Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-02-27
The 2ntland 4rra'd,
THURSDAY MORNING, FEB. %, 1862
SATAN REBUKNG SIN.

The delegated band OF rebel conspira-
tors yclept the Congress of the Confed-
crate States of America" convened at
Richmond on the 18th instant. charged
with the great and patriotic duty Of devils
inc ways and means to secure the CON-
plete overthrow of the Union, and of the
liberties of the people, which the Union
alone can permanently secure. The
Senatorial branch of this tiendish cabal
was called to order by Vice-President'
Stephens, and the Representative "
branch by Howell Cobb. Eight despi-
cable traitors from loyal Kentucky an
swered to their names on roll call ! Only
enc answered from Missouri -" " Mr..
Hyer"- Tom Hyer Of "pugil-
istic" fame, the record does not state.
Thomas S. Bocock of Va. upon the nomi-
nation of &" Hangman Foote," now of Ten
'nessee, but formerly ,t Mississippi-and
who is destined ere long, we trust, to be
hng-man' was unanimously elected
Speaker. Aside from the business of
counting the votes for " President and
% Vice-P President which were all-109
cast for Davis and Stephens, nothing
of importance was transacted on the first
day The speech of Mr.. Bocock how
ever, upon assuming the chair, is worthy
of some comment. We are somewhat at
a loss to determine whether he discourSed
to his brother rebels in irony, or whether
his language came from ''the bottom of his
heart" At all events, he uttered some
truths as well rs many falsehOods, and
gave some good advice appropriate to the
occasion. In alusion to the Government
of the Union, as it existed just before it
0sperished," Bocock says: " Our system"
and he also says it is "a new system"
-"can never perish out like thai to which
j have alluded. When ambition and in
terest seized upon that, and destroyed its
sintegrity, they were not allowed to appro-
pirate the rule altogether to themselves.
Fanaticism came forward and demanded
10 be received as a participant Of power
with them, and it claimed not in vain.
Beneath the sway of this unholy triumvi-
rate justice was forgotten, intolerance was
established, private morals were ruined,
and public virtue perished. All feeling
of constitutional restraint passed away,
and all sense of the obligation of an oath
was forever lost. Since then,
tyranny the most absolute, and perjury
the most vile, have destroyed the last YES
tige of soundness in the whole system.
Bocock, of course, intended this as a
portraiture of Northern ambition and in
terest, and Northern tanaticism. But
how wide is it from the truth when thus
applied The Northern section of the
Union had not attained to power when the
Cotton States withdrew from the Union
The highest places in the National govern
ment were filled by the Southern leaders
and their Northern minions-James Bu-
chanan being the meanest, and the
most abject of them all. The only
!" fanaticism" that was participant OF
bower" was the fanaticism" of slavery
and not of abolition. The government it
self was the embodiment of pro-slavery
rule, and in all its acts it recorded the
DEGREES of the imperious Shareholder
Bocock but held up the faithful mirror tc
the body over which he was called to pre-
side. By whom was ''justice forgotten,
save by those who, in their determination
to extend the accursed institution Of
slavery, trampled upon every private and
Individual right, violated the sanctity Of
the ballot-box, and spread cruel and afro
cious laws upon the statute-books of the
nation, such as would have disgraced the
dark ages? Who " established intoler.
ance," save they who prescribed every
man not only from office, but in what they
called decent society, who would net bow
down and pronounce the shibboleth o.
Slavery? Who ruined "private morals,
save they who employed the public mo
neys to carry elections? Who established
an organized system of public plundel
Of which the Fort Smelling fraud, and the
Fowler theft. were mild specimens Il