Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-07-10

Considerable excitement was aroused in
our town, on Friday last, by the sudden re-
QUESTION Of the Sheriff, Mr.. Ferris, for an
armed force, to aid him in the execution of
legal process, which had been forcibly re.
sisted by the laborers on the Central Rail.
road, near Richmond in this County. The
principal facts in the case, as we learn them
from the SHERIFF, are these:
On Friday morning last, information was
communicated to the Sheriff, by Mr.. Dep
uty GLEASON of Richmond, that the labor
crs on the Railroad, (some 900 in number,)
about three miles east of Huntington's tav-
ern, had suspended work, and having col
iected together, were engaged in disturbing
the peace in various ways-that they had
thrown impediments in the way of the mail
stages running between Burlington and
Montpeler-and with violent language and
demeanor had attempted completely to pre-
vent the free use and occupation ofthe road
by the publio-and finally that they were
holding in durcss Mr.. BARKER, one of the
principal Contractors, peremptorily reius-
ing to liberate him.
The Sheriff promptly repaired to the
scene of the outrages, accompanied by two
of his deputies and Mr.. CHURCH, Constable
of Burlington, and by peaceful means en-
deavored to cause the rioters to dispersc.-
His Proclamation to this effect was utterly
disregarded, and his attempt to release Mr..
BARKER forcibly and successfully resisted.
Obtaing the necessary warrant for the ar.
rest of the supposed ring-leaders, he again
encountered resistance, and the individuals
arrested were rescued by force from his
custody.
Under these circumstances the rcquisi-
ton for an armed force, above alluded to,
was promptly resorted to by the Sheriff.
The Light Infantry Co. in Burlington were
called out, and the Company of Firemen
Immediately and unanimously rendered
their services to maintain the supremacy of
the law, and were furnished by the Sheriff
with arms and ammunition.
With this force, amounting to seventy
five or eighty men, the Sheriff again reach
ed Richmond, on Friday evening, ac-
companied also by u number of our most
respectable citizens. On Saturday morn
ing, either inundated by the presence of
an armed body of men, or otherwise awak-
ened to a conviction of the fruitlessness, as
well as the crminality, of further rcss-
lance, the Disturbers had mostly dispersed.
Mr.. BARRIER was released, some ten OF
twelve were arrested and lodged in jail in
Burlngton and thus the affair terminated
fortunately without bloodshcd or further
outrage.
One word respecting the causes of this
disturbance, and we leave the topic. tap
pears that the ground of complaint on the
part of the laborers was that they mcrc no
paid for their hbor,& that they had received
no pay for several weeks. Their Language
to the Sheriff was, ''give us our pay AM
we will dsperse-this is all we ask land thi
IRE miH hare" Now these were poor mcr
earning their daily bread by the sweat o
their faces, and they ough to hare bee
promptly paid. Holding all resistance to tn
LAWS, and all illegal combinations for tn
purpose of redressing even real wrongs, i
utter adherence, and believing that the,
should be suppressed, promptly and,ifncces
sary, by armed force, we yet unhcsitating
ly affirm aiat these laborers. indctensibe Il
their conduct became, were NOT me fir
,croagdoers. That sin must lie at the door
of those who, knowing their necessities, con
tinued to receive the benefit of their unr,
warded labor.
We know how easily these sentiments ma
be misconstrued and msreprescnted b,
we cannot help that. Those who by inlu
,ice, incite others to violation of the law
of the land, should and will, i'm the estim
ton of good men and mercitul judges, sha,
the responsibility of the crime, however NJ
equal may be the legal allotment of punis
meut. ''Be just and fear not is an admiral
maxim but Be just and you miW hare not
ing n.Jed' ~ huch more pracucal trut
We understand that those who employ
these men, are Messrs. Smith 81 Co.. So
contractors in the An remore. The Dire
ors of the Company will undoubtedly ia
such steps as will be likely, hereaft
TO prevent irresponsible men from havi
it in their power to involve the commun
in difficulty and danger by unjustly wi
holding from the laborer his hire.
RATHER COOL!