Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-06-28

| Humbugs- wish somebody would
undertake to write history of the various
humbugs that have 1eeced the people Of this
country during the last thirty years. New
England people, especially, from the ruggid
nature of their soil and the rgor oftheir eli
mate, have sought out many inventions"
and been most essentially sucked in" We
may name the Merino humbug-thc great
Mohawk potato humbug-The Saxony
humbug-the Dutton humbug, and various
others, which in years pas: have had their
day, serving only to enrich a few cunning
spectators, and quilting the silly dupes who
bought the whistle" Nor will this hum.
buggng ever cease, so long as cunning and
crafty men exist to prey upon the credulity
ofthe unsuspecting tillers Of the soil. One
would suppose that the great Eastern Land
humbug would have satisfied this generation
at leas; and tina, the Western Land fever,
even worse, would have deferred people from
running into new folIies. But no. They
are as eager as ever ITO make haste TO be
rich"-and in the silly hope OF sudden
wealth, plunge deeper and deeper in the
mire. There is the Morus Maiticaulis hum
bug taking nightly at present, and quilting
the flats TO admiration. Then there is a
Chinese Corn, selling attweniy-fve cents an
ear-and not worth hafas much as an ear
Of barley, perhaps. The Rohan Potato is
also the rage and some people are silly
enough to pay 20 cents pound for potatoes
to plant Why, the duce is in them. The
veriest clodhopper that lives, by planting the
seed gathered when ripe, from the tops of
notato vine onJ ooroc,1I,, o,,l,;vot;no - ,,a q,
obtain as many varieties as would be sufi-
cieni to set a humbug well a-going in half a
dozen States. And there are people who
will ride ten miles TO pay halfa dollar for a
quart of beans--the Lima, the Horticultural,
or Rocky Mountain Why they must be
as open-mouhed as children, 10 swallow
such humbugs The Yankees are not
"alone in their glory"--lor we perceive by a
Southern paper, that new species of cotton
seed is now seling'in Alabama at fifty cents
a kernel Go it, Jerry And let us see
what it will all come to.-Conc0rd States
man.
The VIRGINIA ELECTION. The result
Of the elections in Virginia is deeply impor
tant TO the country, and most gratifying 10
opponents OF corruption and inordnate Exc
cutive power.
From the earliest times of the revolution,
Virginia has held the position Of advanced
guard to the Southern States, which have in
general followed her lead. Distinguished
by the long list Of eminent Statesmen, whose
names adorn the historic page OF their coun-
try, and whose comprehensive, liberal, and
wellstored minds stamped their own charac-
ter upon her institutions, she has ever COM
manded the respect Of her sister States
even when they lamented that she was no
longer guided by the counses Of wisdom, but
had been detained by the cunning but false
profession ofanful and ambitious men.
The msts OF deluson are now clearing a.
people have already begun to in
luire into the actions and motives Of those
who have led them astray by professions of
love and devotion, 10 scrutinize their assumed !
Democracy and 10 compare it with those prn-
ciples OF Republicanism which they inherit !
ed from their fathers, the architects of our
glorious but perverted Constitution. This |
scrutiny has developed its real nature, and
shown that ii is the antagonist Of liberty in
disguise. That its advocates and support
Frs are the advocates and supporters of an
Executive who seeks TO grasp unlimited
power, and to crush every man who shall
lare oppose his ambitious projects.
The issue in the late contest was distinctly |
made TO the people, whether the Executive
should be sustained in his arbitrary course
Il be permitled TO coerce the representatives
of the people 10 support his measures, or
their independence should be main
lained. Whether, in short, the representa-
lives of the people, should be answerable 10
the people, or whether they mean to bow TO
the authority oil the Executive, and obey his
In this contest, the supporters OF the Pres
dent resorted to their usual trick-mounted
the cap of liberty, blew the trumpet OF free
dom, and assumed the cloak and raised the
flag of Democracy Thus disguised, they
entered the field, but their disguise could not
their unhallowed purposes from the
eyes of the people The cloak of democracy
could not hide the shackles of despotisn
which they bore in their hands, and it was
soon perceived that their flag wanted the
stars and stripes of liberty. 1t was not the
The star.spangled banner around which free
men rally, and which they wil'defend to the
las; drop of their blood.
The result is known. The army of Office
holders and sycophants of power has been
routed by the noble sons Of liberty in "lhe old
dominion" The shout ofvictory has reach.
Il =. A L Il -