The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-28
Let Us Profit by Experience.


the war, either on the part of the generals, th'
government, or the people, for the purpose o.
fault-fnding, i: would still be unwise to forge
the lessons, which ought 10 he burned into oul
memories as he teachings OF the last year, thai
we may avoid repetition of similar mistakes
in future. And one of the lessons which the
twelve months just ended ought to teach US is
that the country has suffered immensely, and the
war been delay ed, and prevented from reaching
successful results, by military ParIisanship and
the lying, boasting, and Misrepresentation that
have inevitably followed this partisan strife
among loyal men. In the newspapers, on the
hastings, in Congress, in the Cabinet, IN the
army, and almost in the pulpit, We have quar-
relied ever The claims of generals to distinction
in the same temper and spirit, and with the
same INSCRIPTIONS use OF means, which have
characterized the bi;terest political campaigns ;
and it is hardly going too far to say that many
honest men have lost sight OF the good of the
nation in theii partisan zeal, while many bad
men have taken advantage of the unseemly strife
to do the country and the cause infinite mischief.
One of the evil results Of such state of things
is the effort TO misrepresent facts, 80 that they
may support Or overthrow some general in the
field. And here we believe the newspapers,
and especially the metropolitan press, have done
the nation great damage To this end victories
have been heralded as defeats, and defeats have
been pronounced the greatest victories the
number ct troops IN departments have been
magnifed, OF deprecated the forces OF the en-
envy have been reckoned on the same sliding
scale excuses for delay have been invented
where none existed. and where they did really
exist have been m1de to appear lnsup erable OBJ
staclea on The one hand, and on the other hand
have been ridiculed as only the bugbears Of the
Imagination and in one way or another We
hav We managed to keep up running fight
among ourselves, that has almost led us to hink
there vas but one way to save the country, and
that was our particular way that we must
60 to victory win Mcclellan, or not at all, OF
that We must conquer under Fremont. or not a,
AL and between these clamorers and pArtlsane
the country has been well nigh rained We
have gone TO work to suppress the most terrible
and gigantic rebellion the world ever saw, as
VT would have gone to work to elect Presi-
dent Of the United States, and the CONSEQUENCE
is tnat at the end OF eighteen mouths the nation
Is just beginning again at the alphabet of The
war, and calling out 300 600 troops to pu. down
a rebellion that could much better and easier,
If we would have agreed to have i, so, have
been crushed nine months ago
From all this stern aud terrible discipline, a
discipline that has been not only most bitter for
u.s. but which will be felt by our children, and
our Children children, let us learn at least this
lesson, lesson for the government, for the army,
and for the people, that the truth will in the
end serve us infinitely better than any misrep-
resentation land that war and political campaigns
cannot be prosecuted successfully in free gov
ernmen' in precisely the same way Let US stop
our boasting over defeats as though they were
victories, because our pet General happened to BE-
IN command. Let US stop our prophecies that
the war will be successfully closed in thirty, six
ty or ninety days. Let US remember that VIZ
are lighting a desperate enemy on his own
ground, and let US learn by the experience Of
the year that the upation Of this or tina.
town or city,doeS not necessarily end the war
shat the evacuation of Bowling Green, Colum.
bus. Corinth, Manassas and Yorktown have
decided nothing for US exceps the possession of
territory, leaving the rebel armies that occupied
them to concentrate and fight at other points
and that until the rebel army is beaten and SUBJ
stsntially destroyed We cannot have peace except
with separation. We may as well look these
this in the face first az last, for we shall have
to meet them in the end. And, hereaf ter let US
wage this war not for the military success OF this
Or that chiettaln, or for the establishment of
this or that policy. Let US not conduct the war
that We may be called the most magnaminous
or the most rigorous nation On the face of the
earth IN the treatment of treason But Les US
fight to win aud let the tombstone OF merit
hereafter be success. And when we have an
Swered this new call for 10000 troops, and
placed at the disposal of the government all it
asks, let the people demand of the government
then that the army be used speedily, and under
the best military genius that the country can fur
nish, in striking quick, sharp and decisive blows