Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-03-15
VOL. IX....NO. 25.

but of four months standing.
Mrs. Osgood has two schools for girls,
which contain together nineteen scholars.
One of the teachers is Christian. Chris
titan instruction is impaired very much as
in the boys school. None Of the pupils
are boarded at present. One of these
schools has existed ten months, the other
has Just now gone into operation. No
conversions have taken place.
English Influence.
On the l4th of May, the sad hour ofbid-
ding adieu to the dear missionaries, and
their interesting disciples, arrived and
embarked for Rangoon. Every day had
increased my regard for them, and the
probability of seeing them no more, made
the last few days truly sorrowful. - '~
In taking leave of British Burmab, I
feel bound to record the courtesy and
kindness which each ofthe commissioners,
and various other officers, civil and mill
tary, extended to me during all my stay,
and the readiness with which they gave
me useful information The missionaries
also constantly receive from them favors
and facilities.
AS 10 English influence in these prov
inces, on the public morals, it is as
whole, deplorably pernicious. Few of
the officers have wives, and most of the
rest openly maintain Infamous connections
with native women. A few of the COM
mon soldiers are married, but most of the
rest are lewd. The Temperance cause
finds few advocates The Sabbath is not
properly observed. To have the natives
become Christians, is no part of the care
or desire of the majority of their conquer
ors. Officers have even been known to
aid in the repair of pagodas, and to furn-
ish powder, &c. for their idolatrous exhi-
billions. In fine, though here and there,
in the ARM and out of it, an individual
loves and advocates religion, the general
influence Of the English is decidedly det-
Fimental to its progress.
On the other hand, it is not easy to de-
scribe the variety of ways in which Eng.
Iish influence benefits the temporal condi.-
ton of these provinces. 1t has abolished
all those border wars, which kept this
people and their neighbors continually
wretched. None but those familiar with
r the country. can describe the evils produ.
) ced by Burmah war. The troops are
t drawn from the remotest provinces, and
? as they march, laborers, stores, money,
J boats, and cattle are taken without COM
pensation. They have no tents, no pay,
5 no regular rations, and suffer every sort
of hardship. Every where as they 60,
the peopl fly into the Jungle, leaving their
property to be plundered without restraint.
f Poverty and distress are thus spread over
f the whole kingdom, even by petty bor-
der conflict. Of course, at the seat of war,
| every evil is magnifed a hundred fold
) The mode of raising troops is the worst
possible. Each chief is required to fur
nish so many, and is sure 10 get rich by the
: operation. He calls upon those who have
! money, and suffers them to buy them.
elves of by extorting from them all he
can get. 1t is just so wherever his men
60. Ifhe wants dozen boats, the rich
er boatmen pay bride and get off, and
the poorer must go. So with carts, and,
in fact, every thing-Besidcs this great
= benefit, there are many others Coin is
: getting introduced instead of their absurd
masses of lead and silver. Manufactures
are improving. Implements ofimproved
instruction are used Justice is better adj
ministered, &c. &c.
The provinces actually under British
:, rule are still more highly favored Life
is secure, property is sacred, religion is
: free, taxes are light and equitabiy imposed,
and courts ofjustice are pure. There is
no lawyers. Every man or woman
pleads personally, and the setting magis-
trate decides at once, every case Other
Improvements in a thousand forms are
made and making, and it were heartily to
be wished that the British flag waved
over every part of the east.