Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-09-02
MONTPELIER, VT.
Union Saving.

'AASh cA'+ho
II physician treating patient desperately
sick with delIrium treme2s, in answer to the
suggestion Of some friend that rum was the
cause of the sick man danger, aud while the
bottle was left within reoch of the manac's
bed other potions would be administered in vain
should put aside the suggestion by the remark
that his paramount bect was to save the lie
Of uis patient, and not to either save or destroy
the bottle OF rum that was feeding the flame
which was consuming the brain ui the sufferer,
the doctor would gei the credit al once Of being
either a conceltcd quack Oran obtuse bloch head
Aud his reputation IN this respect would not
very rapidly improve il he should add to HE
first luminous statement OF the sIngleness OF hls
purpose, the information that, if any one would
not save the patient unless he saved the bottle
Of rum, he did not agree wit bin, and if any
one would not save the patient unless he at the
same time smashed the bottle, he did not agree
with him Bat the case would be left, as the
common expression ID, az clear as mud, if the
physician should offer, as the most conclusive
answer to the suggestion OF removing the liquor,
the wonderfully brilliant, non-committal propo-
sition that if he could cure the patient, by re-
moving the whole, or part, or not any Of the
intoxicating Liquors that the sick man was daily
using, he would do 50. Very simple, and very
credulous peop pie might be convinced by this kind
OF roundabout nonsense that the physician was
a man OF learning, ana eilulgent wisdom, but
people OF plain common sense would be likely,
after all, to see that either ignorantly, or by
accident, or by design, he was cvadng direct
answer to a suggestion respecting the treatment
OF a difficult case
President Lincoln, in hi. letter to Horace
Greeley has, we are sorry to say, put himself
10 position little less brilliantly stupid than
that OF the physician in the case just supposed.
Mr.. Greeley d" paramount object is to save
the Union, and he suggests to the President the
only udy in which he believes it can be done.
The President says in his reply, My para
I" mount object in this Struggle IS to save the
" Union, and is not either to save or destroy
" Slavery" This statement, is. of course. nm
lmpeachaby correct, constitutional, and patriot
ic But 1t does Mt affect or touch the disct ~.
ion of methods at all. 1t only is definite as 70
the end 10 be reached, without Growing he
least light upon the best and sh, les. way 70
t.at ehd.
The President has evidently fallen into t.
mistake which has confused many good and
honest men since the struggle commenced Of
treating the emancipation Of the slaves OF rebels
as an end and no. as II means in the present on
test. it is true enough that saving the Union
il and oaght to be the paramount object Of
every patriot, but because it is so, the methods
10 be pnrsued in saving 1t are not to be persist.
ently ignored " kept OUT OF sight II, when
the Governors of States asked the President to
call out 200 900 more troops, he had put them
off With the answer that his paramount object
was to save the Union and not to raise an army,
We hardly think any body would have Landed the
reply as the embodiment either of wisdom or
patriotism, and yet it would have been precisely
as patriotic and wise, as the answer to Mr.
GreeeyS letter.
And 1t is just here that the great objection
LES to the Presidents leuer,--bocause it. IN
witpgly we hope, yet none the less unior1u-
ulteiy, has "a tendency to put cut of sight the
real question of means and methods in sup
pressing rebellion and, by implication, says that
the persons who discuss emancipation as
mto7S Of SURPRISING treason, are not devoted
with single purpose to the preservation OF
the Union The Nation hao suffered infinitely
already By this same illogical answer to prop
osuons to use means hest adapted to the end
jus. as though there were Uhionism too high,
pure and sacred to use means, or that could
save tbc Nation, wilboet The Use OF means, By
i"c simple purity and sublmity of It's faith and
devotion TO great cause, that could reach tho
cid q! The journey by Oh, "a. K hort Of viii,
AM "ttout taking any s,epa towards 1t al
i1'os" some men have setued almost to Believe
u. and 10 cXpee. that iht Union could be- saved
= believing IN 4. and hurahog or 1t, and
@i'''ag into every boiy VINO suggested any
particular Way e, SAVING .t S1mc hsuest #sn
nav, urged an ASSAULT alya slavery rs enc
means 81 crusaing treason. aug ,si~ Lind ~