Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-07-22
The Day Of Doom.
The Free Nation says


mont Of the East has an able article cu,i led
The Test Hour Of Popular Liberty and he
publican Government The author assign
this national convuIsion to the dsgeneracy u
the people IN devotion to the true and the
good. The following is his judgment Of the
people at the out break OF the rebellion
We were becoming nation Of material
Its and hneIings without honor, without
hcroism, without enthusiasm for the just, the
true, the noble in principle or N deed-wlII.
lng to cave public affairs to shuttle along and
take their course, regardless OF the right 50
long as We were uumolestod in person or IN
trade. That Ianguor, that paralysis even,
had come upon our patriotism, that betokcned
great catastrophe. But like some sleeping
giant in the Alps, reused by flood aud hail
and the thunder and quaking OF the land
slide, at first t-rrid d and bewlIdered BY the
storm, then nerved by its very herceness to
the energy of seIfpreseryatioo, We leap from
the shifting chaos around US upon the nnshak'
en- rock and steady ourselves to gaze upon
lHO lulu NC nave DaIutJ GsCaPCd'
There 10 nothing truer in the mora world
than that devotion 10 truth and justice constl'
tutes the onl y rock Of national safety and
whenever the people oose sight OF these orbS
Of uuerrlng guidance, they begin to sink IN
corruption, and must either pass into extlnc-
ton, or be drawn back to duty by the terrible
lashiDgs Of Divine Vengeance Slavery IS SO
utterly repugnant to every true thought ana
righteous sentiment that the Shareholders must
make most desperate efforts to benumo the
moral nature Of the people IN order to sustain
it, and their success N forcing the Northern
majorties to deny every principle oi liberty
and uctice, has thrown Us out OF the high
way 0i peace and safety, and rendered
catastrophe absolutely Indispensable God be
praised tor the infinite la7or Of Leading US
back through seas VI Mood, rather than eay-
ing Us to republican annihlIAtlon Far bet
tcr-inhntely better 10 such case--to save
part than to loose all But the result
viii be still more glorious for We stall save
all except few thousand lives Of our cher
ished kindred, and gliu much, very much, for
humanity aud the great future.
The writer allowed mentioned thus cnumer-
ates the interests at sake in this civil war
| The rebellion puts Ia jeopardy the
principle OF popular ioerty, as defined and
defended by constitutional forms aud avs.
After an analysis Of the principles Of pop
pular institutions, and finding that the deei-
sion Of the majority tnorush the constitution
a forms must be 6na Or there is 10 safety,
says
The robe .ios frlkes at the very heart OF
tais principle, aa resists popular verdict
const,tutionalIy oclared, BY military usnr-
patton aud political anarchy. 1t assals not
the elected ADMINISTRATION, but the tundameu-
tai principle an elective government.
Should the robe, triumph either by victory
or By recognitu--it matters not which
thay viii nave udlcted dea y wound upon
the elective frauaise and heucelorth this
first night o. rec people, this most sacred
act Of soyreigu,G can be exercised only II
: terror OF the sword
Would not heir success be full OF nope tC
other minoriu., to rebel against the MAJOR
Iy ? Aud what would government b,
worth with suca instability IL its tundamen
tai principle
The outlaw argues that hostility to Pop
d ular Soyerei-ui, is engendere by the yer.
j structure oil southern society. Where human
v beings may .e owned and usea as duub beast
II aye, subjected to baser uses and buse
than ever degraded quadrupcd- how cal
there be any respect Tor manhood or huma
rights
Every right and principle OF rePuolica
government is violated by that fundamen''
! law OF Southern socl9ty which decrees tina
! the aborer is not a person but chattel'
,c , The rebellion assails the night OF
c republic to exist as a government, and Us ac
y equacy to all the functions oil government
re After arguing that the fathers set w
government adequate tor all the purposes
:, government to exist for all time by ITS az
justment 10 ,a, law Of progressive teycIoI
meut the author says
;, And now de question Is whether u
OF ,ople have night to set up sueh govern
mont aud having established it, are able
ne stand by it, and TO make it stand. 1t is Il
Da question, Wheeler a republic has right to
he in his world at all Whether man can ma
govern, cut without nobility or u KING
in 1t is the grapl question for tie ages betWe'
les popular Constitutional government aud
government Q. irresponsible lowers kepu
~, liCauism, as government adequate to 4
~ wants OF sociey, is on trial before the "or
aud history The crisis Is momentous I
i. issue, vast as the hopes OF freedom Tor
lands an Tor all times the question whe'
.'u er, alter all, the people are but children p0
ne ing at government, sure to fall out oy
ew way aud needing the king back agaOln
! whip them into order.
or 3. The rebellion puts IN jeopardy
his poiitca unity OF nation historically a
old terrtoriaily one.