Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1863-04-24

and armies have ascendad the Cumberland
and Tennessee rivers, and have carried war
into the heart of the confederacy. We have
possession Of great part Of the Atlantic
coast Of the rebel states. and what we have
not occupied by our armies is closely block
AIDED by our fleets.
Thus tar, the war has been confined to the
enemies territory. The thrcals Of the rebels
that they would ravage western states
and Pennsyl ylvania, and plumber Cincinnati
and Philadelphia, have proved to bo mere
southern bravados. We have, at home, sui-
iered many incunvenionces from Interruptions
Of trade and business on account Of the war
but no suffering from dcsutution or want Of
employment has effected any portion Of our
people. Meanwhile the south has suffered
immensely. Large portions Of their territory
have been made desolate by the rayages Of
the different armies Many of the slaves
have fled, and the labor Of many more has
been of but little profit to their owners An
important part Of the service of the rebel sol
diors has been to dosola'e their own country
Ito burn cotton sad 20 6cstroy railroads and
bridges. Cut off from the trade " the world,
the rebels can neither sell their crops Of cot
ton, sugar or tobacco. nor import many of
OF the ncccssarics of life, but at a hazasd and
expense that is ruinous to The south. II our
blockade Of the southern coast has not been
complete, it certainly has been such as to
materially reduce the value OF the exports Of
the south aud enhance the price Of all their
imports. If the chanc Of the capture by
our blockading squadrons, or of the escape Of
ship loaded with cotton were equal, the
real value Of the cotton in a southern port
would be reduced one-half and if like risk
attended importations, the price Of the goods
imported would be doubled
The losses in the southern armies from bat
lies, diseases. and desertion, have certainly
been equal to, and probably are much greater
than the losses in our armies, from like causes.
The whole white population Of the eleven
seeding States, mot including Western
Virginia is about five millions one hundred
and fifty thousand the white population Of
the non-siaveholding, is almost nineteen mile
ions. Assuming that each party has lost on
hundred thousand men by the war, the Sc
ceding States have lost one in flty-two OF
their whole white population, whilst the free
have lost only one in one hundred and ninety.
II there is any consolation in the thought, we
may conclude that as az as the loss Of life is
fiiNNiANNf VIZ HHt flNo'No "Aitt''N AN-A N---'rN
as heavily upon the white population Of the
South, as it does upon us. The relentless
manner in which the conscription laws have
been enforced at the South, and the high
prices that have been paid there for subsu-
tutes, shows plainly, that with them, the war
has lost all its fascinations, and that fighting
the mudsills of the North, is considered no
holiday psstime by the chiyalry Of the South.
But the most encouraging circumstance to US
that has attended this unhappy war, is TO be
found not in the losses which the South has
sustained, or n the advantages which we have
gained, but in the generous and patriotic
spirit exhibited bv the ma- es Of our people.
The noble uprising Of the people Of tha
North, without disNnctorDi party lot Lhe
defence of their governments will be consid-
cred as one OF the many great events, that
distinguished the history of the nineteenth
century. Il has shown that the people had
intelligence, to comprehend the importance of
the crisis, and patriotism to meet the emeI-
goncy. Our immense and voluntary contri-
buttons Of men and money, have exceeded the
expectations Of the most sangulne patriot,
astonis he'd all, and impressed upon the world
the idea of our vast resources. We have had
reyerses, have been betrayed by towards and
traitors, have been annoyed by politicians,
but the people have been loyal and devoted.
We have suffered fom bad generalship. and
from worthless and incompetent officers, but
the common soldiers have ever done their
duty. When our soldiers have had an even
chance in the field, and competent officers to
attend them, they have ever proved victorious.
The great battles Of Fort Donelson, Shi-
lob, Antietam, Murfreesboro and many 9TH
ers, were mainly won by the steady and de-
termined yalor Of our soldiers; and the same
cause has under great disadvantages, saved
us from disastrous defeats. Ii our cause
must fail, and our government be overthrown,
the World will say that the people of America
deserved a better fate. We may fail from
the incapaoiiy Of our statesmen, the incompe-
tency of our generals, or the heartless in
trigues and selfish schemes Of demagognes
and party leaders but it can never be said
that the people of America in this great crisis
lacked either courage or devotion to their