Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-09
The Wo.k before the People Of the United
States.

study the possibilities OF our Institutions, the
energies and the genius OF our population and
the advanced odnd We have already reached
in our national progress. The war through
which We have come .r.uinp hantly, has taught
US as well as the world Lew Lessons il govern
ment has placed US on I. higher eminence than
we have ever before reached has imposed upon
heavier b.rdens then we have ever before
borne, and has a he SAM lime SHOWN Us how
We most easily carry teen has developed
the sinews ana tie i5reli=ct and quickened the
conscience OF Ihe nation (; bas ope-1d to our Tree
labor and intelligent enter prise new fields TO e
entered, occupied and possessed; ard has IN
posed grea ter work IN the cause OF hE-
mainly and civilization than ever fell to the lot
Of any other people. We stand between the
old aud the new, 55swes1 the civiliz ,5l0n, the
laws, the cons;itu iors and the government
which surrendered four millions OF people and
nearly half If cur national domain to the evil
genius OF OPP ress.op, 70 the material waste ana
poverty and har EN- %, sid the iDtoll eetu4i,
civil and mora! giga q slave :, ana ,ne new
era, whose cigiliz ,tion. i.n7 G. asIsu tioGa ard
governments should secure very man s ights,
rescue our fair territory iiom III bli5l.5 aud
curse which have turned :.ocn ct IL prosper
ity into ashes ana lit tae rac5 vi enirarchIz d
boDdmen from tie brush dekredat!on of slavery
to the dignity, the rights and ;he privileges .!
freemen.
True liberty, /. rgbtls Improved, i certain
progress IL Is only when IH4y'It nat it b.
comes lIcentousness and, aaer yr IateT, desruc-
ton Oar institution rest mon the theory that
liberty is divine law ana that it Is every mans
inheritance Upon that sock We Lulld our Pc
itical temple yei trans 'ormcd that temple
into q den of thieves, N which they made Iner
chandiEe OF their fellows, an bought and &
their own flesh and oIo2o, created like them IN
the divine image Ihes3 tr= fi xers IN manhood
have been driven rom the temple though the
terrible scourge OK yCar .snf a. remains for "a TO
restore the tru: ,rs1ip. and bri = liberty back
70 her place o. h,aDr. a. = -r.s.i iqs 5e9Iu- OF
government sd TIE inspiring plinciple Of our
national life.
The work before this re0nIe ia TINS in Soma
sense u recreation, q building anew from the
old foundation, reconstruction, not of the
South alone, but Of the " hole national fabric.
bringing back 70 life not onlv the paralyzed
limb but the whole BODY which has shared in the
partial death Of some Of it, members. In this
work we can take no better motto than that Of
Selder the great English LAWYER VIII, vrrota IN
every book in his library :. Il FORE FxRov-urxo
LIBERTY" AZ III the divine uiunetion tb.
health OF the moral nature. OF the aoul !. 70 10
Gut before ali temporal ADVANTAGES 81 IN e,ov-
ernment, manhood and freedom are jnt,,ralv
of more value than the necessities of ,rade ord
the wants of business 1t is the b,gbest nm
denee. in fac, the most valuable ,xosIdIv
to frame all constitutions an; -. W. -ef.r-
snce to the rights and l,b.-si.- NJ man -a-t.-
than the material Interests Of g, eeltl and COM
merce. Our own country bears wir:.e.s {, the
achievements of partial liberty ana the
North when compared ', It'll tile South shows how
much better freeze ON Is than slavery, in the light
OF poltlc,l economy lone. From this We may
understand thst the FIRE 81 people vii IN the
end, De most prosperous; that .shere llber " is
ths hlehest law, there commerce. industries
letters, art ana every fair tad iuxlra lt grow tn
OF Inc best cIvilz tIon VIII flourish and approach
perfection. This IL God : Iaw, and human law
cannot repeal Il, nor human Wit enact a better
1t Is the law which should De re-en-esed n
every human statute th4t they buiiJ govern
ments and frame laws 10 iittl1 purpose who iall
to recognize this fundamental truth
Inc problem whIch this people have before
them, is the still unsolvei problem Of govern
ment- Oh the very Threshold 0f cur work OF
reorganizIng OF rec 1nstructInr cur Union We
met by the demands Of trade an c1int,,sr,.e
and brotherhood. Merchants .-s .onu.ti.otIv
waiting 20 sell goods to their reconstructed Gus
TONERS Capital Is ANXIOUS 20 invest ID reor-
gained states Politicians arc eager to shake
hands and unite votes again with former alice
Iender-eyed mercy pleads for universal amnesty
ana pardon inexorable justice insists upon
conhrcation' IenaltIes, forfeI lures and death
Amid this conhlcs OF warrlng opinions we IN
deed remember liberty but how fe,y of NJ mt
it irst and highest 10 our resard-tbe one thing
which, il secured, al other good Will follow
and which, if No, secured Will ,cs o;.sh Ms f., q,
our stools, bre- k " our ieasts. and turo the
fruit Tor which reach. INTO ashes IN our
grasp. Here there - no room Tor corrr-c-nisa