The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-07
Foreigners beginning to learn the strength
Of our Republic.


foreigners, ignorant Ct cur wonderful resources
and the maryelously recuperaiive enegies oil our
people, RUSSELL Of the London uneS, On his
first visit to this country, in the winter and spring
Of 1861. found matter for Continual amIzement
everywhere,-at first 10 TIE unaCcountabe ndlt-
ference of the free states to The threats aid ap-
pretended danger of secession and rebellion, ard
afterwards when tb- great North aroused itself like
giant and went forth to battle, at the wonderful
displays Of its strength and the munfcsnt out
pourngs of its treasure. But he and all his tribe,
the London Times at home, and all the prints
that with it sympathized with the Shareholders
rebellion, began at that momeet, and have, until
recently, persisted in prophesying financial dsas
ter, bankruptcy, collapse and ruin the result
soon to overtake this Government of the United
States. We were told that we did not know how
which We were prosecuting this one was coDtinu-
ally portrayed as prodgal and wasteful, both of
men and money, to a degree which no people
could long endure. No other nation could stand
| up unuel oucn ouiueus, anu Oh course democracy
which had no cohesive power, but was held to-
gether only by the volutary act Of its thirty mil
lions of people, would inevitably shortly plunge
into poverty, misery, and the widest ard most
discordant anarchy.
But events have so fasifed these ignorant views,
and SO given the lie to all these prophecies of
disaster, that even the most reluctant witnesses
against US have been, from time to time, obliged to
acknowledge their mistakes and bear testimony
to the astonishing resources of free Republic
Long ago these foreign enemies were pretty ef-
fectualy shamed out of their earlier position that
we could not raise and keep in the fields the ar
mics necessary to put down treason, &c the swell
ing ranks of the armed supporters of the old flag
still kept their standards advancing against rebel
lion But they still prophesied financial ruin, the
bankruptcy Of the Federal treasury, the mpov-
ishment of the commercial classes and the ruin
and distress Of the poor. But as month after
month has glided by and found the Government
not only not bankrupt, but with OVERLOOKING
treasury, and its securities bearing premium in
the market, while the people throughout the
length and breadth of the land have enjoyed al.
most unprecedented prosperity, the laborer COM
manding enhanced wages, and finding more ready
employment than heretofore, and every branch Of
industry and business exhibiting an unwonted yet
healthy activity, these prophets of evil have
found themselves again at fault in their reckoning,
| an IN nd To III
new and incomprehenslble phenomenon in our
country. The London Times in d;Scoursipg edi-
toriallY upon this phase in our affairs says
We shall make our meaning clearer five ex
plain it in connection with the problem which has
more than any other in the character of the war,
bafiled the comprehension of the Europeans. This
frigtta and des0tdt'ng does not seem 10 hhve
had any influence at present in destroying the pros
periiy of The Federal States. On the contrary, our
correspondents, wherever they 60, send US &C.
counts of almost fabulous wealth and luxury. The
town of Chicago, the great centre of Western
commerce, is being rebuilt all over F" In the coun-
try most people have profted by the war;" A
stimulus has beengiven to railways and every spe-
cies of Commercial enterprise. The great Wes-
tern States have been more opened up there COM
merce has increased, and, even takeninto account
! the depreciation OF greenbacks, the real solid
wealth of the commercial classes has, in our cor
respondents opinion, gained by the war. There
is no doubt, he tells U.S. that by this prodigious
shower OF greenbacks, the country has been enor-
mously fer'ilized. The same rule applies to every
other branch of commercial, agricultural or indus.
trial enterprise. However worthless the green
backs may be in themselves, the lands that can be
bought with them, the houses that can be built
with them, are solid goods The merchants of
New York appear to be enjoying similar run of
prosperity and there can be no doubt that the
reckless way in which the war continues is due, in
great measure, to the fact that its effect up 10 the
present time has been TO enrich and mol 10 apovtr-
ish the Federal States" ..
Thus one sfer another the forecastings of our
enemies across the Atlantic and their allies South
and North at home, of irretrevabls ruin to the
National cause, are being answered by admissions
from the same pens which made them, when the
unanswerable logic of events has proved their
falsity. And if our people are but true to them
selves, and to the principles of Republican free
dom, the future Of the United States shall flash
still greater light upon the world respecting the
strength of genuine Democracy, than even lie
past two years have done and reveal our people
as able TO bear the burdens of a tremendous war
without drying up the sources Of single stream
of peaceful prosperity ; as able to put on the sea
and an tho land nm ,ho, L.. ...z,.- l 1