The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-07
Rebel Sorrows.

| Rebel sorrows.
| The Rebels don seem to be enjoying them
selves. Things don't 60 In all respects to sui
them. When Mason and Slidell were frat seizee
by Capt. Wilkes they were mad about t.'at, anc
Jeff Davis made a ferceIy denunciatory para
graph in his message about the outrage. And
they are as lit 10 pleased with their surrender
But these are the mildtst Of their griefs. The
Richmond Examiner says:
The present condition of our army is d
Cause CT severe and painful anxiety. Tho cour-
age of our troops il not abated, The eagerness
for the fray is not relaxed, and yet demoralza-
ton is creeping in, we fully Believe, from the
insane and reckless neg lect Of the government to
sustain and to cultivate the spirit OF our sol
diery
There is too much drunkenness among the Of
fcers on the Potomac, and too much vacant
idllng among TIE men. We are informed, as a
positive fact, that In the majority Of the army
on the Potomac the practice of regimeutal drill
has fallen into complete disuse. This alone
would be sufficient TO denoraize any army in
circumstances such as ours.
We car not shut our eyes to the fact that the
army is becoming came IF terror and dread 10
the minds of our citizens. The newspapers are
still filled with advertisements OF bonuses for
substitutes, although the War Department
has adopted ii rule restrictin. the number of
substitutes to one III each company. The rates
paid for substitutes is enormous We are in
formed that they average from two hundred to
two hundred and fifty dollars and We have
been told OF Il recent instance where fifteen hun
dred dollars vas paid for the prompt procure
ment of Il substitute 0 take the place OF a pri
vate suddenly constrained to leave the army
Evidences stare us in the face Of the unwilling
ness Of men to accept the lie OF famine DIRT
and vacant idlcness in .he army. Richmond Is
filled with soldiers who have came out Of the
hospitals, or who have got here on some pre-
tense or other, applying tor discharges, and
striving and wrlgging in all SORTS OF ways to
get out OF the army. Ii was but few days ago
that a soldier, discharged from one of tie hes
pitfalls tere, committed suicide rather than be
constrained to ret'nn to tho army.
The authorties at Richmond ma assure them
solves, that rs long az the health of the army is
neglected and it is maintained in its dirty, slug
gard condition, the drills neglected, the Eal.-
rations of csmmlssaries winked at the rowdy-
ism OF officers passed over, and the yacancy and
ldleness of 4 defensive policy held OUT az re
wards TO volunteering, The army will not be
filled and repcnishcd but from lew classes of
our people,"
And again the Examiner bewails the aad
lot Of Rebellion in the following lugubrious
strain
:. They year closed under gloomy auspices, with
check at Dransgil!e ara rumured disaster
in Missouri. The year which yesterday began
has opsned with evil tidinss. We fear that
there Is no doubt OF the faci that the Northern
Union has consented to the surr,ndor o; Mason
and SlidelI and with that event all .opo of an
immediate alliance between the Southern Con-
federacy and Great Britain must cease
But the editor closes with desperately heroic
determination
" Bat, for some time, we may BE- left alone
IN TINS quarrel. Let US not repine, though the
task be heavy on the arm. If we would respect
ourselves, consolidate our nationality, ensure
our future independence, and transmit heroic
memory 10 pos:erlty, we must prove to ourselves
ana To all others that our own unaded strength
IS sufficient Tor our own redemption. If it is rot,
there remains one resolution by which every
citizen that ID worthy of freedom can avoid the
sight OF its extinction and the spectacle Of his
countrys ruin-to die in the last ditch for their
defense
The editor of the Eram,ner was evidently in
distressed state of mind. The idea Of diving
. IN the last ditch " is not cheerful or con.
soling one, however paiiotic i. may be. The
editor Of the Examiner may, however, have the
privilege OF dying in ditch. Many have come
to a similar end before this. The erowners
quest in such cases generally renders ver-
dict that" Rum did IT, And Rum. however.
pleasant and celebrating beverage it may be,
doesn't sound as we'll in history. or in an ep.
taph as Patriotism. Tho Eaomia.r should be-
ware IF 3" the last ditch"