The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-24
TIE Teachings OF Disaster.

Lexington. Missouri, which the Rebels unde
Con, Price have just captured, is said to be
place Of no great strategetical importance tx
cept as it commands tho Missouri river at ina
point. Cur troops made q gallant defenc
against Overwhelming Odds and as the telegraph
informs us only succombed at last because tn
only supply Of wAter---rom the riyer--upoI
which the town depended had been cut of by thu
Rebels. The Federal force must have been out
numbered, at least four to one, by the forces IN
der Price, and the disaster is mainly if no
wholly chargeAble to this, as have been all tho
disasters OF any consequence that have oyerta
ken the Union troops during the war. The
Rebels lor some unaccountable reason seem to BE-
able TO outnumber our troops everywhere, OF
at every point they see fit to assaii and each
new reverse OF our arms seems to be speaking
in thunder tones for more men for the Federal
army Senator Wilson, two weeks ago said
that 9 more men y was emphatically the need
of the Government, and each day s news but ut
tiers its commentary upon our inferiority in
numbers to the army Of the Rebels.
1t will avail US but little to talk OF our &c, :
100000 of population, our inexhaustible re-
sources, our powers of endurance and capabili-
ties for conquerlns fighting people, while a
confederacy Of 100000 is able to make head
against every exertion of our Government 1t
will not answer to point to all these elements of
strength and superiority, aud by "a process Of
arithmetic figure out the result. IF we would
conquer and subduc the rebellion ust two things
must be done The Government must use the
resources ut its command to their utmost OK
tent, and the people must unhesitatingly do all
on their part that is to be done to save the coun-
try. W neither the authorities ut Washington
are dong all that occurs to them as fit to be
done, We DO not know but as we hear no COM
plants from them we suppose they are. Wheth-
er they are ,Iadgingand estimating exactly at its
full extent the work before them. and making
preparations commensurate with the labor on
their hands can alone be determined by future
events. 1t is certain, however, whether the
Government is doing exactly right in every par
ticular or not, that something can be done by
Vermont towards suppressing the rebellion, even
without the primary requisition of the general
Goyernm4n and in view OF the approaching
session Of our State Legislature we suggest that
it has q work to do il the labor Of saving the
Republic.
This State has armed and equipped, in the
service OF the country, only about 5000 men, in
Guiding the two regiments just hurried forward
in obedience to sudden and peremptory orders
from the War Department. The Sixth Reg-
ment' now being recruited, together with the
Cavalry Regiment which Col. Plat is raising,
will make the contribution of Vermont TO the
army Of The Union considerably less than COCO
men. This is only about two thirds of Vermont's
proportion Of an army Of 500 900. We think
40 one will claim-not even WaAon's Daily
JOurna|-tnat if Vermont had three full regi-
ments to-day ready to 60 to the seat Of war, ard
partment, that the Governor would not get
telegram before night directing him to send
them forward at once, and this for the simple
reason that for the last two weeks the authori-
ties have been drawing from all the Eastern,
Middle, and even from the Western States. every
soldier who was ready to be sent forward by the
State authorities, and have shown most earn
est desire for every available soldier to defend the
Republic.
Our desire is that Vermont may show alacrity,
zeal, generous selfsacrifice in the cause of Free
Government and we hope the representatives
who make up the Legislature this fall coming
as they will fresh from the people, and lmbued
with }ho warm patriotic feelings of the masses
in Vermont will inaugurate the most vigorous
measures 10 put Vermont, not in the rear Of tie
States contributing to the safety Of the Country,
and not sven in the third or second place. but
among the very first to lay her offerings upon
he altar. We think the State has yet some
hing more to do ana we shall not cease to think
70 while we hear Of such Rebel successes as the
ecent one in Western Missouri.
And VIC can but feel that Vermont must take
ZONE to herself some Of the causes Of that de-