Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-10-31

of treasure in comparison with the single hle
crushed under the burden of patriotic duty.
In the fullness of generous sympathy do We
mingle our tears with those Of the bereaved
ones, over the ashes of the patriot dead.
Gladly do we award the full need of praise
both to the living and the dead for their noble
sacrifice.
Not less of praise and admiration do we
ex tend to the untitled patriot. who without
hope of reward or emolument. attested with
his blood the sincerity of bis devotion, than to
The titled chief Side by side in death they
become the equal worthy Offering Tor freedom.
When generations to come, in the full
fruition of the blessings which the triumph
of free government will prepetuate, shal re-
fleet upon the price of their inheritance. they
will drop the tear of gratitude ali upon
the graves of all those who lost their lives in
the noble struggle.
At the first reunion of Vermont officers
while gathered around the festive board,
sentiment was offered to our fallen comrades.
Standing with bowed heads, that joyous as
sembly responded in the sublime elcquence OF
silence. No feeble words of mine can add to
that delicate. and expressive tribute of our re-
gard and affection;
To the broken home circles there ls the
sweet consolation of the highest duty per
formed the pleasant thought that immea-
Z
DRY of the great service. To us, comrades,
there remains not only to mourn their loss,
but to emulate their bright example, to en-
10Y the fruits of their Deeds and fulfil the
mission of duty for which they offered their
priceless lives.
We would erect above their numberless
graves not the broken shaft, as indicative OF
an incomplete career. but the full rounded
monolith, the emblem of perfected life,
1t has seemed to me not inappropriate, now
that the effort to revolutionixs the govern
ment by a resort to arms has failed, and the too
sin of war is hushed, that we should address
ourselves briefly to the unfinished mission OF
the soldier. And here | would be z iad to
speak Of hs general duties as q cluz I'm I; the
duty Of soldiers to each othor their social
relations. the duty an pledges Of society to
them. L would gladly enier my most earn
est protest against, fear, growing idea IN
/ The public mind, the soldiers returned from
the war full of vice, disslpate! and danger
GUS to the peace and well being OF society
I As applied to the true sold.es Ut Vermont
1 1t il, u ,alunny unworthy TO fall from patr
otto lips.
On these and kindred topics there Is much
TO say, bu, mindful of the more pleasing fes
tivites to follow. l hasten TO notice she ma
tiona! obligations which the collapse of the
IT belion and oth.r causes have mp Jsei upon
W.
The unwarranted attempt at resolution by
force brought our army INTO being. L say
uuwarranted, not ooly IN ;he sense of Cause
less but in the broad sense that revolution by
force can never he warran-ablc under form
IF government ike ours, hrw ,vet gre4s u y
be the wrongs which ii seeks 10 remedy.
The arb,raments of arms Is defrnI,' !e only
as the last resort that ls,ths resort liter every
other effort at settlement, IL exhausted, every
other remedy. consistent with honor aud jas
tice failed. Under the striciest application
of Ibis principle, the early patriots justified
it their own consc ences and in the eyes ot man
kind, their appeal 20 tins last resort. Sue
cess crowned their efforts. In the cj1sttu tlor
which followed, they provided against th,
necessity of revolution by u sort - arms a.
redress for wrongs, by placing the govern
mens in the hands OF the p opiu, by putting
c within their control he remedy .: TevOlu
e ton by ballot. Every election is not nee, ssa
= rily revolution, because II may result IN
e continuation of the same political poiic,
{ that proceeded. Blu. when an eli. cton result
i in tho choice of class Of ms to office VII
t represent principles opposite OF antagonist
$ to those of their predecessors, 1t Is revolution
d as much as thong n brought about py ! !ssor
: 10 arms. Tue right TO revolution by fore
+, as a remedy, cannot exist without the neces
sity OF force TaIa necessity cam o. ~rI-
d with va because the people are themselves IA
II lawmakers, the rulers 10, In she weakness
: democracy, but IN the rength OF 4 rope
eentativ.s republic, IN ii c)ated 'rati1u {
, sovoro, sutios with paramount central po~e
: form OF government where'
q iarTing interest o h Ins-l
The according music of we'll mixed tate
e The late rebellion ~ a Striking Illustrate
q of the foil, of a minority undertaking to r,
= dress alleged wrong, by force, which the
% could not do BY ballot. 10 the natural ordt
of things the same majority that would bes
j them at the ballot would beat them with ii
e bayone,. The rebels attempt at revolutio
= was therefore without right, without necessity
without reasonable ptospeci OF success. tn
10 loyal citizen soldierv of the United States mad
q il failure. Bat out of this attempted rev(
70 luton grew a retorm. Instead OF oyerturnin
% the Rcpu hlic, it's fires purified the nation
lie Instead OF des roy ing free government 1t IT
l. resulted IN making she SUBJECTS OF abe gov
To ernment Free Instead OF enslsviDg the ire
n it freed the slave. This is the reformation
lie the national regeneration. Hitherto the COZ
L. test has been against slavery iegaiized. 1t
re now to secure to all, the fruits Of legaliza
III freedom.
"a The army has done the work of regener
P ton. There remains to it to do the work
70 reorganization. TINS is not the work
j. conquered traitors. This work will
j. compete when all men whom the cons,it,
ed ton recognizes as free, shall enjoy the tu
n rights of freedom. Reorganization 9th,
than upon princip ss of justice and politic
OF equality, is forfeiture of the fruits of victor
ne To call men free who have no right in :cou,
D. who have no protection in person and pro-
De erty, who cannot hold Office or be represente
d who have neither the right, nor hope of &
H. right to vote, 10 an insult - the commo
lie sense of mankind, stigma upon the statut
US of free government. No citizen soldier OF
n republic has right TO plead that he n,
"a completed his public duty. Our duties
u soldiers, We confidently hope, ended
Us our duties as citizens, may have just begun.
eh In gathering up the dlsordered mem Del
us Republic and restoring each to its own pro
ne er sphere, In garnerIng up the ults OF VI
-r7 tory over treason, our aid Is needed. w 1t
80 out it, freedom may be In greater peril tia
ne when meet treason in open combat
ne rendering this aid, in performing this dut
we We must rise above all personal consider
90 lions If occasion requsre it, We must disl
lie gard the forgetfulness of those, who ma
an unnecessary pledges of emoluments to in Ia
ne US TO peril our lives for the country Al
ri above all we must scorn to appropriate t
'er spoils of government patronage, if fed to
''e from the hand that has just been rails
ef- against the government. The soldier at t
ID. public crib by leave of traitors, is an
10 thinking OK in the shsmbles
- Pleased to the last he crops the q ,wsry food
me And licks The haLd just raised to shed blood''
Tor The overthrow OF the rebel power In t
ur field, IL not the destruction of treason IN
csc rebel heart. OF the three stages throu
it'll which treason naturally and usually pas,
ow IN its mission of destruction, The first, war,
he ended ; the second, assassination. we hope