Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-09-23
How Much Longer must Slavery be Spared


The wisdom that comes after the event and
arises from experience, and not from sagacity and
prophetic forecast, is common and not VERY re-
markable attainment. But the practical use of
this wisdom, making it, by reflection, light the
path forward as well as backward, is less COM
mon and more difficult virtue. A knowledge of
errors il one thing while cheerful aacrity to
profit by this knowledge, and to abandon the
course that has led to disastrous results, is quite
another.
The country has been taught, by its disastrous
experiences Of the past two years, that there is
great and crying evil somewhere in our nationa
life. Something is most certainly wrong, or the
Republic would not have been plunged into the
terrible scenes of war which has written in blood
the annals OF the nation for the past year.
The Government assumes to believe that Slave
~ is the great evil, the terrible and defiant wrong,
the giant wickedneSs, that has brought on this re.
belion. President Lincoln told the Border State
men as much as this and he told them more
He said that it was the hope that the Border
States, through their kindred institution would
at ast-in case OF superintendent their lot with
the Gulf States that stimulated the South to pro.
long the war and put forth every exertion to
maintain and make successful their rebellion aud
for this reason, and to take away this hope, he
urged the Border States to naugurate some mea-
sure Of emancipation. This course of the Pres-
dent was an admission that Slavery not only was
the cause of the war, but that it was the main
stay Of the rebellion; an admission not reluctant
y drawn from the Government, but boldly put
forth as positive fact upon which the emancipa-
tion policy Of the Government rested for its time
illness and chief justification The President has,
in a most solemn manner, assured not only the
Border States, but the whole country, through
his message respecting emancipation, that all nee
essary means will be resorted to, to the end that
the Union and the Government may be preserved,
and he more than minated that, unless emanc-
patton was, under this invitation resorted to by
the States addressed it would come soon as nee.
essary incident Of the vigorous prosecution Of the
var.
Plain men see but one end to which all the
logic of the Presidents messages and addresses
lead and that i, that Slavery is subordinate to
the preservation Of the Union, and must give way
when the necessities of the national lite demand
it. They accept the utterance of the Chief Mag
strate in his letter to Mr.. Greeley, as indicative
OF purpose on the part of the Administration to
free the slaves whenever that work will tend to
save the Union. They believe Mr.. Lincoln to be
honest, and to mean what he says, when he de-
cares that he shall do more to destroy Slavery
whenever he is persuaded that such course will
advance the cause OF the Government. They also
believe that he personally wishes that all men,
everywhere should be free SO reading and in.
terpreting Mr.. Lincoln's record it isn't easy to
understand why he waits, or why he doubts. And
yet, it seems as though those who were charged
for the time with the care of the sacred ark of our
Liberties, were infinitely more concerned lest they
should assail some prejudice, or disturb, or for
the time disregard, some "vested right of the
traitors who are moving heaven and earth to des-
troy our Government than they were that loyal
men should be spared the toll the waste of treas
ure, the destruction Of life and the terrible ago
ny that ever keeps company with a gigantic war.
How long must this be For how many
more months must the blood of loyal men, cry
from the ground against treason, before The blop
thai strikes home, shall fall How much longer
must the loyal States send forth their population
by thousands, and add, day by day, immensely to
their already crushing burden of taxation, while
the rebels are allowed to hold occupy, and poss.
ess their property free from the touch of the Fed.
enl power When will the military necessity
for freeing the slaves arise, if that time has not
now come ? What further suffering must the
people endure, what further peril must the Gov.
eminent be in, before indispensable means "
can he resorted to The people who have given
unselhsh!y, periodically, and with unparalleled
abundance of their life blood. to support and
carry on the war, are earnestly asking thes.
questions nov, They are pressing them in no in.
subordinate or mutinous spirit. They are no,
holding back dollar, or drop Of blood, because
,hsre /, need that they should ask them, Or Will.