Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-10-30

have 10 confess this not as mere sounding
phrase.
As vet, at the end Of a year and half Of
experience, We have not realized that full meas
ure of success which we had anticipated, and
which we feel there was reason to expect The
war drags its slow length along quite too slug
gishly. We have met with some defeats, dis
astrous defeats, with many, quite too many
disastrous repulses but notwithstanding our
repeated failures and reyersos Notwithstanding
the disastrous defeat of our arms at Bull Run,
a little more than year ago, Notwithstanding
the still more disastrous failure Of the cam
paign of the Peninsula, notwithstanding the
discouraging retreats of our armies before
Richmond and Washington, Notwithstanding
the loss of all the fruit of the recent battles,-
victories if you please SO to call them,-in
Maryland, by the escape of the enemy with all
his plumber and material of war, notwlth-
standing we have made but little if any ad-
vance and stand but little any better to-day
than We did year az, a sacrlhce OF one
hundred millions q dc rs and one hundred
thousand lives,-- N.ew of all this and In
view of the adm e, strength, will and pur-
pose of the Rebellion, which aims and strikes
at the very life of the Government, in view of
the darkest and gloomiest side of the great
Panorama before US, | stand here tonight IN
this imposing presence and declare what have
said before as the conviction OF my honest
judgement. there is no occasion TO despair OF
the Republic. There is no occasion for dis
enlargement and dependency.
In view of, and in full reliance upon, the
power, purpose and will of the loyal American
people, as manifested here and as manifested
all around us, and throughout the country, |
can say in all sincerity and earnestness that
have never seen the day since the lombard
ment of Fort Sumter that | could look for
ward with more confidence to the putting down
and beating the breath out of this unholy re-
bellion than at the present hour. Such Is my
hope and my confidence as well as my conVlc-
ton and faith. For such is my reliance upon
the loyalty and upon the patriotism and the
undying purpose of my fellow countrymen.
Such is my reliance upon their integrity, their
love of freedom and their irrepressible hate of
slavery and despotism. Applause.
Now il may be worth while to inquire for r.
few moments, to consider little more in de
tail, some of the main reasons for this hope and
confidence, in connection with some OF the
causes of our failure,-the partial failure OF
the national cause heretofore 1t Is to be ad-
mttted that hitherto, at all events IN the early
part of the rebellion, we greatly under-estlma-
ted the strength and resources Of the rebels, az
we have underestimate the spirit and purpose
of the Rebellion Sad experience has taught
us wisdom, trust, in regard to this matter
We understand to-day better than we did
some time ago, the power and energy, as we
also understand the purpose of the enemy with
which we have to contend, and we have found
him ANYTHING but a weak, docie or tracta-
| bic foe easily TO be beaten or entreated.
We understand now, if we did not under
stand long ago, that traitors and rebels II
arms against the Government, are public as
well as domestic enemies, enemies TO the gov
eminent, enemies to the Constitution, enemies
to the Union, enemies in open and fagrant war
against the Nation and as such are to be met
and dealt with, whether upon the field of bat
tie or before the civil tribunals of the land
We understand now, if we did not understand
some months ago, that these enemies, these
traitors, are not very likely to be coaxed o.
persuaded to lay down their arms and com,
back to their allegiance, by acts of leniency
kindness and forbearance.
They must be whipped into submission
and no mild method Of dealing will ever sub
due them.
| The Government understands now bette
than formerly that we are actually at war, &C
tually engaged in contest deadly and desper
ate at least on the part of the enemy. On on
part we are engaged in a war for national de
fence, preservation and existence. The Ad
ministration has, | trust, learned by this tim
that this war is life and death struggle, il
which the Government must put down the re
bellon or the repetition will put down the Gov
eminent; and there is no other possible alter
native. | trust that the Government ha
learned by this time that tenderness and kim
Offices and courtesy are not the most appropri
ate weapons of military warfare, The Execu
tive Government has come to understand a
last, that it is bad policy to daily with an i'm
placable and relentless foe, that means to con
quer or to die; and has further learned tina
such a foe can only be subdued by the stron
arm of power. The Executive Government
has learned ere this, that the work of putin
: down this rebellion is something more than I
mere holiday entertainment, that is TO as
for thirty, sixty or ninety days, and thatlt car
be put down only by force of arms. only by
calling into requisition all the insAumentall
ties and powers which God and Nature have
placed within our reach, and Which are recog
nized by the usages and cu'toms OF eNilzef
warfare. (Applause.) <s.rl ..--s
And the Governmeyc has further learned,
trust, that the Reba1ion disdains and rejects
all oyertures of peace, all proposals for com
promise; that it will accept no terms whatev
er which dc not concede an acknowledgment
of the Cqnfederacy, and permit absorption 0
the Federal Government. And they hav,
learned, trust, by this time, that politeness
and courtesy, and kind offices to traitors il
arms seeking to cut the threats of loyal men, il
but treason and cruelty to the loyal men of tn
country,-that it is all in vain, and worse thar
in vain. | trust that the Government vii
soon learn if it has not already learned, tina
it is wiser and better to hang Or hold in prisol
an incorrgible traitor, than to let him loose up
on his par ole of honor. 1t is for. this that
say, more vigorous and therefore more sue