Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-01-01


To-Day commences the New Year.
WITH ne New Year appropriately come
reforlns and improvements founded upon
the experiences of the past. This is true
in national affairs, as we'll as individual ;
more specially when there is such vital ne
costly for every improvement of whatever
nature to aid in saving the national life.
opace alone, if nothing else, would prevent
OUT attempting to point out many particulars
Wuo'sln, IN our view, change is needed.
ou' orlei reference to one essential, which con-
Germs all, may be, we think, at this time ap-
proprlately made. 1t is the need of greater
degree Of mutual confidence between the peo-
PIC ana the government, both engaged with all
'n7ir energies in the work,-unsurpassed in
history In its magnitude and consequences
" preserving to mankind the blessings of
Republican institutions and civil liberty, en-
bodied in this Union.
The people, in a war carried on in defense
OF popular goverument,-a war emphatically
tasg own, rejoicing in success but conscious
ofthsr strsngth to endure defeat leading but
torenewed effort,-demand that the Admin
lssration do nothing indicating the slightest
lack Of confidence in them the Admlnistra-
tlon demands and is entitled to the unwavering
confidence of the people. Nothing a7iH sav
we nation 1ithoat mutual and UlsvsTviag
confidence, cooperation and support.
Both may profit by past experience, il the
coming New Year. For while the Admins
tration is entitled, as we have said, to the un-
divided support OF the people, it would be
more than human, if without errors. Certain
acts, or omissions, indicating, whether justly
or not, Withholding Of its full trust in the
people are appropriate to the subject
We have before alluded, for instance, to the
fact that the foundation for the clamor of the
opposition press and politicians on the subject
Of arbitrary arrests" was laid not so much
in the arrests themselves, as in the conceal
nent from the people, which attended them,
Of the reasons and grounds of those proceedings,
on the part of the government thus afording
ample room for the free play of the exaggera-
ton, invention and malice of INSCRIPTIONS OPP
position leaders.
Much dissatisfaction too, has been expressed
with the manner in which the censorship over
geographic communication has been conducted.
Especially has this been the case after each
Disaster to our arms, and the cutlery has broken
out afresh since the fredericksburg repulse.
1t is difficult to discover nom past experience,
that any good results have flowed from the
closing of the speediest channels of intelli-
gence in relation to any accomplished act of
our armies though it be unsuccessful. That
the first reports are usually exaggerated, is
true; but this exaggeratlon and the temporary
evils it inf cts, are increased rather than di-
minished in direct proportion as real knowl-
edge of the subject matter is withheld.
But recent events have more fully demon
strated that it is especially due to the Admin
istration itself, that 1t should keep the people
fully supplied with knowledge of its operations,
excepting of course, unexecuted military plans
which it is necessary to conceal from the
enemy.
It was well known before, that notwith-
standing the peril of the Union and the obi
CATION resting upon every man to do his ut
most to help the government in saving it, the
leaders of a factious opposition would seize
upon every possible act or omission of the
Government, to pervert its, meaning and mali
ciously misrepresent its object, for the sole pur-
nose Of furthering their own partisan ends.
Their onslaughts made with such view,
seemed wicked enough at time of such ma
tional peril, when they were formed upon some
real though totally misrepresented, act or
omission of the government. But it has per-
hans not been before so fully demonstrated to
what depth of faseheod and villainy they were
willing to 60 IN their reasonable work, as
since their notorious attempts to brew an un-
comfortable storm of popular indignation
AGAINST the Administration entirely upon the
hare.facel lie, asserted and reiterated by them
"a an established fact which they hssp, that
Gan. Burnside attacked the rebels in their in
trencbnents at Fredericksburg against bis own
udonent and because compelled thereto by
n. premptory orders of President Lincoln
sacrenry Stanton and Gen. Halleck that
these alter were therefore directly chargeable
with shat they termed the wanton, wholesale
n,,rdr Il thousands of our best and bravest
Iy,.t.s9 1t is well said that had sit not been
hrnside's letter, which brief as it was,
hre Good of light upon the late affair, the
ltor Of public excitement, under false state
J pea,, might have lasted for weeks, ane
trosht incalculabls evil And yet our escap
tonall thi, is due only to the happy impuls
q To magnanlmous General"
! AID it is appropriately urged that the clam
, q Otho.e newspapers which indulge IN ines
Hicsd and totally unfounded enslaughts upo
Tie Adaiaistration,--to the effect that 10
pre- els muzzled,' apd that Fort Lafayet'
: sta doom of those who dare cFiticise the go'
. erpeeut-is singularly shorn Of all force
v the act that they themselves are allowed 70
. umnVaipped Of justice while charging upon
:, tpe most fragrant crimes This is the mo-
: fYcat and perhaps forcible illustration OF u
It nee that the Administration should not.
;; lsadag the people, temporarily even, IN Il