Daily National Intelligencer

[Sav. Ref.

What have we gained by the War?

The federalists still repeat the question, now and then, "What have we gained by the war?" Alas, good friends, YOU have gained nothing by the war. As to what the nation has gained, let any man say, who has lately visited foreign ports, or conversed with those who have. Even the authors of this queer query, themselves, cannot deny that we have gained the respect of all nations, even of our late enemies. NATIONAL HONOR Was once every thing with our good friends the federalists; an object for which no sacrifice was too great. But now they affect to consider it as nothing, when compared with full pockets and whole skins! And one of them even grumbles that his GROG is taxed, only to gain such a trifle as national honor!

You may indeed ask, gentlemen, "what have we gained by the war?" You have no dividend of the nation's gain. You have relinquished your concern, and sold your shares in the national interest. You have, however, lost abundantly by the war, or rather by your conduct during its progress. You have lost Vermont and New-Hampshire, and are in a fair way to lose all New England. You have lost the best possible opportunity to regain a share of the confidence of the country. There is no calculating how far you might have ingratiated yourselves in popular favor, had you magnanimously thrown your weight in the national scale at the first moment of war. In such a case your noble conduct would have been met by an offer of some of the most important offices in the country, and possibly the people, at this time would, in the warmth of their gratitude, have selected from among you a candidate for the Vice Presidency. All those prospects you have forfeited by your miserable infatuation. But perhaps it is all for the best, that a party, governed by principles radically bad, should do nothing to regain its influence. Perhaps it is best that being incurably mad, no lucid interval should induce the people to trust themselves again in your power. Hereafter, gentlemen, when you shall repeat the question "what have we gained by the war?" be it evermore our answer, "YOU have gained nothing."

If you can derive any consolation from your own consciences in reviewing your past conduct—or from that everlasting subject of self-puffing egotism, your exclusive "talents, virtue and religion"—far from us be the cruel task of marring the sweet delusion. As long as you are powerless in fact, we concede to you the whole dominion of fancy.

Vermont Republican.