Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-18


continued existence of the institu-
ton of slavery in those States which
supposed themselves unable, or which
were willing to get rid of it as others
did, necessarily made labor species of
degradation, and the general diffusion of
education an impossibility. The two
greatest pillars, therefore, of true Re-
public, the dignity of labor, and the
spread of knowledge, were cast away,
and in their places grew up in the slave
holding States, an aristocracy as danger
GUS and arbitrary as any tyranny. It
held almost all the landed property in
these States. 1t composed almost ex-
clusively the educated class. 1t set up
for itself an exclusive social superiority,
and tabooed every man who did not be-
lieve in the principle of its foundation,
or yield ready obedience to its bidding.
Having all the landed property, the
power, it was enabled to control in its
own selfish interests, the elections and
appointments, so that, although small in
numbers, it was absolutely the ruler of
the destinies of the whole people. Like
other forms of tyranny, it could not by
the law of its existence be other than it
was. Were labor respectable for all,
the slave and the poor white would both
have at least one dangerous title to hon
or Were education given to them, they
would demonstrate that knowledge is
power" and that liberty and equality of
rights must be it's fruits. Its growth,
therefore couldno but be an 'irrepressible
conflict" with the real Republicanism of
the other States, where universal free
dom, general education and the nobility
of honest work, made all men equals in
the homogeneous dignity of all pursuits.
In such a state of things, crisis fatal to
one or the other of these modes of pro-
gress was inevitable. Whether in 1882,
or 1856, or 860,-whether in ten years,
or one hundred, it must come.
1t came, and the eyes of the world
turned to gaze with awe upon the mag
nitude of the strife, and with anxious
solioitude upon the mightier magnitude
of the interests involved.
The enemies of liberty and the friends
of kings and aristocracies fed the rebel
lion with sympathy and supplies, while
those who believed in the equality of
manhood, and looked to the develop
ment of republican principles among the
nations, and hoped for the amelioration
of all races and peoples, gave their pray
ers for the success of the national GOV
eminent.
Ineed not detail to you VINO we're &C,
tors in the great tragedy, the opening
scenes of the contest, nor point out how
the great body of the people of the free
States, without regard to previous as
sOCiations or politics, gave browning evil
dence that they fully understood the
meaning of the issue, and cOmprehended
that no sacrifice was too great to secure
from destruction that government which,
imperfect as it was in one respect have
mentioned, had yet secured to them I'M
der the law, freedom OF education, free
dom of religious worship, and the hon
ors and rewards of honest toll: and
which was now to test the possibility,
so constituted, of being able to hold to-
gether its separate parts, and compel
obedience to its laws.
Nor will | now recall the YiCiSsitudes,
the glOries or the sOrrOws-shared by
you all-of the slowly moving years,
until we reach the critical field of Get
tysburgh, on the first of July, 1858
After two years and half of rebel
lion, its greatest military leader, who
had himself been the nations ward who
had been taught the art of war in the
nations school, who had been supported
from it's treasury, and who had held
high and honored places in its armies,
which he had deserted in order to raise
his hand against his country, marched
from the seat of the COntedeTacy in Viz
ginia, across the half-sympathizing State
of Maryland, into Pennsylvania, and
took up his position on the hills and
among the pleasant farms of Gettys-
burgh.
His army, composed of the veterans
Of his service, equipped with all the i'm
plements and means of war, numbered
upwards of one hundred thousand men.
In this position he threatened the
great cities of Baltimore and Philadel-
phia, and on the capture of either of
which, must in all probability, fall the
national capitol, Washington, and with
it the cause of the Union.
The momentOus gravity Of the stu
alton was felt by all,
The Union army of about ninety thou
sand men, hastily gathered sometimes
in fragments) from other fields Of ser
vice, and from the militia, and composed
in a considerable degree, Of soldiers who
had not much experienced the storm and
stress of actual battle, was posted on
the low hills above the little valley.
whence the MonOcacy takes its south
crly course toward distant sea.
The question decided so long ago at
Marathon was again revived. upon a
larger scale; and the prize Of victory.
with its accumulated value of two thou
sand years, was again the same The
invader, as upon the Attic coast. stood
up before the world as the champion Of
slavery, and caste, and aristOcracy.
The defenders of the Union spread 10
blcm of a national republican govern
ment. which had been forced for the
time to compromise something of its
high principle, to the circumstances
which produced the very rebellion seek
ing its overthrow, but which was now,
happily, the pure and unstained symbol
of universal liberty and equality under
the law, within all the borders Of the
republic.
Reversing in one particular the scene
at Marathon, the rebel general threw
his forces upon a part of the Union
army before its whole strength could. |
by forced marches, be brought into
unity ana cooperation. But the stubborn ]
courage of the fragment thus attacked, |
chung, with more than Grecian valor. to
the key Of the situation, until all the /
available troops could reaHh the field.
For three days the tremendous con- /
aict ragged For three days the fresh +.
young soldiers of Vermont, with the aid /
and under the loving eyes of their yeter- /
an brothers, stood bravely in the ''hor-
rid front of battle" against the rebel !
powers, and at last, under leader who, /
with his brothers in arms, on many
fields, has crowned our State with i'm |.
perishable laurels, repeated the move
ment at Marathon, and swung their lines /
upon the charging columns of the foe,
and gained the final day.
The rebellion has eliminated, and will .
hence recede into everlasting DEATH
falls, and the chief soldier /
If +ba ra,a,blio froDo ror,,aJ 70 tbo pn,>; /