Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-02-10
THE SITUATION.

Now that the peace movement has ended in
talk, and the wel-meant endeavors of few
tender-hearted men have come TO nought, as
we supposed they would we hope that all this
nonsense about making peace with traitors and
rebels, thieves and robbers, while they still
have deadly weapons in their hands, is at an
end and that Grant and his Generals with
their mighty forces will go forward conquering
and to conquer until Lee and his armies are
vanquished and the power of the Confederacy
completely broken. 1t has all along been clear
as day that jeff Davis and the other leaders in
the rebellion would make no terms of peace
short of the division of the Union and the rec
ognition of their Independence and we have
been unable to see any good in endeavors for
peace on our part while they are in arms, and
we hope that the late failure 10 make peace will
satisfy our well-intentoned and tender-hearted
"peace men," that the thing is impossible till
the army of Lee is either disbanded, captured,
or terribly whip ed. This being the case. we
may now look round and see where and how
we stand. 1t is evident that the South is not
unit either in her counses or her acts. And
the time has arrived, or is near at hand, when
those who are opposed TO Davis and his aims
and measures, will show themselves in man.
ner that will be felt. Out of the State of South
Carolina there have, from the commencement
of the rebellion, been large numbers all through
the South that did not enter heartily into the
movements who were satisfied to live under
IL. Ii
property by the power of the Federal govern
ment. But they were forced into the rebellion
by circumstances they could not control. And
now as it has become evident to the most in
telligent and rejecting minds of the South that
the rebellion is failure, the Confederacy a
sham and lie, they will be ready to speak and
act the moment they can do so with safety
TO this large class in Georgia, North Carolina
Alabama and other States yet claimed by Da-
Wis & Co., we are to look in the future for es-
sential aid in putting an end to the war. But
more than to these are we to look to our ar
mics for peace Gen. Grant holds Lee and his
forces in firm grasp in and around Richmond,
while Sherman is sweeping through the heart
of the rebel territory with his destructive hosts
From Atlanta to Savannah, through the fertile
regions of Georgia, he has marched almost
without opposition or loss; taking on his way
everything he wanted or chose to take and
then at the end of his long and triumphant
march he took possession of the splendid city
OF Savannah, the inhabitants thereof mostly
yielding to their fate with cheerful and be-
coming spirit. And now his army is treading
the soil of the mother of the rebellion, and
South Carolina is beginning to suffer the Just
retribution of her gigantic crime in tie desola-
ton that marks the track of our soldiers. Her
fields are laid waste, hur furestO follod, hor
lowly huts and her stately mansions are given
up to destruction, and her chief city is even
now shuddering and trembling at the Just doom
that awaits her. War is a cruel scourge, a
dreadful judgment TO the people that wage it
in wicked and unjust cause. But once waged
as the rebels have waged it, and the more ter
rible and destructive the means to end it the
better for both parties. Let our armies now
be filled at once with good, Trustworthy men,
who will fight TO the death; let our soldiers
pun Ni'h an 'hSi eHelSles " uedl tHe most
deadly blows in their power; let all the people
at home lend helping hand and an encourag-
ing voice to our brave men in the field; let the
government at Washington exert all their en-
ergies, and push the war with the utmost vigor
thus making the struggle short, the conflict
sharp, and the victory sure. And durable
and honorable peace will in due season come to
the country.