The Morgantown monitor. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1863-1864, 1863-03-28
Our Duty to the Government.


him first to lay out his plan, coun
the cost, and weigh well the chance
against, as we'll as in favor of hi
success. The mechanic compute
with accurateness the dimensions o
the foundation upon which he is t.
erect building, that there may b.
no irregularity in the structure wher
complete. The farmer wishes to in
crease the produce of his land, and
he provides plan to enrich the soil
before the time Of sowing. The Gen.
eral in the field draws up his forces
in line of battle with reference to the
disposition of the opposing force
carefully investigating their strong
points, and taking advantage OF
every means looking to the defeat OF
his antagonist. So when rebellion
first sprung up against our Govern
ment, there was an object to be &C
complished 1t was to suppress it.
The Administration just then coming
into power put their heads together,
formed their plans, counted the cost,
and $1,000 men were called out to
effect this object. But it would ap-
pear that they did not weigh we'll
the magnitude of their undertaking,
for we find our army at bay, and az
ter the first onset fleeing to the Ca
pitol for protection.
A pre-lEsopian fable relates that
"the-e was once a giantess who had
q daughter, and the child saw hus-
bandman blowing in tie field. Then
she ran and picked him up with her
finger and her thumb, and put him,
and his pillow and his oxen in her
apron and carried them to her moth
er and said, 'lIother. what sort of a
beetle is this I found wriggl!ug in
the sand?' But the mother said, put
it away, my child, we must be goue
out of this land, for this people will
dwell in it," Thus it seems would
the Administratio as the child, take
up the rebellion with finger and a
thumb, yet time has taught them a
little of the prudence of the mother,
in that they have learned to place a
higher estimate upon the foe they
have found in the land.
But we, a deluded nation, were
never in 4 better condition than at
the present stage, to estimate the
magnitude Of Administrative folly
displayed in the conduct of the war
then inaugurated. The calling out
few skirmishers upon an occasion
which demanded the real force of the
nation; yea. upon an occasion, and
at a time when if there appeared any
show Of necessity for it, every man,
woman and child should have been
summoned to the rescue, and with
one fell swoop crushed the rebellion
beyond the hope of a resurrection !;
we say in the first mistep of the Ad-
ministration they have not only sa-
crifced the dignity Of the Govern
ment, and caused an indefinite pro-
longation of the war, bat they have
rendered themselves legitimate tar
gets for ridicule. These are facts
which are felt to-day as painful veri-
ties by every lover of the Govern
ment.
Yet this is not the ouly instance of
Administrative folly. Why should
We enumerate them? They are not
so few that they may be forgotten,
nor so Insignificant that they may
be overlooked. They have eudan-
gered'the Constitution, They have
raised an army in the rear, almost
as formidable, if not so numerous,
as that in front. They have embit-
tered the wrath of the enemy, and
created dissentiou in the heart of the
patriot.
But notwithstanding all this. we
contend that we owe now as truly
rs we ever did, not only an unflinch-
ing loyalty, but stern duty, indie
pendently of the Administration, to
the Government of our country -
that it is our duty to forget. if ne
cessary, the impotency, the perver-
sions, and the inconsistencies of the
Administration that has been placed
atits head, to yield the full and hear
ty support due from a loyal subject
TO his Government. Fight the
President with resolutions said the
venerable Crittenden, I" but give the