Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-11-01


been against slavery legalized. It ia
now to secure to all the fruits Of legal.
ized freedom.
The army has done the work of regsn.
Grafton. There remains to 1t to do the
work Of reorganization. This Is not
the work OF conquered traitors. This
work will be complete when all men
whom the constitution recognizes "a
free, shall enjoy the full rights of free
dom. Reorganization, other than upon
principles OF justice and political equal
ity, is forfeiture of the fruits of victory.
To call men free who have no rights In
court, who have no protection in person
and property, who cannot hold office or
be represented, who have neither the
right, nor hope of the right to vote, is
an insult to the common sense of man.
kind, stigma upon the statutes of free
government No citizen soldier of re-
public has right to plead that he has
completed his public duty. Our duties
as soldiers, we confidently hope, are
ended; our duties as citizens may have
just begun.
In gathering up the disordered mem.
bers of the Republic and restoring each
to its own proper sphere--in garnering
up the fruits of victory over treason, our
aid is needed. Without 1t, freedom may
be in greater peril than when we met
treason in open combat. In rendering
this aid, in performing this duty, we
must rise above all personal considera.
tions. If occasion require it, we must
disregard the forgetfulness of those who
made unnecessary pledges of emoluments
to induce US to peril our lives for the
country. And above all, we must scorn
to appropriate the spoils OF government
patronage, if fed to US from the hand
that has just been raised against the
government. The soldier at the public
crib by leave of traitors, is an unthink-
| ing OK in the shambles.
PLEASED to the last, he crops the fowery food
And ticks the hand just raised TO shed his
blood
The overthrow of the rebel power in
the field, is not the destruction of treason
in the rebel heart. OF the three stages
through which treason naturally and u.s.
ually passes in its mission of destruction,
the first, war, is ended the second, as
sassination, we hope, is drawing 10 a
close the third, treachery in the nation
al councils, we fear, is only begun. To
thwart this is part of our unfinished
| mission. 1t is our old foe under the
guise of loyalty, and many will be de-
ceived by the covering. Magnanimity
to fallen foe may be extended 10 indi-
viduals to the full limit of chiyalrous
| generosity, but not to the sacrifice 9,
principles. Our vast numbers give US
the power of completing the reform Of
perfecting sound re-organizat!r,n 0ur
silence may be fatal to these resnlts
Southernlsm was alv lays petulant,
proud, arrogant, impetr .ons and azores.
sive; qualities to b. met by GOODNESS
persistency and G ,uraoe
On tne Sta o April, 1865, the com
mahGef Oh " 4e rebel armies, driven from
sne chieI ,ltadel of treason, by the steady
hre anu well directed blows of persistent
CouT .ge, was summoned to surrender
IT e terms are frank, full, generous ant
J decided. The summons comes from that
imperturbable brain before which trea
, son had learned to quail. Twelve months
, of constant attIition, had convinced Lee
of the steady, fixed purpose of Grant
, and in the humiliation Of defeat be re-
plies "The terms are accepted"
f Let lthe plan of reorganization be
, based on firm principles of justice and
equality let it be pressed with the same
, steady, determined courage with which
! you levelled your cannon at Petersburgh
, and before which the Southron has ever
quailed, both in the halls of Congress
and on the fields of battle, when arrOgat
ing to himself privileges which The
, Constitution does not prescribe. and you
, will again hear the acclaim coming uT
on the Southern breeze THE TERMS ARE
ACCEPTED"