Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-08-05

RECORDS OF REAsONINGs AND SEN
TIMENTS In TILE LATE PAST

U
/ the conduct Of our national policy. I. S. II.
It is often said" II the President from
the period Of calling out the frat 800, 900
men to suppress the rebellion, or when the
armies we're all ready to take the field, had
| proclaimed protection TO all contrabands that
crossed our lines, and compelled our com
manders TO respect it, and had issued the
proclamation year earlier, be would have
had half Of the United States against him and
would have nullfed his own power"
Ans. Easily said. But did the people Of
these United States elect Abraham Lincoln
to desert him on his first proclamation Of a
policy, and especially Of policy that most Of
those who voted for him hoped and expected
he would adopt, which very many Of those
who voted for Douglass we're ready and anx-
ious to adopt which every body knew would
only be an act Of justice to the bondmen, and
which he himself knew must be done in the
contingency Of defeat to oar arms, and which
in one word, with the exceptions which at
tend any general measure, the people with
rare unanimity were prepared 20 welcome
ARaln-Did not every rorthernet know
that 900 0Oo Of efficient laborers, many OF
whom were or might be soldiers, detached
from the rebels and added 20 our productive
force, would make the disparity between the
contestants so great as to lessen greatly the
cftusion Of blood, and procure speedy and
permanent peace; Did they not know that
every colored soldier that could be raised for
the army stood in the place Of a northerner,
and would thus have left many an only son
20 hearths now desolate
To all Of these it was objected, that there
was serious objection in the army against
admitting coloted soldiers u the ranks a
great ooJeciien IN Congress toequalizlng 'hem
IN pay IN protection IN position, and that II
'hey mad been enlisted early 1t would have
produced disAhectlon throughout the army
ana country
10 objections like these were urged by cop
perneld', who were opposed TO every efficient
measure OF ths war ana Wonld De glad To-
nave 'he oouih victorious, ought the repuo'
Hcans 20 repeat them, or give way to Pcm
Tor moment or 10 think OF them only as the
cunning cry OF secret traitors who wers sifald
the Administration would seize tha' only oout
that cou'a oe hurled win iatai ect against
the common enemy
u tnese or other ooJecnons were urged,
ana u diticuiues attended that course, dId
not greater ones hang round the other course
lhe secessionists knew that by their act OF
secession 'hey hau ioiiei'ed Whatever tenure
10 theit slaves they he'd under tue Consutu-
uon. Iney knew ihey mad forfeited all pro-
lection from the United states, aud were ex-
posed 20 the doom oil traitors But MI LIN
coin seemed lhe very last 20 ADMIT H. lhey
knew lhat the Administration must forfeit the
support OF all the loyal IN the country and the
respect Of other nations II 1t favored the reb-
els 10 tne least ana u would be esteemed
weak IL not dereHct II II did not eValI Hseh
OF every saFAn'ege AVal'aoie ior suppressing
'hat feoeiiloh' lhey might oluster against
emAhclpaIoh' ou' 'hei Ahe" the executive
ought most unfeserNeuly 10 attempt II the
hr't thlng' lney knew that the negroes we're
IoyAi ana might oe MADE ethclent alIles against
them aud therefore they would OF course
ho"l "htn they sa" SO great force as tha'
class could iurn'3h' arTayed against them.
MT. Lincoln knew 1t would be right 10
emaneipate immediately on the revolt oi me
siaveholaets' out he then ndged 1t ine1pedi-
emf ana u u were rlght men, was wrong
70 iNi 10 DO II ana ne preferred 70 taAe
the responsibility oi doing wrong he reared
piooaoly, as Is asserted now inc people
would not sustain h'm' but II he had tired II
and iahed' history would only record the TACT
- 'hat here was good ruler who attempted
20 40 tue flgnt tLing ana iaiIed because God
dld not sustain him.
Inc next great error we saw IN the admin
isuauon was the retention OF Mcclellan IN
command whole year after hls course plainly
showed HIM incompetent or aa itrecIAlmabie
rebel sympa'hzer' Inc great reason for this
was prohaoly iwo-ioId VIZ Mcclellan was a
poilucaI general tne representative OF the
Democratic party ana II he were superseded
the whole party might withdraw silently, but
euectuaily, thelr sympathy ana even 10y ivy
from the admInis'ration. "a II Is said the
executive IS very hrm and when he once puts
down his foot he never takes II up and hav-
ing once put It do"n IN iaVor OF the most
worthless ana censuiaole ot men, di1 not
take IL up MI the Potomac army was ruined
but WIN McCleilan mere were sueh men
as Mcdowell buei, hslleck' ochoneid ana
perhaps others who, II they meant well, seem
20 great number OF the nearly supporters
on lAe administration 70 De lntoIetaoie our
dens ana Tuinous TO the cause they a'e sup
posed TO promote
hen there came the Lawrence massacre
and the adoption of such measures by the ex-
ecutlye as leaves that slaughter unayenged
ana greatly ohargaoie TO It's own ueinquency'
Here It's conservatism seemed positive lndli-