Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-02-12
Ethan Allen.

The suh,1incd communication to the y. Y.
Express we have had marked for insertionin the
Free Press for several weeks past 1t has been
crowded out, hitherto, by other, and more pres
sing matter. We wished to give it a place for
various reasons. 1t was written. it would ap-
pear, by Il Nermonter. and one manifestinp
commendable interest for the just rcnown of one
of the most remarkable and considerable of that
brotherhood of sturdy patriots of strong heads and
stout hearts, who made themselves widely known
and respected as the "GREEN MouxTAIN Bows
in the early days when VERMONT had TO contend
against both the hostile arms of an invading ma.
tional foe, and the gormlndizng claims to her
territory of two of her present Sister States The
early history of Vermont is one Of rare interest
and exciting ncidcnt--aud in its interest and in
cident without a parallel in the history of the
world. A. an actor in that history, and as par
tcipatorin, and to a singular extent a Trainer OF,
those incidents, ETHAN ALLEN bore a conspicu-
Gus part. He was an out-and-out. obstinate,
shrewd, intelligent thorough-going, invincible,
rough-and-rcady NERMoSTER. Our own opin-
ion is that he wouldn't have ''swappedr YER
mont, at the period when her chance for secur-
ing hcrindcpandence appeared gloomest, for any
other three States in this Union. lie loved YER
mont, acre by acre, from Bennington to Lake
= Menu hrcmagcg. and personally would have pre-
erred the harrassing and perplexng Labor Of
plotting against, and circumventing the foes to
her state sovereignty, to Debating the terms OF
capitU.ai.1n 10 CORVALLIS at Yorktown. He
hated her enemies with the most refreshing cor
dalty, and was perhaps, rather too strongly in
: clincd to think them offenders beyond the pale
Of "beneit of Clergy" Ills idea Of total de-
d prayity' we won't pretend to speak Of but we
venture the opinion tina, he reckoned hostility to
Vermont the precise definition of te'-totdl de-
prayity. lie loved her mountains and her plains,
her rivers and her lakes, herhyperborean storms
and SHOWS. and the sunshine and gentle rain that
p, auickened into life and beauty her rugged BOSOM
!, and before ALL he loved the wild freedom Of UNI
tutored nature that reigned in her borders -
: Treason to Vermont was in his eyes the unpar.
donable sin lie actually obtained the passage
f of law in l77S, providing, not for unprisonig,
but for crpeRmg from The STATE, any persons who
should be proved to be 'inimicaln To Vermont.
f lie wanted the soil of Vermont rid of the pollu-
ton OF their footsteps! Hustle EN- out - was
: his remedy for treason against the Green Noun
I tain State and keep 'sm ont No convicted"in.
4 Imicals,' under his code, could ever return to
@ the State they had dared to dshonor, without
n special license first had and obtained from the
D., Governor and Councl"-thus ran the law allu.
If led to. lfthey did, they were to be whipped on
=, the naked body not exceeding 500 lashes,"
St But we are running away from our topic. We
~ concur with the author of the letter TO the Err
10 press in regrettng that no full and authentic his
=, tory of the life and services of this singular anC
n. celebrated Vermonter has yet been given to tn
= world The few we'll known and widey-repeat
= ed incidents and anecdotes that are ailoat con
l.. corning him arc, TO a connected and systematic
narrtive of his whole career what the "disIec''
~ membra" are to the sound and perfect man The