Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-04-02

How TO KEEP cECRET.--ln recent
sneech vallandigham Of Ohio said
ssOn the 18th Of last December, when from
!, ~, &c Richmond information came to the
t T:,, o Nev York that there was disposition
o"y ~ and return delegates to the Ma
70 co En- oress and be obedient to the Consti-
uona, I'D laws. and thus restore the Union as +
. .nos tho President, On that day rejected the
maS, and the damning evidence of that
P lTps EXISTS in New York over his own an
.eo s.,,h BIT there is an obligation, Of sscrycu
at present, and the i0''er mas not. yet been CIV
en- to the public
Fernando Wood gave out, some.t time ago,
that peace propositions had been received from
Richmond, which, # accepted, would have
been satisfactory North and South, but that
the Administration at Washington rejected
them. He, however, could not uncover the
matter further, as he, too, was under that fear
f,l obligation Of secrecy. Vallandieham,s
story above, is vood's.revamped and renewed.
One cannot read it without being forcibly
struck, in the first place, by the religious man
ner in which these pious men observe their
s.obligation of secrecy" Their sense of honor
upon this point IS fearfally acute. After re-
vealing the whole matter, (supposing it true
for the moment) and setting it out in its worst
light they are then restrained by that wonder
fill obligation Of secrecy, which their inveterate
hostility to the administration, even, will not
induce them to disregard. Such honor amonp
politicians, and especially such politicians is as
refreshing and delightful as it is extraordinary
and wonderful
With this, thematter might well enough be
dismissed. The New York Times has a
lengthy article upon the subject, but it hardly
seems worthy 50 much attention. No man
possessed of the slightest modicum of COM
mon sense will for moment attach the least
credit to the statement that any propositions
for peace founded upon submission of the
rebellious Stats and restoration of the
Union thereby, which should come from any
such authoritative source in Richmond and in
any such shape that it could be acted upon at
all by the fedora government, would be re-
iected by it. It's to compel them to that very
thing that the war is prosecuted. The rebels
! of course understand that all they have to do
at any time to rstore peace, is to throw down
their arms and return to the Union. It is lust
this that the rebel leaders utterly and positive
" refuse to do. They treat all such PROPOSE
tons from their Northern sympathizers, even,
| with such contempt, scorn and ridicule, such
sshodng of the nose," as would infuse some
little spirit into any but the most abiect cop
perhead If there is the slightest apology for
foundation to these statements of Wood and
Vallandigham, tits in the shape of trick
concocted between traitors at the South and
their sympathizes in New York, to injure the
administration and help the rebels. 1t cannot
come from any authoritative source or in any
shape to serve as a foundation for action by
our Government But the statement as first
made by Wood was authoritatively denied last
winter, and is NOW revived by .Vallandigham
only as an electiOneering dodge. 1t is absurd
on its face, and if 1t were not, the source from
which it comes would be enough to fix upon it,
in the shape in which it is put forth, the brand
! of malicious and traitorous falsehood. Who
ever imposed that tremendous obligation of Sc
crecy should immediately elieve the tender
consciences of Wood and Vallandigham from
the painful load which its religious observance
imposes upon them.