hands to encourage and protect them. We yet I
believe our form Of government will prove
itself able to cope with rebellion at home as q
well as with enemies abroad. 10 due time, (
latter one-two--threc years, and after +
who can tell what vicissitudes-the stars and {
stripes will again float over every fortress of /;
the nation, in every State Of the Union. pro. :
tecting as heretofore, one people unit
ed in devotion to their country, and to
the principles OF freedom which it ever pro-
claims
The way they manufacture sensation re-
parts at Washington Is amusing. One day
word comes that general cave in OF the Re !
publicans is sure to take place in a day or
two the next day it is stated that all hopes
OF ga compromise" are now abandoned. - '
One day Mr.. Buchanan is firm as the hills {
for the Union the next be is vascillating
(Which we take to be fact, always. One v
reporter says Mr.: Lincoln has been heard T
rom, and he is for concession on a liberal 4
tcale; another says directly the contrary land 4
70 the story goes Meanwhile the time goes on, a
md the country drifts on, like a great
e.n1lN b.