Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-12-21
SPIRIT OF THE TIMES.


tra,ion paper in tho nor,hen part Of N.
York,-lhe Frenklin Gazette.
1t is n cause Of deep regret to every
lover Of his country, or his country's honor,
10 witness the apathy, nay. the culpabe
indifference, of The Federal Government to
the insults almost daily offered to our flag
and the nagvant violation Of our rights as
On independent and free nation, by The SELF
siyled Mistress Of the Ocean, no less than
its coward'y subservicncy to the wishes and
demands Of Great Britain. Are we longer
to submit. after the decisive report Of the
commissioners appointed by Maine. to en-.
croochmeuis upon our territory and iuris
diclon, on our Northen frontier! Are we
to allow, without even n Remembrance, the
growing ;rfluence and even sovereignty Of
Britain over cur western territories and
Indians? Are we tamey TO suffer vessels
to be cut out Of our harbOrs-tO be fired
upon time after lime-our property forci-
bly, taken ON us, and our citizens daily
insuled and even murdered, without de.
manding that satisfaction which even the
weakes, state in Europe would insist on,
even at the hands of arrogant Br,ain?
Verify. if this is TO he SO, have we poliie
and genti. maniy rulers. who scorn 10 seek
any other means Of redress from q Lady
Queen then ocquiescence or en,reaty.--
But this we hope is not the character Of
the Presidents Message, which ere this
has been LAID before Congress, but that its
tone may be such as will arouse the whole
American people. to wash from their hi,h-
erto fair National Escuicheon, the deep
stains which have been corroding and
fostering there. JUSTICE.
After the above was pcnned, and in type,
probably, the message was received. but
which the reader is aware but poorly real.
ICES the expectations Of Justice" The
editor Of the Gazette, however, disposes Of
the subject with the following manly COM
ment.
We will not allow the occasion TO pass
however, without expressing our decided
and unqna flied disapprobation Of The views
advanced and conclusions drawn by the
President in relation to the Boundary and
Frontier questions. The important ques
tion Of the Northeastern Boundary Of the
Republic. which has been in dispute for
upwards Of twenty years, and frequently
threatened to involve the United States
and Great Britain in a bloody war, is pass
ed over with a brief paragraph ofa few
lines. The frontier excitement in favor Of
the liberty seeking Canadians, and the
disposition manifested by portions of our
citizens to Go by them as Lafayette did by
Us when we were situated in similar cir.
cumstances, are taken up at some length,
and trt atcd in manner which cannot fail
to prove acceptable and satisfactory to the
petticoat tyraDt who guides the des,nies OF
the British realm. The President rei'er.
atcs the principles OF the proclamation, OF
which we expressed our opinion last week
He does not bestow a single word upon
the cutting out and burning of,he Steam
boat Caroline by n British armed force
while lying in an American harbor. The
murder Of our citizens, the repeated inva
sion of our territory, the firing upon ou'
boats, and the many unprovOked aud insult
iersble wrongs and insults heaped upon oul
people along the frontier by the loyalsts o
Canada. appear to have entirely escaped
the notice of the President, not the re-
motest alluson being made to any Of then
in the message. The. we suppose, s. il
the opinion of,he President,a all well enough
and no more than we deserve, for presum
ing in defiance of his proclamatons TO TIT
contrary, to express our sympa,hies for tn
cruelty oppressed people Of Canada, an
for rendering them such aid and assistance
o. we have an undoubted right 10 Unde
the Constitution.
1.-THE Proclamation Of the Presiden
touching our treaty obligations. &C, meet
with universal appreciation on this frontier.
--Plausburgh Republican.
It is hardly necessary for US 10 say tina
the above statement is utterly destitute {
truth. for the readers Of the Gazette a
ready know it to be so. The writer coul
not have been ignorant Of this fact whc
he penned it, So far from The assertio
being true, we believe we hazard nolhin
in declaring that no documen. ever emanf
ted from the Chief Magistrate of tn
country which met will, such universal on
deserved ceneuve md disapprobn'ion c
this frontier az Mr. Van Buren's late Pro-
loms,ion Of Neutrality. If the editor
the Republican was ignorant Of This. he
least knew ,ha, it did not meet with m
versal appreciation. for he had unqUes'ion
bly, become acquainted with our opinion
il before he made the statement abo
quoted, and that formed one excep'o
We now tell the Republican that we ha
the satisfaction to know that our views
that document are those entertained
nearly the entire population in this sec'io
and among The democracy We do not knt
ofs single exception.-For Covington G
sette.
The above are both administration 7
pers; bot the editor Of The Republic