The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-10-22
Hon. George Bancroft on the State of the
Country

|
national affairs:
New YORK, Oct. Is, 1862.
GENTLEMEN Il am touched with gratitude
for the good will which has led your convention
of delegates from the Peoples Union Associa-
TONS by an nexpected and spontaneous vote
to nominate me unanimously as their candidate
for representative of the Eighth Congressional
District. This act | receive as coming from
men who are awake to the perls that overhang
our beloved country, and who pledge themselves
as citizens to be governed by loyalty to TIE
| people,
The next Congress will hive before it the
most important subjects that ever engaged the
| attention of a representative body since the
! Convention that framed our CONSTITUTION ; aud
yet we seem to await the day of election with
fearful levity or want of considerateness, as
though the Old methods of preparation, which
may prove sufficient in season OF uncIouded
prosperity would serve for this hour when our
system itself is threatened with overthrow. 1t
is heart breaking, after the lavish outpourng of
the blood of those dearest to u.s. to contemplate
the chances OF failure from divisions and waver-
ing in the North. Yet after we have sent out
from this city alone troops enough to constitute
a formidable army, we are advised to manifest
at the polls cur consent to Ii disruption OF the
country. We send men from every ousehoid
to the war they show in the battle field the
most heroic courage, and yet we are asked 10
vote that the war has no object, that We fight
only to retreat with sha Ne il We are beaten, and
to submit with shame il we are victorious.
The only possible chance for speedy end of
this war is its instant and vigorous prosecution.
Hesitation brings chaos, and proongs the strife
indefinitely. There must be one soul il the
President, the army, and the people, or the con-
test will drag along under the distractions of
conflicting and uncertain opinions; and the
short sighted desire to gain peace by submission
may change it into seven years war, or a
thirty Yeas war, or war Tor generations
Quick, united action can alone bring it to an
early end.
The voice OF the State of New York, as pro.
nounced in the elections, will ring through the
civilized world. Shall we not do our part to
make that voice clear for the Union? Are we
to devote all our resources to carry on the war,
and then go to the polls to express the opinion
that the war, which certainly was forced upon
us and could not have been avoided, was un-
necessary aud mistake? Arc the citizens of
New 0rk to be 50 lnConss. ent az 70 strain every
nerve to gain the mastery III the field, and then
to signify at the polls readiness to faint and
succumb? When the oligarcny Of the South
this people rose up with calm and resolu,e
earnestness which was surpassed only by the
sublime patience and moderation with which
they bore defeat and msmanagcmcnt, and I'M
certain guidance. Shall we now proclaim that
this zeal was deluson?
The Tory party of England all the old her
oditafy enemies to the perfect development Of
cur free institutions, have been from the be-
ginning eagerly hoping to see our beautiful flag
r Mt in twain forever, and have been unremlt-
ting in their advice to US to let half the Union
60 Shall we adopt them for our counseors?
1t is one of the saddest things, in this time of
general sorrow, that effort Is made to rer-
suade our fellow cltgens of foreign birth to give
their votes IN the interest of the very party of
the English aristocracy which from generation
to generation oppressed them at home.
Our bankers, with noble patriotism, placed
their wealth at the service OF the Government.
Are they now to be told hat their loans were
offered without purpose and without a,y
need That the Government should have
sought peace at any price, even at the sacrifice
of our National character, by covering before
the conflict which all the possible deprecatlons
of pusilanimity could not have avoided p? Will
they consent to see the Government 60 paralyzed,
and its policy 80 uncertain, as to leopard the
restoration Of pnblic credit, and to invite the
interpostion of foreign powers
Are our merchants prepared to wean them
selves from the free use OF the Oh asapeake and
the Mississippi? Will they, after having won
back these great highways, give them up to "a
Confederacy which ls the child of rebellion, and
which from inherent causes will, in case Of its
separation, be necessarily hostile to US True,
our interests are bound up with the South But
is the surrender of the Capes of the Chesapeake,
| and of the Tor,ugas, and of the Mississippi, to
restore profitable commerce Will the re-
liGquishment forever of vast tracts of country
the Italics of the United States, unsurpassed
Tor beauty. fertility, and heathfulness-prov
the best mode OF promoting the exchange of do.
nestle products? VIII the bar Of custom
| houses stretched across the channels Of our
mighty rivers, help internal navigation . 70
let the revoted States 80 from a longing for
their trade, s to die through fear of death to
renounce the old intercourse entirely and for
ever because to-day it is interrupted.
Our fellow citizens of foreign birth have dem.
onstrated the power Of freedom to blend them
with us in our nationality aud brotherhood, and
they have shown by their conduct in the general
distress, how they have faith that they are re-
ceved into the bosom of ~ nation, and torm a
part OF one great, real, living people. Shall we
send word to those that are in camp that there
is no American pcople-that the Union is a
shamP Oar city rightly declared Its sympathy
with the gallant CorcoIan, when he returned
from his long captivity. What gave the chief
luster to hisstrvoes and his sorrows except this,
that he had ought and suffered for country
and people? Aud sail we now mar the
honors awarded him by deciding that the Union