The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-08-03

example oil civil liberty that the world
has ever witnessed.
In that struggle, we witnessed another
example of the important fact that the un-
equal distribution Of intelligence may re.
suit in intensified barbarism that an
ignorant people, with an unprincipled,
though educated leadership, are more to
be feared and moro wretched themselves,
than those in a purely barbarous state
that tho enginery of civilization in the
hands of such a people, and even the
mental power acquired by the few like
firearms in the hands Of the savage, make
them only the more dangerous foes to all
without while it makes the condition OF
their own masses the more wretched, by
the elevation Of the uDprincipled few on
the principle that an educated villain is
more to be feared than an unprincipled
fool.
That conflict Of ours should teach the
world not to look for true worth to any
particular class, or to those of any parti.
cular calling; that the material of which
hSiOVS hiC ulduS 10 uot OiteueI lOuuu III
the gilded palace, than in the frontier
hut; in the counting'room of the banker,
than in the workshop Of the mechanic
in the Office of the professional man, than
in the cottages Of farmers.
What humiliating lessons to aristocrat.
ic pride are recorded 10 our country's re.
cent history When the nation saw not
the peril which awaited it, when it was
lulled to quiet ropose by artful deceivers;
when the poison of which | have spoken
was insiduously working its way to the
very heart of the body politic, and the
true source Of that political malaria was
yet a matter of doubt, whence came the
warning of our danger2 Did it come
from the politicians From the wealthy
and learned of the land ? No that warn.
ing voice came from the masses. Low
and almost ipaudible at first, it gradually
swelled its volume, until even the politi.
clans and the would.be aristocracy heard
it, and, at first, scoffed at these plebiau
l.-.--L~.s VI the puUIic peace, aud suevI'
ed at their warnings of approaching evil
The crisis came as they had predicted
The Republic was called upon to deter.
mine whether slave. drivers should rule
and that source of political malaria and
death-African slavery-shou!d settle
like black pail, over the land; whether
honest labor should henceforth be counted
a disgrace, and the industrial classe!
should be crushed to build up labor and
laborer despising aristocracy.
In that great moral contest which fol
lowed, and which at last aroused the long
slumboring sense of justice and right, ant
led the northern people to fully compre'
hend the situation and present united
front to the common enemy, whose pei
was welded more fearlessly or more ef
fectually, in the national cause than tina
worthy, self.made man, the son of hum
BILE farmer, who then stood at the heac
Of the American press-Horace Greeley
When, by cunningly devised schemes
the traitors had robbed the government
of all means Of self.defense, and hat
gathered around the national capital, like
tho coil Of the serpent when about t.
thrust its fangs into its helpless victim
when traitors in disguise filled every de
partment Of the national service prepar
ed to do their deeds of shame when op
portunity should offer; when olood.thirs
ty assassins at the south, stealthily watch
ed for opportunities to murder, in COLI
blood, those who ventured to protes
against their deeds of treason, and evel
thronged the thoroughfares of the north
awaiting an opportunity to shed the bloo'
of the chosen executive of the nation
when the stoutest hearts paled at tn
fearful prospect, whose powerful arm lift
ed the cloud which hung over us, ant
with the might of Hercules, bore u
the destinies Of nation ? Was it no
the "rail splitter" from our ranks-Abra
ham Lincoln?
Unlearned in the wisdom of the school:
he carried with him all his honest plebia
simplicity, Though he had chosen tn
profession Of the law. he yet belonged t
the class from which he had sprung ; an
industrial pursuits had given him tina
physical development, that iron netve
by which he was enabled to endure tina
fearful mental strain, under which tn
modern acholar, with his more effeminat
education, would have been hopelessl
crushed. Though plebian by birth, wha
royal lineage can boast such heroism
What house of lords, of noble descent
can furnish an example of such far.seein
craftsmanship What epoch in histor
can present such pure and unselash pa
triotism What sanity ioll can presen
purer character What heroic age ca
furnish such unblemished honor? 1t wa
as if all the noble experiences of the pas
had contributed to endow a characte
worthy OF the age, and of the crisis i
which the great question of the success o
failure of Republicanism was to be de
termined.
When our navy, that indispensable
bulwark OF defense was about to be ami
hilated; when our strongest vessels c
war were about to be borne down b
that rebel iron clad, the Merrimac, an
our harbors left practically defenceles
aud our chief cities exposed to pillag
and destruction by our enemies, wh0
hand unseen instigated one of our brothe
mechanics to devise and construct tha
apparently insignificant craft. the Mon
tor, and sent it on its mission of salva.io
to the nation Like the class to whic
its protector belonged, it was ridicule
and despised by the slave driving rebe
as it came steaming up to the conflict
but how soon were their defiant hcvi
turned to dismay, when it was found thi
the "cheese-box" upon its deck, hel
E those thunderbolts of war which were
to drive them and their craft, with pr,
cipitate haste, to the hidden fortress,
from whence they came, and teach the
lesson OF respect for mechanical geniu
) When incompetency in our militar
5 leadership had well nigh ruined o,
I cause when, in consequence of this, OF
: defenders were diving by the thousands