Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-06-20

Looking at the circumstances We conld hard
ly expect to hod it otherwise now, aud | res
pect those people more for the open and und is
guised avowal of their sentiments than | shoulc
if they hypocritically pretended to acquiesce
cheerfully and rejnlcinsly in their own defea t.
We must rely upon time, emigration the inter
course of business, interchanges of kindness anC
good will, and especially the beneicent and
protecting care and Influence of the Government,
TO foster and build up a feeling of attachment
to the Union and to allay the bitterness and as
perity now existing.
I In this view it seemed to me that it was not
so desirable as many others have believed it to
be that great haste ahoud be made in their res
toraton, and that our reunion with them would
be much more likely to be harmonious and
lasting if done coolly and deliberately than il
we rushed to embrace each other.
But the question is, whether in the presen,
state of facts t Is safe and just to the nation to
admit these states to partic pate in the govern
ment of the nation upon such terms as will
incur any hazard of their being able to take the
control OF ii, ard If they choose injure or over
throw it | have heard it asked what harm
they could do if admitted to full representation
in Congress and were aoie by political atflia-
tlons and alliances to control he legisai ion OF
the nat on.
will refer 20 but one of the many things
which might be most di.astrous TO the people
of the loyal States To carry on tho war and
suppress the rebellion We have incurred a deb
10 the enormous am, unit OF $4,000, 900, 600.
L he gres, bulk Of this debt is held BY the peo-
pie of the North. Much OF it is n Id by capi-
talsis, but not all. by any means. IL has en-
tered INTO all the trans.ctIoDs Of society and
business. ali public trusts whether education
al, charitable or religious are invested in IT, as
well as nearly all private trusts for widows, mi
nors others. The entire currency of the
country is composed of it, or based upon it. IN
addition to this il is most extensively held
among the people in my own State | know
that almost every man no had sny money TO
invest, whether the amount great or small,
now holds It in Government boads Indred, /
think may say that except what is invested III
business, or in business corporations, the great
mass CT the money capital of the North is
now N the national securities. To pay even
the interest on this debt and our immense an
nual penson-list will require taxation for US
OF unexampled severity for many wears 10
coms.
Now, this debt has all been incurred in put
ting down the southern rebellion ; great
pension li.t is TO reward reimburse those no
have suffered on side in the SAM Cause.
he war to great extent has devastated the
South ; very many have been made poor and
destitute they have lost their slaves, who e
value they counted by thousands of millions !;
almost every one suffered loss by the bubble OF
tne rebe debt they have their thousand oi
malmed and disabled men and their thousands
Of widows and orphans dependent upon them
for SUPP ort, and for whom provision Can or
will be made by the nation.
Under these circumstances will they not be
resiive under our heavy taxation to pay our ma
tional debt and our pensioners Say what We
h.t,
can avoid aiding III its paymen- they will do so
aud prete1ts enough Will be found some fan
cied or pretended Justice TO them on our part
10 justify such action theirs. In saying
thu, do not mean 10 assert that these people
are more faithless or less sensible OF obligation
than We are. tor | have very little doubt that
under the same cIrcuulstances should do the
same thing IL is hardly IN human nature 10
otherwise.
IL is sala We ought to lie magnanimous and
trustful toward these people /; put full faith 10
their promises and oatns tnat we have no
right TO assume th=y viii not keep them. l
would certainly extend al! magnamInIty TO them.
1 would trust all their oatns and promises
when L beneved they would keep. But 1
should hardly desire to trust tuem 10 fulfill
promise winch under the same circumstances
te7 | should my SELF ind some excuse for break
ing.
But do not think are specially called
upon TO trust or put faith IN official and gov
ernmental oaths taken 0y our southern friends.
Can they ever be more solemnly bound to the
Government, and 10 yield II their allegiance,
than they were at the reiy moment they ,ecrd-
ed and violated their oaths Our faith can
hardly be strengthened by experience.
his class ot oatha has not Ia atter Years
been found very binding on the individual coll
science, and OF them We may say with Hudi-
bras
e oaths are but words and words but " nd
Too feeble implements to hind,
And hold with deeds proportion so
AS shadows o the substance do''
But what nave We to fear from them If ad-
mitted into Congress with ali the represt ntaton
they wonld have without any amendment of
the Constitution. The North wo aid still great
y outnumber them, and could always vote
them down.
1t is sneerlngly asked, do you not consider
yourselves their equals Are You such towards
and pollroOns to be afraid of being beaten
in debate and oyerthrown by tiese southern
gentlemen with such odds in YOUR favor ? Ii is
not hard TO answer these questions in fact, but
IL Is hard and humiiiat,ng TO be compelled to
acknowledge where the real danger lies. For
many years prior to the rebellion the North had
& large numerical superiority over the South, |
and q much larger delegation in Congress She |
was still more largely her superior in wealth, |
IN business, and in all material and scientific |
advancement. But notwithstanding all these |
advantages 10 the North. the South ruled the |
nation Why The answer is sho,t by the
aid of her northern allies.
10 go back no further than the war of the |
rebellion; did We no. have many men 10 the |
North who sym pathIzed with the rebels who |
counseled resistance to the draft and threw |
every obstacle IN the way of the successful |
prosecution OF the War; who reJoiced at our
defeats and rebel victories? DID not a large
party In national convention resolve that the
war for the suppression of the rebellion was
failure and ought to be stopped Now, If men
could be found who would do this when the
nation was IN the very mortal agony to pre-
serve its existence, Is 1t uncharitable TO sup
pose that TO make d successful political alll-
ance and get into power, men would not be
found who would unite on u platform of re-
puolaton OF the national debt? Why, in
my part OF the country the war cry of a GER
tain party has been " Taxation of the national
" which was but a partial repu-
dlation OF the contract of the Government
do not desire to dwell upon this point it is
not o pleasant theme either for reflection or
discussion.
ConsIderlng the immense pecuniary stake
the people of the loyal states have In the ma
tional securities and the universal disaster
and calamity which would attend their repu-
diation. or even any great distruss of them,
1t behOOves US to be cautious and sure that we
open no possible door for the entrance of such
danger. In my judgment, the admission OF
the southern representatives. without such an
amendment Of the Constitutio as the new
and changed condition OF southern population
requires In order to be just, would subject US