The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-10-25
& BURLINGTON RAILROAD.


The questions whether the members of
Congress elect from the reconstructing
st;Ies shall he admitted TO seats-wheth-
or the states shall be permitted to resume
their privileges as states IL the Union, and
become again constituent parts OF the
political machinery of the nation at once,
is one of no little interest and political
importance. How this is to be, or should
be. decided we will not discuss now
There are questions of more remote So
luton and of proportionably greater inn
portance concerning the rclalatve status
OF the two great sections OF the nation,
which sections we are certain TO regard
in the sectional relation, and perhaps may
continue to long after circumstances have
made it unnecessary TO do so.
We have "A great deal Of testimony as
to the temper of the people OF the recon
structing states, but the balance goes to
prove, conclu,ively, that they return to
their duty by compul>ion nnly-that their
compliance with executive requirements
will he only so much as is necessary TO
secure their old place in the federal
union. The large majority Of those
who have been in active service against
the government, deveope little love
for their conquerors and despoilers.-
Though a certain degree OF respect for
Yankee character has been whipped into
them, it is unmixed with love or admira-
ton. We are cert lin to encounter the
old sectional antagonism. Not unlikely
political battles are to be fought, which
will vie in iierceness, ifnot in Importance,
with any in the great martial strife of the
last four years
The truth is the work Of subugation is
far from being finished. Much has been
accomplished, but much remains to be
done before we can be a united and hom-
ogenous people. 1t will be necessary to
settle that country with men. possessing
our own views and sympathics. We
must occW the conquered territory and
plant there Northern institutions, sow the
seed Of a Northern civilization and ex-
pect that it will grow up to supplant the
barbarism that has for centuries cursed
thst section and the nation. This is no
freak of fancy. The work of regenera-
ting the South is now as truly the duty
ofthe philanthropists and patriots of the
nation, as i has been the business of the
nation to suppress armed resistance to its
authority. The results of the war have
opened the South to aggressive movements
ofthis kind. Voluntary associations on
grand scale are taking the field. The
stream of emigration that has flowed with
an ever increasing tide, over the western
prairies, must, and will, be made to flow
toward the savannahs of the south. Nor
thern enterprise, northern capital, north
ern energy and northern ideas will take
possession and assume control. Nor
need this be so difficult or protracted n
work as it might seem. Probably mer
now in active life will live to see its full
accomplishment. The present generation
of fire-eaters will leave no SUCCESSORS of
their line. The destruction of their labor
system has taken from them every advan.
tage and given 10 us as much. We have
only to use it vigorously-take actual
possession Of the conquered territory and
remove any further possibility of antag.
onlsm OF systems and ideas and of sec.
tional political divisions.