Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24

Irss s,s litsss anes arose. The slave
Ifnasssss IN ia pFlsls sad arregauee Of power,
ne 20 @ nation INTO 5ne nTe ana
bzsod fnN I'll NM war Bat the Republican
IN H. ross MI IN fi5e crisis. It raised money
s. slrsti fstea lanssar Re. organized vast armies,
kzeafsi 7o II err u naFies, fought bloody bat.
<lss, cfs1sksa the most gigantic reoeilIon OF
& ST recorded history, and saved the nations
lIife. Fl VAS then, amid the clash of arms,
that tho Republican party saw that slavery
was the relentless and unappeasable Toe OF
/ ahe country. was the inspiration, the heart
and soul of that civil war, and that its death
would be the humiliation of the reoeillons
the unity of the Republic, and the develop
Efhent of free institutions. Against coward
] " fears, selfish instincts and unreasoning
/ passions and preiudices it pronounced the
doom of that hideous and horrid system OF
human bondage. though it was upheld by
the aggregated interests of three thousand
millions Of dollars, hedged about by the ac-
cumulated passions and prejudices, prides
and ambitions of seven generations, and en-
trenehed within the social, political and &c
clesiastical organizations and affiliations OF
life. By series of executive and legislative
acts it broke the chains and lifted from the
depths of chattelhood, up to the submits OF
manhood, four and halt millions of hapless
b0ndmen, who stood before the nations with
their riyen letters in one hand and their title
deeds to freedom in the other.
THE THIRD ERA.
The war ended, the rebellion subdued, the
bondmen emancipated, the Republican party
entered upon the third era of its eventful
history. Though conquered by arms, the
rebels did not accept the just, humane and
generous ideas of the victors, nor did they
return to their proper allegiance and loyalty
TO the government, but still bemoaning the
20 lost cause" they remained unsubdued in
will and unrepentant in spirit and purpose.
Though made free, the bOndmen were home
less, without property, without employment,
subject to the cruel laws against free people
Of color, which had always dsgraeed south
ern legislation, and in the midst of people
lexasperated by defeat and maddened by their
less Of power still longer to hold and Cypress.
Property was swept away, industry disor-
ganized, society disintegrated, and states
were without lawful governments.
, TIE WORK OF RECONSTRUCTION.
Upon the Republican party devolved the
task of reconstruction. To its intrinsic diff
fculties were added the intense hostility oil
; the ex-rebels, the lingering preiudices long
engendered By the slave system, the timiC
cOunsels Of conservatism and the ap0stasy oil
the Executive. Great interests and power
full combinations sought to so reconstruct the
South as to place the power in the hands o.
the late slayeholding class, and leave the
helpless freedmen in the abject condition o
practical serfdom. Seldom in history hal
there been imposed upon any body of men {
work of greater magnitude or difficulty
The Republicans might have shrunk from
and avoided it. They were sOrely tempted
TO do so. But they resisted the temptation
of official power and patronage, the threats
of Executive dictatiOn and all other adverse
influences, and with sublime fidelity anC
courage addressed themselves to the hereuleaI
= task To aid in reorganizieg disOrdered in
dustries, caring for, protecting and instruct
: ing the emancipated bOndmen In the new
duties of their changed condition, the Re
publicans established the Freedmen's Bureau
/ which, by the wise expenditure of a few mil
} lions of dollars, did an incalculable work 70
order, peace and the rehabilitation of south
! ern society. To reconstruct rebellioas state
" on the solid basis of equal rights, they CAV,
suffrage to the freedmen in the recOnstruC
: ton measures. To secure citizenship and
: civil rights to a wronged and hated race. the
d proposed and adopted the fourteenth amend
. ment and enacted the bill of civil right:
To establish BY reversible guarantees equs
It political rights and privileges, they adopte
! the fifteenth amendment, and as a crOwnln
act for freedom they provided by law for tn
! enforcement Of these amendments thus newt
q enshrined within the Constitution. Thu
l the Republicans, against the sternest Op
e position, against misrepresentation, agains
/ appalling obstacles, have struggled on unit
d the rebel States, reconstructed on the basi
/ of impartial liberty, have been restored, an
IS the sublime doctrines OF the Destination {
!, Independence made assured and practical II
/ alities In the progres Of the ages 1t ha
L been given 70 few, IN any FORM or by an
d mode, 70 achieve work so vas /, so CRANE
so benefcent, so sure to be recorded by hi;
d tory, and amended and remembered by com
e ing generations.
ITS FOURTH ERA
- Having achieved this grand work. havin.
a passed through these three eras of its hi,
d tory, the Republican party, entering on it
P fourth era, was summoned TO deal wit
a questions relating to the national debt. tn
currency, finances and taxation, to reform
10 in the military, naval and Indian service
y and whatever remaining burdens and lega
Is cies were left by the war. Concerning thes
questions there are apparent diyersities {
! interests and real differences of opinion
a. The solutions of some Of them are embar
raised by grave difficulties. They requir
n time well as financial skill and practices
3 craftsmanship for their adjustment. Differ
7 ences of opinion on matters 50 recondite an
CuUDAeA. IN an organization embracing
IL many men of large intelligence, trained t
habits Of Independent thought, expressiO
he and modes of action, are inevitable. The
m are indeed TO be expected and desired, f
Re from such freedom of discussion truth
n elected and proper modes of action are de
duced. The men, therefore, who stood 5
ne firmly while in a minority, amid the denur
citations, arrogance and seorn Of power; th
men who met the stern exigencies Of civ
war with such heroic courage, who assaile
the slave power and extirpated the slay
system; the men who grappled 50 success
s fully with the perplexing and pregnant i
sues of reconstruction, lifted the helples
freedmen up to citizenship, exalted them t
Is the heights of civil and political rights an
Is privileges, and made the nation free in fat
: as we'll as in name, should not shrink frol
p the less mOmentOus and less embarrassin
? question now before them.
c. WORK TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.
y Patriotism, principle, the continued exi
: tence, reputation and renown OF the Repuhl
: can party, aud a due sense of selfrespect ar
: pride of character, demand that Republican
: now, in the past, should have faith in tn
a capacity to carry forward to com pletion 7
:. :. forms 50 auspieiously begun. Ii came in
= being as al organization of reform and DIT
~ gross, and should be ever ready to accept I'll
:, - living issues of the hour, and march abrea
a with the spirit of the age. Unaided it hi
:. fought the battles of reform with constan,
y and courage. Nor in the work still befor
- it, can it hope for aid from those who sti
= cling to the traditions of the past, pri,
= themselves on their conservatism, and VIII
a during the conflicts of the past twenty year
;, haze resisted all reform, and mourned ov
= every effete and hateful abuse as it fell.
:, there are Republicans who are weary of Il
= ascendancy of a party which las achieve