Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-11-07
rHE RUTLAND HERALD.
The lessons of the Conflict.

Freedom and free institutions, on
Tuesday, made an appeal to the people
for support, end loyal hearts gave a con-
vincfng answer that they would maintain
and cherish the heritage which the IA
thers bequeathed, with love and devo-
ton that shall be pledge that the honor
and life of the nation will be sustained
against all adyersaries that may endan-
ger. or perils that may beset it in the
future But out of this conflict come les
sons that are worthy of consideration.
First among the lessons is the danger of
coalition between elements that have no
common chord of sympathy that will |
enable them to form union. We have |
keen, in this instance, a small faction of |
disappointed, uneasy men, among whom |
4were few honest citizens, leaving a |
8party of glorious achievements, and a
record unequalled in the history of ma
A lions, under the guise and cry of sup
posed reform spirit abroad in the land,
for the purpose of forming another or
ganization, with a view of disrupting
the party to which they were attached.
These factionists find themselves joined
by another class, standing in readiness
to catch any watchword, adopt any mot
to, raise any flag, or endorse any platform
of principles that would raise an issue
or build up party that gave the least
sign of hope of overthrowing the ad-
ministration in power. From the close
sof the drama enacted at Baltimore, en-
dorsing the pentacostal gathering at Gin
Ecinnati, to the very hour of the election,
the determination of the people has been
strengthening to give this infamous Goa
lition, which endangered the very insti-
tutions of the country, the same rebuke
at the polls that the gathered hosts of
the North gave the rebels on the battle
field. The rebuke has been given, with
voice and in manner that will forever
prevent the American people from wit
Messing another such fraud, and teaches
a lesson with moral that will not pass
into oblivion.
Another lesson is to be drawn from
the laundering rebuke given by the
American people to duplicity, treachery
and political faithlessness on the part of
men who have stood in the foremost
ranks of the Republican party. They
were the projectors of a movement in
the interests of a class of politicians
already condemned by the majority of
American citizens. They intended it as
the stab of the assassin at men, measures
and principles on which the Republican
party had set the seal of its approval.
The effort to divide IL e Union was but
the complement of this effort to disrupt
the Republican party. Men in the flu
ture will be careful how they follow in
the footsteps of Mr.. Greeley in giving
the lie to every political act of his life,
and deserving doctrines that had received
his advocacy for more than thirty years,
with the vain hope of receiving as his
reward for desertion the nomination and
possible election to the Presidency. No
more shameless act of treachery is re
corded in the history of any political
party, and the forcible lesson that has
been taught to traitors to party will have
a most salutary effect upon the coming
generation of public men.
A lesson has been given also to the
libellers of the press and the platform,
who have so foully and freely poured
forth their vile personal ISLANDERS against
the President and his cabinet, accusing
them of all that was venal, sordid, cor
rupt and foul Their personalities have
been a standing disgrace to journalism
and the American platform, and the
ruthless attacks upon private character
have deserved not only the honest odium
of the people, but the severest penalty
of the law. 1t is not necessary at this
time to recapitulate the shameful record
of abuse of Gen. Grant which has been
uttered by his opponents, many of whom
were disappointed office seekers, whose
talents the President may have failed to
see, or had been dismissed the public
service for reasons satisfactory to the
administration, of which Gen. Kilpat-
rick and Judge Culver, with whose no.
table utterances the people of Vermont
have been RECALLED, are fitting examples.
The rebuke which has been given to
slanderers and libellers by this verdict,
and its endorsement of Gen. Grant, will
serve as a warning, in the future politi-
cal conflicts Of the republic, not to VIC
late public taste and morals by the eXhi-
bition of low personalities andsunblush-
ing falsehood such as have disgraced the
campaign of 1872.
The lessons of the election are saluta-
ry, and will purify the political atmos-
phere of much of its impurity, and give
healthful tone to public sentiment upon
all questions. The discussion of issues
pertaining to the future of the party anC
the administration will assume a more
cheerful and conservative condition. The
American people will rejoice that they
have purged the current of political
vituperation, and led men to the consid
Grafton of the good, the true and pur,
in the characters of public men, anC
placed their condemnation upon the false
presentation of important questions tina
come forward for decision. The char
acter and administration of Presiden
Grant have been vindicated, and libeller
and slanderers have been assigned t.
their Gown place"
The TOMB STONES FOR THE NATIONAL
CEMETERIES. 1880 Attorney General vii
liams has given an opinion, which is o
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