Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-09-29
STATE scmooLrUND.

No. of the Age dated January 3D. Ie43 contained
a communication over the signature of Lycurgus,
IN which The writer attempted To lnpugn the Re.
ports of the Auditor Of Accounts in the following
words. "Ihe fact is, no one believes Mr.. Berry :
report 10 be correct by more than $4,000, and by
comparing the two, a child will perceive, that Mr..
PMtce Is sui less correct" Here we have an an
nonymous writer, in cowardly cnnceallncnt a man
ct no reputation, or at least fear of losing any,
a man who may be scape gallows from the
State Prison, and entitled TO less of respect than
Balaams Ass, opposing his naked assertion 20 the
reports OF Two officers, who were sworn 10 do their
duty faithfully. This same man called on us by
name 10 come forth, and vindicate oursel from the
aspersions, which he had thrown upon our report
We we're shown the above communication and
requested To answer IT, IL was concluded that such
a writer could deceive none but those. who could
not, or would not be convinced, and that if official
documents could be- readily disposed Of much
more would any thing we could say in reply In
June were induced, from conviction of the
great Importance of the subject, to commence a Sc
ries Of articles on this fund. We solicited cool
and dispassionate consideration of the subject as
one equally affecting all our citizens. But NOS
party must be enlisted in this question. But here
as IN the above case are assailed from n masked
battery We have seen no communication from
any writer, over responsible signature, calling in
question any Of the positions, which we have taken
IN relation TO the fund
All attacks on MS are from under cover. The A &c
contains communications over the signature Galu-
sha, Heno ana -" whether all these signatures
belong to one individual, TO three is not known,
nor is It material whether the writer or writers
have any reputation to lose, or Infamous is alike
unknown, and imrnaicrial If these communica.
tons contain reasons why the fund should not be
| abolished, they should he considered III on the
other, all is written sud capfandum,' no more of
such matter will be noticed than il suits our con-
venence.
We have endeavored honestly, without fear. ia.
vor OF hope OF reward 10 state convictions on
this Our positions are such can be, and should
be- admitted If true; denied and overthrown il
I false. II our opponents honest, why do they
not come forth openly, their proper names and
frankly state their objections TO positions and
I become responsible for what they say Do we
wrong them when we say they are not honest -
that their purpose is to deceive the people with
pretended friendship, which they do moi feel' In
their conceament, they will say what il would
shame them 10 say over their proper names Can
these writers be entitled 10 consIde grafton than
"Lvcurgus,' who because hidden from public no.
tee, could say any thing without shame
I Let il be remembered, that the question 10 be
considered is, sought the Slate School fund 10 be
abolishedY p This question is TO be argued before
tribunal competent TO grasp and understand the
whole subject tribunal not TO be duped by empty
defamation, turned from the main question by
mere catch words Of party tactics or by any thing
foreign to the question. Mere defamation is not
reasoning. What possible argument turn bac k
the edge of such cogent reasoning the follow %
i
OF the small pitance saved 10 them by repubii-
can torefafhers from the hungry jaws of federal
speculaiors.' Again, They have Tesored 10 the
project OF lmmoating the poor man s fund upon the
altar of federal extravaganza 'Aristocratc and
Democratic party -" Abolition of the school fund
Tor the benefit of The rich -'meiropois of Wind
sor County, where the great folks have been ruin
ed &c. with many more such choice specimens of
classic elegance and cogent didaetc and logical
hocinauOn, too numerous and extended 10 be trans
cribcd. Such Arguments 90 much further TO prove
the author ashamed to append his To them,
than they do TO prove the school fund is rcal and
srevious political and financial nuisance. One of
these writer's charges Auditor with leading the van
in system of fraud aud .fiisehood, &c; again he
varies the charge by saying, he is 'prGcticing a
Pdtpatie fraud upon the people Of FCrn0Rt, which
charge is contained in modified form, by the use
of the following words "Audiior is egregiousy and
unqualfiedly incorrect 10 say the least and in what
did this fraud and tasehood and neOrreefasss con-
ssi In the fact, that Auditor had said, The
school und owes its origin to the old Vermont State
Bank, and "that the act of le25 establishing that
fund was designed shelter To protect the frag-
ment OF that Bank. This writer promised to
"show the truth of his charge To the understanding
of every candid and impartial man, who will read
his remarks" Wen, we have read his remarks aud
looked in vain for the proof. Whoever will take
the trouble To look into the journals of that session.
&c. will ind that bill originated in the council &c.
What then lie also refers TO the act itself to
prove that Auditor is incorreoi aud upon such ref.
erences, backed with his egregiOusiy" unqualified
assertions, he niles for proof of his charge With
/ his proof acc not satisfied We pretend, in the
words of this writer to be in slight ''degree ac-
quainied with the proceedings in the Legislature
I at the time OF the passage of the act of s25, .
and we say that G. has advanced nothing
TO sustain his declaration at all, and in court OF
Justice, lac would hear verdict against him on his
own showing He has not begun TO make out his
proof nor can he. The fact is, that the declaration
of Auditor, which G.. charges to be incorrect, is
true to the letter We happen to know something
/ OF this business, and do not speak unadvisedly
when make the assertion A friend of ours
who present at the session with us, though not
n member, confirms us in our statement, and says,
that ii was supposed that all trouble about the
mains of that bank, and the Petitions for the
ey belonging To il buried by passing that act
II is probable, that ALL who voted for the act of
ISIS, had the same motive F.; and il would be most
absurd to suppose, that within the resolutions or
acts the subject it should have been stated, that
the object of the act was 10 save the money from
the gasp of flock of petitioners, "Sad faS est
doeue dt h0Ste." We thank this writer, or another
who signs for coming 10 aid in this emer-
gency. This writer says "There were applications
made for grants of this property TO different uses
gain this writer says, ''At the time of establishing
this school fund, there opposition and com
plants from applicants for this property OF
the State, and their friends, in respect to
the disposition made for the ultimate diffusion OF
common education." We that the Legislature
were beseged with applications for the control OF
this money, and affirm, that our statement was
strictly true we understand the matter. But
the question is, ought the fund now to be abolished
! Whatever the purpose of the Legislature might
have been, if the act were an improvdent one and
dangerous to our free institutions, or If the fund
can now be shown TO be unwise, and that the pub
lie good requires its repeal it is not important, what
particular motives might have actuated the men,
beers of the Legislature in its passage.
! We have said in substance that the fund will ney-
o benefit Of the nf
that the collecting Of il is at certain loss of $40
! on every hundred, and probably $1,000 that the
fund will never reach the object contemplated in
the act, and that all the money put into it is SO