The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-07-16
From The Albany Evening Journal.
The War Worth all it Costs.

War is an expensive luxury. However
humanely or dlscreetly waged, 1t Is u serious
drain upon the life Of nation. We shall
come out of the present struggle impoverish-
ed in many ways. With the best success,
we shall expend hundreds of millions of
treasures, and sacrifice thousands OF lives.
We shall feel the bruises Of the conflict tor
years after the rebellion has been crushed,
and peace mas been restored. Thousands OF
fortunes will be wreck thousands OF homes
will be made desolate-thousands of bright
careers will be arrested. The mourners will
90 about the streets. There will be sorrow
and angush-there will be despair that no
human sympathy can assuagc-in many
gentle bosom. The wrecks will lie thick
arouud us-the charred and battered ruins of
high hopes and sublime endeavors-wil at
test how severe has been the trial through
which the country has passed.
viii it pay the cost? Yes--a hundred
thousand fold-if we come out Of the
struggle conquerors IF we succeed in
crushing out this miserable rebellion-if we
exterminate the miserable heresy Of secession
If we shall be able to teach treason such a
lesson as history will never weary OF re-
hearsing-if we shall succeed in convincing
the world that we have government strong
enough, vigorous enough, determined enough,
to overcome all combinations and attacks,
whether from conspracIes within, or lnva-
sion without; if we shall be able to impress
Christendom with the conviction that our
Western empire is built upon rock, which
on CONFUSION can shake, and no tempcsts un-
dermine; if we shall be able to do this, and
| DO it effectively, the war, no matter how
long or how desperately waged, will be the
cheapest enterprise upon which the Nation
ever embarked. Every drop Of blood that
has been shed-every dollar that has been
expended every purpose that has been
banked, and hope that has been crushed,
will fructify into future blessings. We shall
emerge from the conflict stronger IN all that
goes to make up the lite Of great people.
We shall resume the calm pursuits or peace,
chastened by the trial through which we
have passcd-purifed by the fiaiction with
which we have been visited. We shall find
ourselves elevated to u higher moral plane,
and quickened by nobler impulses to the per-
formance of nobler deeds. We shall find
ourselves purer, more self reliant, more self
poised, more able to grapple with future Is.
sues, and avoid future dangers. We shall
find ourselves less bound up in selishness, less
grovelling in our tastes, less earthly IN Our
aspirations.
The successful termination of the war will
be the dawn of new era in the history of
the country. The republic will enter upon
new stage Of its career. The public heart
will throb with more gene Gus pulsations,--
Broader, higher, nober issues will engage
the attention of statesmen. A Iottier stand
ard of public morality will prevail. \ bet
ter class of public teachers will come upon
the stage. Purer aims and more exalted
conceptions of truth and justice will animate
the people. The sterling metal of our West
ern ic purified as it were by tire---abstract'
ed from the dross that has so long furnished
its lustre--wil shine out as it has never
shone before.