Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-03
Wha, ra the Traitors Fighting for ,

This is a question Of considerable importance
for it is tolerably evident that we arc fighting
against what they are contending for. II they ar.
right we are wrong. II they are fighting for
slavery we can fight to but little purpose uules.
we make war on slavery 1t may not. DO unproht-
able for US, therefore, occasionally to look at tbs
issue the rebels themselves make in the war.
The Southern Literary .hts~nger, a magazine
printed in Richmond, and devoted to the rebel.
cause, publishes an arliclo 10 the number for Jan.
uary, 1868, upon " Tho Gfea, Danger Of hs Con.
fedency' The purpose Of III, article is to show
that the danger Of the Confedcracy lie, in tn.
Democratic ideas which seem to the writer to
exist to an alarming extent in the United States,
aud to have found some Judgment even in tn.
minds Of some degenerate eonfederatea The only
safeguard sgainst the Democratic tendency, the
author finds in slavery, Of which he thus discour.
tes:
:" The benign institution Of slavery, which it is
now the pride and glory u the South to ,eribe
to the conception Of divinity, and which this war
has proved TO be, mex TO the devoted patriotism
and undaunted resolution Of her sons, the great
element Of power in The Confedersey, will prove,
10 preventing too heavy an influx ir m foreign
shores Of that class Of population devoted to the
mental pursuits another buwark against the en-
crosohmenu OF those tendencies TO democracy
which have betn The Pandora, box Of diintesra-
ton aud ruin to all republics The territorial
Psychology of the South with which He.vs.
blessed her, 10 the degree which it proeIaims that
the occupation OF her peope must ever be main.
ly agricultural, affords another guaranty of that
intelligence and virtue which are so essential to
the promotion Of liberty and law, but which Hevsr
flourish under the corrupung influence, Of an
overgt6wn mu,hfoom development Of mlnuho-
turing aud commercial wealth."
No longer sgo than May list, the Richmond
Erlminer argued IN tbs wise
The establishment OF the Confsdeacy ia YER
ily distinct reaction against the whole course Of
the mistaken civilization Of the age. For Lib
,rty, Equality fraternity, We have deliberately
substituted Slavery, SubordnAiion and Govern
ment Those social ond political problems which
rack and torture modern society We have under
taken to soly0 ourselves, in our own way, and up
on our own principle. That among equals
equality Is right among those Who are naturally
unequal equality is chaos that there are slave
races born TO serve, master races born 10 govern
such are the fundamental principles which We n-
herit from the ancient world, which We lifted up
in the face Of perverse generation that has for
gotten the wisdom Of IL fathers ~ those priR-
cples We live, and in their defence We have shown
ourselves ready to die. Reverentiy We fs, that
our Conledeucy is a tiod-sent missionary TO the
nations, Rith great Iulhsto prese1. We must
speak them boldly and whose hath cara to
hear let him hear
" The benign institution Of slavery, which it ia
now the prds ADD glory Of the South to 4,.ribs
to the conception Of divinity Slavery, SubOr-
dnalion and Government these are ID, corner
stones u the traitors conisd,rcy. Tbs South
are fighting for slavery, declaring it morally, 40
cally, economically and pohii ally right They
know Just what they have given battle for, and
make 10 eono,alment about it. They understand
perfectly well that true Democracy and slavery
cannot live together. They are an,ssonisis
forces. For years the rebels tried politics, and
through its machinery, and The plisney Of such
judges as fancy Vho Vas born and bred in
slave atmosphere, they came near psrvertng our
Institutions into panders to the power and lust OF
stockholders, until the people rebelled at the
ballot box and took the Govsrnme nt into their
own hands The South then adjourned th, con-
test to another Geld, threw away the ballot aud
took up the bsyonst. They found they could
not live With Democracy, and they are now ,,r,.
log to live separate from it.
Let u, give the rebels credit for knowi.g .I-
acty what they are fighting fyI. aud being terribly
in earnest in the @ar they ha', preopu,.d upon
the county. II they succeed, they will establish
an atisIoeracy based upon their Fundamental idea
that capital should own labor. II We succeed
and we hope that resalt i, now placed beyond ID.
power Of stupidity or folly to prsrsnt-,hsll ".
not sec to it th,t henceiorv.rd, forever, labor
shall Own itself wherever our flag secure. pro,s.-
ton 10 those under if