The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-07-20


tai, to be here expended again for wool, provis-
ions and labor. This, in the estimation of the
Age, may be heartlcss and INSCRIPTIONS spec
ulation. Of course, in the estimation of that
print, TO permit the British to monopolize the
manufactures of the world, put down the wool
growers and manufacturers of America, and
dictate to us the terms of trade, would be ex-
cellent policy. So seemed the late locofoco
convention to think; but so thanks to their
better Judgment the people of Vermont never
yet have thought.-W. Wdtchman.
. HoRRIBLE PRooEEDINGs.-The following is
an extract Of letter dated,
Belvidere, Ill. June 3Oth.
Z" Since Sunday last, the good people have
been under a most violent excitement on ac-
count of the repetition of the Belvidere TRACE
dy, runors of which doubtless have reached
you ere this time. However, that you may
know what TO rely upon as truth, will give
you summary of what have been able to
gather from eyewitness and participators in
these most high-handed and alarming atroci-
ties; for, let the emergencies be what they
may, all lawless violence resulting in blood
shed and death are alarming in any communi-
=
and northern men. The facts in this case are
these: the country below this and north of the
Illinois River has been for long time and is
now infested with gang of blacklegs, coun-
terteiters, horse-thieves and land pirates, and
the good people have found our laws, or at
least the administration of them, entirely mad
equate to the protection of their property; con-
sequently they have been forced to form them
selves into volunteer companies and anti
horse thieves societies. One was formed about
twenty miles below this, at Washington grove.
MIR. Campbell was actively engaged in getting
it up. On Sunday night last, two of the Dris-
kills, notorious through this region as ring
leaders and harborers of all sorts of villains.
rode up to Campbell's house and asked his son
if his father was at home; he called his father
to the door, when the Driskill's shot him dead
and fled. The volunteer companies ofDeKalb
and Winnebago Counties Immediately colec-
ted and went in search of the Driskells.
On tuesday they caught the old man and
one OF his sons-tried them by Lynch law, and
were convinced that they were the cause if
not the perpetrators of the atrocious murder of
Mr.. Campbell. They sentenced them to i'm
mediate death, then placed the old man about
ten rods off, and babe him prepare for death,
giving him five minutes when the time was
up, about fifty balls went through him. The
son was then served in the same manner
both devils proving 'game''- neither making
any disclosures, more than saying that anoth-
or son of Drislell, who has cut stick, killed
Cambell; $500 reward is offered for his
head. High-handed and revolving as this sum-
mary mode of procedure seems to be, it is. nev.
erthe!esS, absolutely necessary, and receives
the commentator of every individual at all ac
quainted with the facts. fla man refuses to
join these companies, he is put down at once
with the horse-thievcs.
The Rockford paper will bring all the minu-
ti9 of the affair.
Perhaps the worst feature of this horrible af
fair is the appearance of the following com.
ments appended TO the above by the Chicago
American journal unusually favorable to
law and order:
"We are inclined under all the circumstan-
ces, to justify this violent outbreak of popular
Indignation. When thieves, scoundrels and
vIndlctIve and cowardly notwithstanding no
stake in the country, nor no principle or manly
feeling IN their Eearts-despis;ng and eyadinq
the laws OF God and man-ciyil and moral
outlaws having nothing valuable to risk and
every thing to gain by their atrocities-when
such Williams prowl our streets and outrage the
law not only of the Statute, but every principle
of civilized humanity, the slow and uncertain
retrlbution of the legal code in its operation,
itself the sport of technicality, of perjury and
every species of orruption-seems, indeed, a
mockery, and the ghost of principle and the
blood OF victims cry loud, long -plausibly,
(may we not say JUSTIFY for swifter, deeper
vengeance !"
APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT.
By and with the advice and consent of The