Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-01-12

ransom of a race!
Did any people ever do more? No, neve
say the shadowy legionS of Alexander
never say the vanquiShed cohorts of Caesar
never say the soldiers of Britain and tn
Nile, and so with blush of shame the de
scendants of the unconquered Gaul,' whe
one hundred thousand men with prou
, Emperor-"yea, Louis and P'-lay dow
their arms at Sedan, must respond, never
Can words measure the nobleness of tn
! sacrifice? Can the honors of Republi
and Nations love ever repay it? All no
A redeemed land with every foot of sol
between two oceans forever devoted to tn
arts of Peace and to Freedom, in who's
government you have part, in who's
emoluments you share, and by whose law
you are protected in every right,-these ar
partial rewards for your devotion.
/ But my purpose now is not all encomlum
I would rather seek in the brief form o
statement which follows some phases O
your experience and developments wrought
| heretofore, perhaps, too little noted
In the War for the Union there were two
million eight hundred and thirty-fve thou
sand nine hundred and fifty-one men
| Eighty-three thousand two hundred and
| ffty-one died in battle or of wounds received
in action. Two hundred and ninety-fouI
| thousand four hundred and sixteen gave up
| their lives in the cause.
How many of these returned are forever
disabled with wounds, how many with
shattered constitutions, broken in health
and spirit, who walk our streets skeletons
and shadows, the sorrowful remainders OF
robust lives, no one can exactly tell. But
the numb Der is fearful and their sufferingS
unknown
Of this vast army, twenty-eight thousand
nine hundred and eighty-seven went from
this State. Five thousand one hundred and
twenty-eight persisted in, or by, the conflict.
Many of them died prisoners in the hands
of the enemy-were butchered, starved or
hunted down by bloodhounds, trained and
doubly embruted by their masters for the
savage work.
Nearly all of them went at the summons,
went without hesitation and fought through
gloomy years, suffered uncomplainingly,
and, as their eyes closed upon the old flag,
they slept the sleep of the brave, assured
that the banner of blue, with crest of stars
and stripes of white and red, torn by battle
and breeze, was the flag of the Union still.
With strength gone, the light fading from
their death dimmed eyes, home and loved
ones passing from memory, and their whls-
pered prayers unheard save by Him who
hears all, thiS hope
Her precious pearl in sorrows cup
Unmelted at the bottom lay,
To shine again, when all drank up
The bitterness should pass away.
Verify, our land was fertile in heroes
This large army, fighting for the integrity
of the government, developed the nations he
roisna. 1t had been charged that we at the
North were destitute of the heroic element,
that we were a money getting people, given
to commerce and traffic, and race of ped
dlers-the rest a set of boot-makers, printers
and puny scholars, who were ruled by white
cravatted priests.
We had forgotten the Revolutionary
Fathers, and the traditions of chivalric
age.
All of our boosted progress was a mere
pretence, the jugglery of Yankee trick.
the real type of the national man, resided in
the southern gentleman. To these masters
of the plantation we must come to learn |
how to be generous-there we might par
take of princely hospitality. And | thought
so on one occasion, when, benlghted and
hungry, 1 begged of planter to keep me
till morning. His house was ample enough, |
and he had a small family, if you except
the dogs, of which he had dozen or more |
full grown hounds: at first | thought the
dogs were the proprietors. But he kept me
over night aud gave me corn cake and milk |
for breakfast. That finished, | asked him |
how much was to pay. WAL" he said,
'beins yous loil, and didn't have right |
smart chance, bout two dollars and harf. "
was satisfied, but went away meditating
lpon princely hospitality.
OF course all the assumptions were gra
uitous; the charges mostly fols - some
IF them had too much plauSibility.
Political affiliations and party hopes had
90 often oyerreached the bounds of self re-
pect The love of peace and desire for
harmony in the national councils, virtues
n themselves, had led to dishonorsble com
Later, great political party, just taking
he power or tho government. was not hon
,st in its manifeStoes, or if honest, pre-
erred the logic and half concealed signif-
,ance of their resolutions and platform
hould reveal their ultimate objects, rather
han pronounce their fat. 10 suse term
unknown to our politics, our electlons were
IOt real observation-disclosures of the people.
Tho leaders made up the issue, and the peo-
lie. knowing better, came to the ballot box
With votes that were twenty-five years too
ate in coming. . $500
imnlv to turn a furrow before the spread
no. flames that the Southern leaders had
rawn from the half-hldden furnace OF en-
irp abolitionism 1t was difference TO this
nirit that compelled Fremont to sheath his
word in Missouri, and well nigh disgraCed
he nation in Halleck's order No. 3.
II was a bitter pill for Mr. Lincoln, but
uch had been the policy. 1t was not until
annarv 1868, when the eclict of universal
reed0m responded to the braizen, joyful
oyful voice of '76, after eghty-seyen years
f silence, had the nation risen to the sub
me majesty of an earnest, awakened
,bristian people, Shouldered arms, and
aced the awful front, IN whose depths OF
loom and hell of anguish slumbered the
orv that halls to-day the subject of all
lines and affords work, homes, protection,
nraIitv and asylum for the oppressed of
i tba earth. and behind which were mil
ons waiting for liberty, as for the coming ..
f the dawn.
On that line-not black or white one
lint a ri0ht one, you fought 1t out.
Now. to turn back moment. there were Fl.
theirs than political reasons that induced :
he Snnnosition that we lacked courage, l
he unwilIingness of our people to destroy
relations with the South. There
,as also much genuine love arising from
ar;ous social compacts. For the most part, :
70 had a common ancestery; great names
nd craftsmanship; heroic struggles in the {
ast. were our Joint inheritance. .
Rnt when Sumpter's flag first saw the :
moke of a hostile battery, ranged by foe !
,an's hand, all these ties began to snap /
sunaer, The first cannon shot hurled .
painSt the rafnpar CUT d ulliOu CLOIuS OF :
that bound North and South in e
ne, and smote the knell of legions who, in +
aat hour, resolved to die, or place the fallen -
amer where, yet a prouder symbol of the
atoms greatness, it would proclaim peace Z,
nd union forever. y
You were no longer merchants, lawyers, y
hysicians, ministers and gentlemen at ease Il
no longer school-boys, noviciates in the !,
and agriculturists, but nation u
soldiers.
You loved the arts of peace-were we'd 9,
ed to industrial pursuits; you were charm >,
| by the sciences you practiced; there were +
rowths of heart, and fame, and purse, in the !,
lllngs you had chosen, but no love so pro- y
,und as that of the patriot for his native :,
nd adopted land-no wedlock so dear as u
lie pledge at Freedoms altar; no charm so :,
lticing as the summons to duty, and no y
rowth so noble as that which expands to
/ good offices of men, and uses its strength -,
resist evil.
You heard no voice-listened to no en- a
eaty-the country's summons was om-I e
potent. She surely needed you. Without |,
4 army, or munitions of war-the Capital i