The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-28
The People and the Government.

DIR. Russell, the special correspondent Of til
London Times, and who may truthfully be Gale
the false prophet Of that paper, in this country
has recently come to the conclusion that he doe
not yet thoroughly understand the Yankee ma
ton. The American people don't do as he ex
poets them to. lie came here with the British
idea Of the tendencies of Democratic institutions
and with the most ultra phase of that idea. Tit
conflict just commencing had nearly silenced thu
Old World admirers OF our popular suffrage
our doctrines of the equality of man, ant
the equal participation of all men in making
the laws and administering the government
which were at the foundation of our experiment
of the capacity Of the people to govern them
selves; and the Tories OF England were in erea.
glee over the prospect of the immediate bursting
Of the bubble Of Democracy in tho Western
'oogtsaont. The Times accordingly sent out
Dr. R,ssall to watch the symptoms and describe
the dying struggles Of the unwieldy monster -
The learned Doctor Immediately indu 'ged in the
most superficial, and scanty, and false diagnoses
'ot the patient, and made them the basis for the
most startling and dogmatic prognostcs of i'm
mediate and irrctricvable rain. But after about
d year CT this kind of business, the correspon-
cent has at last found out that he don It know
anything about us. We are to him u strange
people. Wedon't get up mobs, and riots, ac-
noydng to the Russell idea Of a rabble Democ-
rucy- We don't take advantage of the disorders
of Che body polite to exhibit a spirit akin to
that OF the Red Republicans of Paris. We don t
drive tne President FROM tie White House, be-
cause he removes, or retains, popular or an un-
popular officer. We don't brow-beat the gov
eminent into "a war with England. We dom t
refuse TO honor the repeated drafts of the gene.
ral government upon our money, our citizens,
or our patience, in the war for the Republic
We don 60 foolishly crazy over victory. We
don't die of a defeat. But we keep on in the
even tenor of our way, exhibiting settled de-
termination, stern patriotism, Il heroic lorti-
tude, which are utterly incomprehensible to the
man who has no faith in the people either of
England OR any other nation.
llc, WIN anu Will I'LL appropriated
mind studies the history of the free States OF
America since last April, will find In it, in fact,
the strongest and best arguments in favor Of a
Democratic form of government. Any kind OF
government will do in peaceful and prosperous
times 1t is not the smooth sea. and favoring
winds that test the strength of the ship, but ad,
verse gales, and tempestuous ocean. Last
March the National Government was on the
verge of ruin. An imbecile executive, and a
,ratorous Cabinet, had brought the country to
the brink of destruction. The North was dis
tracted by divided counsels. The South was
united in the hope of speedy and an easy rev.
olution. In less than "a month, however, the
North became q unit, by voluntary, almost by
spontaneous action, and rallied as one man tC
the support of the constituted authorities. Since
then, with IN energy, settled determination, a
persistent activity, and united purpose, that
have disappointed the expectations OF the most
sanguine, the people have gone forward in the
work of supprcssing rebellion, and have amazed
t he world with the magnitude of the work 40
complished. There have been ungrudging toll
austore self-denial, unhesita.ing submission, anC
almost unquestiouing obedience, in answer tc
every requirement Of the Federal power. Our
largo cities have been as quiet and as orderly AZ
che smallest and most sparscly settled rural dis
trici Everywhere, outside the domain of slavery
our State and municipal governments have
worked as smoothly e, in the most "ppinl
times of peace" Nc police or cous.abuary
torce has needed to be increased. Elections hav,
been more quiet than ever. And the sense o
individual interest in the success of our cause
and of individual responsibility for the goot
namo of our nation have never, at any momen
since the formation Of the Republic, been NOR
universal than for the last six months of It's his
tory. And, as the consequence of this free &C
zion of free people, we have reached the re
suits which already illumine our cause, and hav
laid the foundation for the still greater achieve
znents that shall make US again one nation.
The danger, as free people, that we are nov
in, is not all in the direction which has beer
prophesied by our enemies at home or abroad