Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-11-08
For the Daily Journal
10 GREEN, OR AUNT BETTY'S BANK
mo. b

u utuSuiiIIVut pUluCt, Hill IhluB thO OgO W "'0
mind on "the desire accomplished" all The inter
vening difficulties, all the expense aud labor, all
the anxicties and perplexlties, which lay IN his
way, were surpassed at bound, and he, IN mag |
inaton, was seated beneath the dome Of his SPLEEN
did mansion, encircled with his iends and family, |
and in the midst of luxury, enjoying "Ottun
cum di nitate." 10 Green was now "in nubibus,'
his paintings were on the Clouds his palace was
built of airy materials, the pictures of fancy, the
creations of Imagination, He awoke from nus
pleasing dream TO the cold reality OF lie. lie
saw his humble log cabin MS It was the hoary
moss clad ledge Of rocks, which occupied the
site, most desired for his future dwelling, irowned
defiance TO his proposed plans lie reco'Iea
from the encounter of the labor before him, but
soon reposed himself upon his own energies.
Where there was will there was a way, and the
consumnaon of his wishes he had already seen
in the shadowy shapes, delineated by vigorous
imagination, on the page of possibility. His
course was not TO he stayed by slight difficulties
He wilIed the rending, the uplifting and the re-
moval of the massy ledge of rock which lay a
cross the way OF his design, and here let the pow
err Of mind over matter be well considered The
rocks, whose firm aud deep foundations have not
changed their relative position, since old time was
young, are now seen to he dsruptured and
broken and, as il The laws OF gravitaon had been
reversed, TO he rising in the air. Ponderous and
shapeless masses of stone and other materials,
destined to become constituents of the edifce, are
seen TO congregate, by degrees the rough mass
assumes symmetry aud shape, and as If actuated
10y the laws of disqualification chemical allini-
~, or as if urged by the re creative power, ex-
ered upon the dry bones, in the vision OF Ezeki-
ell, the separated and widely sundered parts begin
TO approximate and to be joined piece to piece,
joint TO joint, until the whole has now taken on
the form, the proportion, the symmety and beauty
of Grecan temple; all has been now accomplish
ed, which the mind "in vision saw" Where there
was will there WINS found way and in place Of
the airy PICTURE now stands the stone palace, and
labor has been crowned with success Every
obstacle had yielded to the indomilabe persever-
once Of 10 Green and the result was the compile
ton of an edfce unsurpassed in elegance by the
dwellings Of any of his neighSors. This was not
achieved without great ihroads upon his purse,
and he had finally to resort to loans to keep up
his sinking credit. His family establishment in the
meantime was sustained by the labor OF his boys,
which was already sufficiently burdens)me to
them, independently of the pressing calls of their
building enterprise. To relieve his pressing ne
cessities he had recourse TO aunt Beuy's bank, TO
which he became debtor to large amount. In
addition TO their other trials the boys were com
PEELED to labor three days in the year to pay the
interest on this loan. In prospect the burden
to he perpetual, without in the least reducing
the principal. This they thought hardship and
one peculiarly aggravating in its nature. They
had surveyed the whole ground They recalled to
mind their past privatons; their labors, their
conflicts with land jobbers, who had coufedera.
ted to dlspossess them of their farm; the vast
sums they had accumulated by the labor of their
hands and expended in founding institutions for
the diffusion of religious, moral and literary in
struction in contributing for their common de-
fence and the defence of their neighbors; in
building roads and bridges. and other improve
mentS, designed not only for their common ben
eft, but to meoralc The condition Of future gene
ratlons in all coming time. Nor did they forget
| to remember, that as a necessary incident Of all
these accumulated labors and privaons, their
own children, and themselves in particular had
been deprived of the only opportunities, afforded
in life to secure that education, without which the
human mind sinks from that high state of intel
lectual enjoyment 10 which it might aspire to the
beastial condition of mere sensual qualifications.
Such had been their lahors and privatious, such
their present condition and prospects, and still
were they under the yoke; still subjected TO la
Dor to pay the interest," of the debt, which they
had accumulated. They reflected ALSO that the
beneficial results of all their abors and privations,
were not AMI had not been confined to themselves,
or TO their own times, were not Of those things,
which had persisted with the using, but were con
tinung, we're forth reaching in their pros
poets OF utility to coming generations Especi-
ally this true in relation 10 the house which
had been built and which was the principal cause
or occasion of the debt, which bore SO heavily
upon them. In this they had anticipated the Ia
bors, the burdens and expenses of future times
Still were they subjected to pay interest on debts
accumulated year by year by their provident ef
forts TO serve he future also to he taxed year by
year to swell aunt Bety's Bank, without the
slightest prospect, that either they or their child
rem would ever receive the benefit of one cent of
their contributions. These complaints had reach
ed the ears of 10 Green, and he told his boys, that
lie would hear what others had to say in relation
to aunt Betty's bank.
lst Was il lawful to abolish il?
III. Was it expedent?
Sd. II so, what disposition was TO be made of
the money?
With sIl the unique and o,itre notions of 10
Green, he always designed to square his actions
by truth and justice he showed his wisdom by
results if not in processes. lie determined to
hear partially the complaints of his boys in regard
TO the unjust operation of aunt Bety's bank
whether realized in the present or feared in the
future. The subject then TO be answered was an
nuunced, was it lawful TO abolish aunt Betty 3
bank 4? was it expedicnt? and if so, what DISPOSE
ton should be made OF the money? At an early
hour the next evening he was seen seated in his
great armed chair, his wife, sister, boys and 9TH
ers about him. The scene was palriarchal, and
forcby recalled to mind the simplicity of early
times the occasion Was one Of moment aud the
decisions 10 he made might affect for veal or for
| VICE. the present and future condition of the fami-
ly for an Indefinite period Of time. 1t had been
determined to take The opinion of some one learn
ed in law on the question of the legality of abo
ishing the bank. The old man then announced,
that that was the subject then to he considered,
and all remarks must be pertinent md direct to
the question. No indulgence would he given to
ad coptandum speeches. The eldest son, who had
long horne The heat and burden of the day, took
the affirmative, and remarked that all the lawyers
agreed that the legality Of the measure could NOT
he doubted; that The same power which could
make law could repeal il, especially II no inter
est had vested in any citizen in virtue of such
law; that laws do not bind subsequent legsla-
lures that 10 prove their opinion they real from
books which they called Coke and Blackstone,
and other hard names, all of which they said were
regarded as lights in legal learning. This they
said was one of the principles of common law,
which they would have to be she perfection OF
right reason" He had also heard those same un
i nndll caled luIXNers unI ranst