Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-08

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answeraoie argument to this effect that
no candidate for any Office whatever
hiSn or low, has ventured TO seek votes
on the avowal that he was for giving un
the Union. Wy
There has been much impugnlne Of
motives and much heated controversy
as to the proper means and best mode
OF advancing the Union cause. But in
the distinct issue of Union or no Union
the politicians have shown their in
stinctive knowledge that there is no al
versity among the people.
In atiording To the people the fair on
portunity of showing one to another,
ana TO the world, this flrmness and
unahltnlty of purpose, the election has
peen OF vast value to the national cause.
.Fi7 SoLAcK OF MEN.
The election has exhibited another
fact not less valuable to be known-tba
fact that we do not approach exhaust
ion in the most important branch of
national resources-that OF living men,
While 1t is melancholy to reject that
the war has filled so many graves, and
caused mourning TO so many hearts,
1t is some relief TO know that, compared
with the survivors the fallen have been
so few. While corps and divisions and
brigades and regiments have formed and
fought and dwindled and gone out of
existence, great majority of the men
who composed them are still living,
The same is true of the naval service.
The election returns prove this. So
many voters could not else be found.
The States regularly holding elections.
both now and four years ago TO wit
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illi-
nois Indiana, Iowa Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Is
land, Vermont, West Virginia and Wis.
cousin cast 3,9S20ll votes now, against
3,870,222 cast then, showing an in.
| crease now of 1ll,798, to which is to be
added 1892 cast now in the new states
OF. Kansas and Nevada, which states did
not vote in 1860, thus swelling the ag-
| gregate to 4,015773, and the net in
| crease during the three years and half
of war to 145,7 5l. A table is appended
showing particulars. ... ....
To this should be added the number
of all soldiers in the field from Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey Del
| aware, Indiana, Illinois and California.
who by the laws of these states, could
not vote away from their homes. and
which number cannot be less than l0O,-
! 900.
| Nor yet is this all. The number in
the organized territories is triple now
what it was four years ago, while thou.
sands, white and black, join us as the
! national arms press back the insurgent
| lines.
So much is shown affirmatively and
| negatively by the election. 1t is not ma
terial to enquire how the increase has
been produced, or to show that it would
have been greater but for the war, which
is probably true The important fact
! remains demonstrated that we have
| more men now than we had when the
war b gan, that we are not exhausted
| nor in process of exhaustion; that we
are gaining strength, and may, If need
| be, maintain the contest indefinitely,
This as to men. Material resources
| are now more complete and abundant
| than ever. The national resources, then,
are unexhausted and, as we believe, in
exhaustible. The public purpose to re-
establish and maintain the national au-
thority is unchanged, and u.s. we believe,
interchangeable. The manner of continu-
ing the effort remains to be chosen.
CONDITIONS OF PEACE.
On careful consideration of all the ey-
idence accessible, it seems to me that
no attempt at negotiation with the in
surgent leader could result in any good,
He would accept nothing short of the
severance of the Union-precisely what
we cannot and will not give.
His declarations to this effect are ex-
plicit and oft repeated. He does not at
tempt to deceive us. He affords us no
excuse to deceive ourselves. He cannot
voluntarily re-accept the Union we
cannot voluntarily yield it. ..
Between him and us the issue is dis
tinct, simple and infiexible. It is an is
sue which can only be tried by war,
and decided by victory. If we yield we
are beaten; if the Southern people fail
him, he is beaten. ....
Either way, it would be the victory
and defeat following war, What is
true however, of him who heads the In
surgent cause, is not necessarily true OF
those who follow Although he cannot
re-accept the Union, they can.
Some of them we know already desire
peace and reunion. The number of
such may increase. They can at any
moment have peace, simply by, laying
down their arms and submitting to the
national authority under the constitu-
ton.
After so much, the government can
not, if it would, maintain war against
them. The loyal people would not sus-
tain or allow it. If questions should
remain, we would adjust them by the
peaceful means of Legislation, conference.
courts, and votes operating only in con-
stitutional and lawful channels, Some
certain, and other possible questions are
and would be beyond the Executive
power to adiust-as, for instance, the
admission of members into Congress,
and whatever might require the appro-
priation of money. The executive pow
er itself would be greatly diminished by
the cessation of actual war. Pardons
and remissions of forfeiture however,