Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-09-20

TIE RICHMOND OUTRAGE.

Mr.. EDITOR :-Sir,-an article over the sigma.
iure of "Cinna," appeared in your paper Of last
week, protesting TO give "detal Of facts" in reIa
ton 10 certain outrage that occurred in this town,
on the evening Of the 7Ih inst. he person of one
Samuel W. Hunter; and inasmuch as said article
is greatly abusive Of The democratic party Of this |
town, and calculated, in high degree, to mslead
the public in relation to the Character Of that party,
it seems proper, in order to vndlcae ourselves |
from an unprovoked calumny, that its errors and
misrepresentation should be pointed out and cor.
reced. For this purpose we ask, an act Of
simple justice, that your columns be opened 10 The
, "other side" Of the story in order that The same
medium through which the charges were made to
the public should contain also The correction and
relulation.
That fragrant aud most indecent outrage was
committed on the person Of said Mr.. Hunter, is
acknowledged indeed 10 be fact, which, for the
honor OF our town and country, we hope may never
be repeated But the history Of the transaction, so
far it has yet been asceriained, appears TO be
quite dlleIcni from that given by your correspon
! dent "Cinna." The particulars relative TO Mr.
Hunters fankness and honesty to his employer
and the conduct Of the latter towards Mr.. IL are
SAID TO be gross Measurements, entirely without
| foundation or the shadow of proof. Eat these are
! things Of minor consequence and il is not the
object of the present communication TO inquire into,
or examine the truth of statements relating to Mr..
Hunters intercourse with his employ any other
individual, since il they all true, The dictate
Of candor to all honest men would be TO regard
| them as mere instances Of individual indscreion
and wrong without involving The political party, or
relig ious sect Of which they may happen to be
members. Why, therefore, should "Cinna" char ge
the offence 10 the democratic party Of this town
lie certainly had ample means Of knowing that this
party sincerely regret its occurrence, and as
highly disapprove OF lis Preparation as any Of the
wing party can that they are as willing and anx.
ious have The offenders erected out and brought
10 justice. Was he impeIIed by regard for truth
and candor to bring this serious charge against the
maj JrIy Of The eemen OF his own town as party,
merely because The in ured man had voted with The
| wings? IL Mr.. Hunter, b. course Of mendicy
and deceit, had surrendered his political indepen.
dence, and become the degraded victim Of arlIfce
and bribery, 1t seems not unreasonable 10 suppose
that IN carry ing out such course he should give
too ust cause of personal offence to some inlI.
viduals; or if in any manner, his conduct and gen.
tral department had rendered him so odous to le
boys IN his vicinity, that they thought him a fit
subject upon whom 10 practice "A pretty serious
trick without thinking they were stepping on the
forbidden ground of law in either case is il not
quite sufficient that The perpetrators themselves
should bear the responsibility. and does not
"Cinna" demean himself in ii very unbecoming
manner, TO charge TO a whole party crime in
which they had no hand nor part, and which they
all disapprove! Ills true the Democrat &c party
are IN the ma iori,y in this town. but does this
circumstance render them likely TO practice
high handed acts Of oppression against obscure and
harmless ciz' rs, merely for the offence Of voting
against them at the Ballot box! No, Mr.. Eli or,
the democratic party in this town, as a body, are
as hgl,.minded aud honorable set Of men, as can
be found in any town in this stare or in the world.
Their respect for the laws of their country, aud for
the rights and liberty of It's citizens, is exceeded by
that Of no body Of men on earth VERI rAS.
Richmond, Sept. I'm, 1889.
We chcerfully give place TO he foregoing
communication from one who feels himself
agricvcd in relation to the outrage upon
Mr.. Hunter, Al Z chmond. Let both sid :
be heard. The oggrayated nature Of the
Transaction loud y calls upon every indvid.
4 ual, however remotely implicated, to wash
y his hands Of ali participation in it {: and ii
b. would a(f,rd US goat satisfaction to believe
5 with VcriIas that its whole conception md
y execution was confined to very narrow hm'
e is. We profess no knowledge Of the IT.
d fair asi de from our correspondent in whom
! by the way, we are accustomed to pace
r full confidence. How far his positions arc
l. shaken by the present communication, The
If reader will determine. There is one sen
re timcn', however, in The rema Ks OF Vtriai
which we cannot permit to pass without
3 rcbukc. He says
eff Mr.. Hunter, by course OF mcndacity
and deceit had surrendered his political in
:, dependence and become the degraded ricif
, of artiiice and bribery, it seems mol unreasO,l
able that in carrying out such course h
c should give Too JUST cause Of offence (
some indiv iduals.
', This we nail to the countcras base coin
n 1t comedies the whole ground, and rccog
% nizcs TIT principle Of mob law, the raj
= aud the tar.pot. Because, forsooth, m
@. ncighbor has become the degraded uiciin
ID of arlifce," it is "not unreasonable lha
d, should enlighlen his mind aud redress hi
!. wrongs with coat oflar! and because h
a has surrerdercd his political indepeud
u once" into the wrong hands, it is but " to
!. lust" that "some individuals who deer
~ it "couse Of personal offence" should lak
in summary vengeance in the way alluded to
X And this is the doctrine of one who wou
ID laln have it understood that ho is yer
ne much oill ced at the recent outrage !
re VIVA, could he expect What else is
10 but saying that man who changes hi
20 political course, or, ns the case may be
q persevcrcs in il, without the consent o
id some indiv iduals," must do It at the boz
8. ard Of incurring the " reasonable indignn