Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-03-02
acpoSsession.

Ing that the laws OF the United States
were opposed, and the execution thereof
obstructed, in the states of South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Alabama, Florida Mssis-
sippl, Louisiana aud Texas, by combina-
tions too powerful to be suppressed by
the ordinary course Of judicial proceed
ings, and, therefore, in virtue of the
power in him vested by the Constitution
and the laws he called forth the militia
| of the several states of the Union to the
aggregate number of seventy-aye thou
sand, in order to suppress such Combi-
nation, and to cause the laws to be duly
| enforced. In explanation Of his pur-
| poses he says, deem 1t proper to say
that the first service assigned to the for
oes hereby called FORTH will probably be
| to re-possess the forts places and proper
| ty which have been seized from the
| Union and in every event the utmost
care will be observed, consistently with
the objects aforesaid, to avoid any de
vastation, destruction of, or interference
with, property, or any disturbance of
peaceful citizens in any part Of the coun-
try"
1t was stated in the papers of the day
that when this proclamation was read
before the rebel legislature assembled at
Montgomery, and especially that part of
it which called for the paltry number of
seventy.hye thousand men, it was re
ceived with shouts of derisiye laughter.
As If with such force President Lin
coin expected to cool the ardor of mil
lion or so of southern hearts that were
fired to a white heat How jubilant
and defiant they were How they had
everything their own way They had
stolen vast amount of government
property, arms and forts. They had re-
pudiated their northern debts, Conf1sca-
tel and appropriated the money and
other property belonging to northern
men, and their watChword was, On to
Washington, New York and Bunker
HIll!"
After a lapse Of nearly four years
| pregnant with wonderful events the 4th
of March, 1865, is close at hand, when
President Lincoln will, as we expect,
be re-inaugurated, and will deliver the
customary address,
He will be able on that occasion to
say, In pursuance Of the design cx-
pressed in my proclamation at the corr
meucement of this rebellion, | am hap
py to inform you that we have been en-
abied to reposseSs q large portion of the
forts, places and property that had been
seized from the Union. We have taken.
the navy yards at Memphis, Pensacola
and Norfolk We have recovered all the
forts which guarded the entrances to
New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola, Savan-
nah, Charleston, Wilmington Beaufort,
Newbern and Norfolk, and we have the
arsenal at Harper's Ferry"
He thus has fulfilled to the letter all
that ht promised to do. and it is really
very great achievement There is
something sublime in the slow, steady,
irresistible process Of dislodging the
rebels from the strongholds which they
had usurped
But this, as we all know, is but a
very small portion, drop in the bucket,
compared with wha: has been accom-
plished, and which no human prescience
could have foreseen or promised. While,
therefore, the President may recount
what has been done during his admins
tratiOn, he cannot but be impressed with
the sublime thought that an unseen and
all powerful hand has directed the stu
pendOus events which have transpired
We know of nothing in history to be
compared with it except the closing
scenes of the Revolution. When about
to resign his commission, Washington
appeared before Congress and, as the
historian Botta states, with an air OF
unspeakable dignity said"
" Mr.. President The great events on
which my resignation depended having
at length taken place, l now have the
honor of Offering my sincere congratu.
lations to Congress, and Of presenting
myself before them, to surrender into
their hands the trust committed to me
Having finished the work assigned, 1 re-
tire from the great theatre of action
and, bidding an afectionate farewell to
this august body, under whose orders I
have long acted, now offer my com
mission, and take my leave of all the
employments of public life"
1t is true, the president does not re-
tire from public life, as Washington pro.
posed to do, but did not and that great
anu perplexing questions still await
nun, as they did Washington. But,
guided by that wise and benignant
providence upon which the Father of
MS Country so emphatically relied. both
the president and the people may conf
IDENTIFY look forward to a time not far
distant, when our whole country shall
be completely repossessed, redeemed and
regenerated.