Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-02-18
From che Daily at Feb. rs.


Amendments of the Constitution
We respectfully suggest that thu
present Is no time to be dickering ant
dabbling with the Constitution. What
the country reeds, and true patriots de
sire, first and foremost, Is to have the
rebellion crushed. This is the one thing
ueedful, and II is still thing of suffl-
Client magnitude and difficulty to engage
all the energies of our legislators,
The movement at the present time
looks suspicious. There Is u class
of people, or to speak more correctly,
there are several classes, who begin to
itch terribly for game at President
making The New York Herald may be
regarded as the mouth piece of this des-
cription of persons. Just now 1t is
billing and cooling with Sumner, FIRE.
mont and Others whom in past years 1t
has villitied and abused TO the extent of
Its ability. The idea seems TO be for u
platform, the main plank OF which shall
be the abolition of slavery by consti-
tutional amendment, and the election of
Grant or Fremont as President on that
platform. The Herald thinks that such
an amendment would receive a two
thirds vote in Congress, that it would
be ratified by three-fourths of the States
allowed to vote, and the whole might
be put through in the next three months
We cannot believe that the leaders of
this enterprise are actuated by any
sincere desire for the abolition of slave
ny; the all-absorbing question with them
is, How can we best head OFF President
Lincoln We very much regret that
men Of all parties cannot await little
longer" before they begin to agitate
this presidential question. Perhaps
those conventions in New Hampshire,
Pennsylvania, Illinois and elsewhere,
that have spoken in favor of President
Lincoln, would have done better to re-
main silent although we believe that
if the great body of the patriotic people
could be allowed to speak their honest
opinions, they would say let Abraham
Lincoln be the next President, and finish
up the job which he has on his hands
Since we commenced writing, our eyes !
have fallen upon an article in the New |
York Times, from which we present an
extract that expresses our sentiments
exactly.
I'VE are about to make solemn APP |
peal to the people under the form of
Presidential election, and the great is
sue to be decided is the preservation Of the
UfltoH BIZ crushing the rebellion. 1t seems to
us in the highest degree desirable that
we should press this issue, in its clearest |
and simplest form, upon the people for /
their decision. 1t is large enough, |
broad enough, grand enough certainly |
to be worthy of such contest. Nor |
can we have the slightest doubt as to
the verdict the people will render. |
Their purpose is already unmistakable.
If they can meet this issue fairly and
distinctly they will settle it forever
We do not believe in the wisdom or |
necessity of changing that issue for any
other. 1t is never wise to change front
on the eve of battle The adoption of
Mr., Summers amendment by Congress
would make the paramount issue in the
Presidential canvass -dbolitioa instead OF
U,,lon. The two, we know, would go
together--but the enemy would select
his own point of attack, and would
throw his whole force on the weakest
wing We should be compelled to fight
the battle ON the clear, sole issue of
abolition and we do not believe that we
should gain any thing by the exchange
Indeed, in our judgment, we should thus
give the political enemy so manifest an
advantage-we should so clearly sur
render to- them the high ground from
which they have been in vain endeavor-
ing to drive us from the very beginning,
and take the position they have been
seeking to assign us-that their success
in the coming canvass would for the
ROT tir, hpcnYOa r0csihlp l