The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-02
How Can we Have Peace ?


the instrumentality Of forclble secession? Has
any one who has any authority to speak tor
those whe, ia great measure, control puohc
opinion in the South, ever limited at the posi-
bilitv that the rebels were fighting for anything
but a separate Government Did Mt they com
mence this treason with this announcement, and
have they not persstently and consistently ad-
hered to this purpose There can be but one
answer to these question:, from all candid and
Intelligent men who have given the least
thought and attention to the course of South
ern treason, from its first open demonstration,
more than two years ago, to the present time
How can the Government meet this issue
The South have, in arms, declared for dsunlen
what shall the nation do Are there more
than two courses left to ito conquer treason
and compel the South to submit to the authority
of the Union, or to acknowledge that the pow
er of the Government is unequal to this work,
and, as consequence, secure the best bounda-
~ line possible between the nation that is to be
left. and the traitors who are suffered to depart
Is there any middle ground upon which the
Government can stand, with any prospect
that the rebels will meet it, end, in any way,
settle the question and leave US one people again,
with the " Constitution as 1t is, and the
Union as it was, and the Government re-
main one in which the majority shall rule I
Will the peace men show US any common ground
upon which tho Government and traitors can
stand, and yet save the Republic with the
Constitution as the Fathers made it
We ask these questions in all seriousness.
We arc as desrous Of peace as any one can be,
o peace that shall be stable and honorable, and
restore the ri ,htlul authority Of the federal
government We depl9re the evils Of war as
much as or: peace noighbors can. We are not
non -resstants, however, but believe that the
federal government has the right to employ
force in restoring its authority, ard carrying its
flag into insurgent districts; and if battles
come as a consequence, and taxes, and all the
unpleasant concomitants of war, we trust we
have the frmness and the courage 20 meet them
like men. We should be glad enough to know
that plantan leaves and bread and milk pouIti-
cos would entirely cure this national gangrene
without resort to cautery or surgery, but when
mild remedies have been employed in vain, We
think the fire and the knife had better do their
work unless we would invite national dissolu-
ton.
Yet there are great many persons and a
large majority of the so.calIed Democratic pa
pers in the country, who are talking and
preaching peace, as though it were practicable
with the restoration of the Union as it was, and
without any alterations Of the Constitu ton for
these men, while preaching peace, are noisy in
their ptetensions Of devotion to the &" Consttu-
ton as. it is, and the Union as it was" and
unless they are dishonest they at least pretend
to believe that a peace can be reached and the
Union saved by strictly Constitutional methods.
Gentlemen, how do you propose to accomplish
your work The Government has found no way
bet by force to restore the authority of the
Federal Government-will you be good enough
10 give US your methods? 1t is easy to talk of
the end, of the peace which may follow the res
,omtion of the national authority, but will you
give little more attention to the means? 1t
rs upon that particular branch of your pro-
gramme we want light. And will you also
consider when you are discussing means, that
Abraham Lincoln, and not Vallandigham, is
President, and probably will be for two years
80 cOme-and that, while he remains so, he is
commander-in- chief of our army and navy.