The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-08
Are we Fighting in Earnest!"

We occasionally get opinions, poth loreigh
and domestic, that it is going to be dlihcult
matter to put down the rebellion, because the
traitors are SO terribly in earnest There Is no
doubt much to this fact of the earnestness OF the
rebellion The traitors are giving themselves
wholly and uuscrupulously to the work OF over
throwing the Government. They never miss an
opportunity either at home or abroad OF strl-
king blow at the authority Of the Old Union
They stop as no sacrifices, giving their property
to the fire rather than suffer it TO fall into, and
strengthen the hands OF tic Federrl Govern
nent. One OF their earlier acts Of legislation
contisca ted the debts due from S0utteIners to
Northern men, and ordered their payment into
the treasury Of the rebellion. Wheev North
ern property has been found on Southern soil
it has been at once s,qucstered to 50 .thcrn uses.
They have worked day and night have plotted
and schcncd Tor the benefit Ct secession, and
have secuted and put away iron themselves all
hope IT desire Of a reconstruction OF the Union.
They have made their slaves work in their
trenches and in their fields to Tighten the labor
of their white soldiers They have put arms
in the hands Of negroes and have drilled them,
and paraded them at their reviews alongside
of their white companions In arms. They have
indeed manifested an earntstncss and devotion
and zeal worthy Of . better Cause
Can any one give q reason why the North
should 10. be as " terribly in earnest " in tbs
matter as the South ? We have L Government
whose existence depends upon Our Efforts We
have lost hundreds vf millions Of dollars by the
confiscation Of Southern debts due the North.
We have lost thousands Of millions of dollars
in the prcstration Of business caused by the
war. We are now daily spending almost two
millions 10 keep on foot an army to defend
ourselves from the a,s.l Ats of treason. The
presrnt generation and the generations to come
must bear burden of tax l:ion, hitherto unex-
ampled in this Country, to pay of the debt that is
accumu latirg at sucl. "a fearful rate every hour.
We have barely escaped a war with Engl land by
making humliating cessions to demand that
We had no power to refuse Hundreds Of tbs
volunteer army OF the Republic are dying daily
from the exposure incident to army life. And
yet We are doing little to suppress the rebellion,
although we Lave succeeded in making it some.
what uncomfortable. Isn't it possible for US to
learn wisdom Of traitors even, and be for brief
season " in earnest y in prosecuting the war?
What If the fois and boxing gloves were thrown
aside and the iron-gauntle,ed hand, and the ma
ked steel We're substituted Cor short cimraign
W hat if the rebels were made to lcei that the
Government IL strong beyond their strength and
that 1t had made bare its arm for vengeance =?
Are not twenty millions o. people who are ter
riby in earnest more than mach for eight
millions, VIII" are equally earnest? And must
no, tho earncstness, zeal, enthusiasm, energy,
decision OF the rebels, be met by similar nuai-
ties in those who lead he armies Of the Rapub-
lie, if we would make the war short and decisive
or would end it at all, except as Inundated
defeated and divided power?
If Gen. Mcclellan cannot advance, can no
other wing Of tho army move? If Gen. Sher-
man cannot move inland from Port Royal be.
cause be has no field batteries, can none be sent
to him? And why hadn't he fold guns at The
outset instead Of being compelled 10 wait six
weeks for the rebels to make all necessary prep
arat'ons to dispute every inch Of his advance d?
Are We not yet ready for this grand movement
that has been 30 long forctoId, SO long delayed ?
And If not, can even The prophet, Seward, tell
us when We shall be?