Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-08-29
Correspondence of THE HERALD
letter from OryveIi-POliticaEF Feel
ing i'm that Section. etc.

ORWELL. Aug %.
| Editor Rutland Herald 1t is all
very quiet along the lines and in the
center of our town just now. Our peo-
pie are disposed to use the sunshine
when they can get it, which, by the
| way, has been a rare occurrence of late.
They keep up sharp watch for him,
and this may account for the political
inertia in the place. We have not a
flag afoat, to my knowledge, in all the
| town We don't want a Greeley one
because we don't want an uncertain
policy. We are afraid OF the amalgam
alton. Boiled oil and kerosene don't
have tried here in this town, and it gives
a doleful light. The word Liberal, " as
it has been used of late years, has very
shaky and uncertain sound.
In religion it means almost anything
yOU have a mind to make it. If a man
discards the law and the Gospel of in
spiration for the gospel of these modern
times, he is called a liberal. If one
thinks the home and the family an inst
tuition which can be disregarded when
the spirit moves freely and lovingly in
some other direction, the most he would
have you say of him is that he is Glib
erala"
Everything which is not Christianity
in these modern times is liberal Christian
itv The term is 50 lax and so elastic
that it stretches over everything. 1t
covers the freest thinking and the freest
acting. 1t is too indefinite to define any
thing, and too comprehensive to exclude
anything. We have not much more re-
spect for the town when it winds its way
into politics. 1t is Just about as indetin-
tie and elastic. 1t swallows down the
whole Democratic party, and the af0re-
said party in turn swallows down it,
This is Liberal Republicanism. You take
me and put me into office and | will
give to your party every post office in
the land, save the few which the Liber-
ais hold who may be induced to 90 with
me. | win give universal amnesty to
every rebelliOus son in the South. |
will secure to you your doctrine Of State
rights against the oppression of the Leg
islature and executive branches Of the
general government, and if this is not
enough | will allow you to make your
own internal laws, regulating and de
terming the condition and statues Of the
colored people among you without any
interference, and, if you say so, will
secure the payment of the Southern
debt, and give pension to the rebel sol
diery.
Moreover | have given up my narrow
notions about the tariff. | am liberal
now, and when you and when you and
me come into power you may have it all
your own way. [ submit.
This is what Liberal Republicanism
means to a Democrat whatever it may
mean to the Liberals themselves, and |
don't wonder they take it down with de,
light.
I make honorable exception to those
noble old war-Democrats. who were
right all through the war and are right
now. Their Democracy is not of the
modern stamp. But the party which
was in full sympathy with the South all
through the war are in full sympathy
with the Liberal movement to-day, and
win 90 for Greeley to a man. They
talk about a 'hard pill" but it is all
talk and twaddle. He is sugar-coatcd
to them and will 90 down without
sigh, though perhaps not without a
drink.
I confess it pains me to think that
some good Republicans, genuine men,
are going to be deceived by this new de-
parture They don't see the snake that
is c0iled under it. | firmly believe that
such are expecting that a more Derman-
ent peace will grow out of it. But it is
a great mistake 4 recent conversation
with one Of the leading Democrats in
the State, professional man and p0liti-
clan, convinced me that the new move
ment is only reviving the old spirit and
hope which was rampant during the
war. His words had the true ring of
the men of his stripe in those days.
The reconciliation which these men
talk about. and are so earnest for, is
such as a father would have with his re-
bellious son whom he had chastised.
when he should confess to his son that
he was sorry that he had used the rod,
and if he would not pOut and be angry
he might indulge his desires as before.
This is not the kind Of reconciliation |
want with my sons after just punish
ment. 1t has no moral virtue in ii, and
nothing but murder will grow outsof 1t.
The Republican party, through Gen.
Grant, offers peace and reconciliation on
the highest moral grounds, grounds on
which Gods government stands, and the
only ground on. which any human gov
eminent can stand. Whatever may be
the motives of Mr.. Greeley and those
with him, it is the plan of the Demo
cracy to be, through this coalition, rein
stalled in power and to run the govern,
ment in the interest of those who were
foremost in plunging the country into
civil war. I cannot believe this plan is
going to snccced, I can but believe that
the men who act from principle, rather
than from party policy, will see the
error of such liberal ways before it is
too late to mend them, and will assert
the grandeur and majesty of righteous
law when they come to the polls in No
vember next. a CITIZEN.