Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-09-18
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Notes and Comments.

and die out before the march of civilization
viz, the trout, the Indian, and the white pine
tree. But why is this? Of the decrease Of ..
the trout, writers and others have said " floods
have washed them away" they are caught
out by the multitude of fishermen" &C., while
the floods in the times of the early settlements
were as great and as frequent as now-while
the natural fishers such as the mink, otter, fish
hawk, &C., were tenfold more plenty, and while
the pickerel, perch, &c. have greatly multiplied
with the clearing up of the country, nowith-
standing the increase of fishermen. Of the In
dams it is said that they dwindle because they
have contracted the vices OF the Whites-be-
cause they have been conquered and their spirit
subdued,' &c, while the Saxon race, though
conquered one, have grown with and probably
outnumbered their Norman conquerors, and
while the American Slaves, though doubly con-
quered and spirit broken, are actually multiply
ing faster than their masters. Of the white
pine tree it is said that, being valuable kind of
lumber, it has all been cut down and used up.
while all other valuable forest trees,:as the ma
pie, &C., unlike the pine, are everywhere yield
iEg a second growth as fourishing as the first.
| Not being satisfied with any of these theories,
we will suggest ono of 1t is well
known that a wilderness or continuous forest
furnishes a far greater supply of oxygen air than
a cleared country; and may not the Organlza-
ton Of certain of the animal, as well as veget-
able creation, be such as that they can only long
flourish without that proportion Of oxygen which
a forest covered country produces? If so, may
not this mainly account for the certain decrease
of the species of fish we have named, and per-
haps, also of some Of the quadrupeds, such as
the beaver. May it not likewise account for the
well known decline of the Indian race WHEREBY
|, er the country is much opened2 And why
should not certain vegetable organizations
like the pine, of which no Furnishing second
growth appears, be included in the same categO-
y? II any have better theory we should be
happy to see and consider it.
u LOsING's VERSION OF THE DEATH OF MISS
MCRAE.-Losing, in his "Field Book Of the
r Revolution" work still in progress of publica-
ton, gives, on the word and memory Of an old
!, lady, in New York, descendant of the McNeal
family, with whom Jane McRae had been liv-
ing, an entirely new version of the massacre Of
that lovely victim of savage ferocIty. He makes
it out that Miss Nc Rae, instead of being slam
by an Indian chiet was shot by one of the A
merican scouts. This is not only extremely i'm
probable, but in the face and eyes of all the ev-
ldence collected, in both the opposing armies,
at the time, and the authority of all conemPora-
, neous writer's. Gates instituted a thorough
investigation of the facts attested by witnesses
OF the transaction in his camp immediatel y af-
ter the occurrence, and then made the charge
contained in his well known letter to Burgoyne.
Burgoyne then likewise instituted close inves-
r tigation of the affair in the British camp when
I. he replied to Gates admitted the massacre by
the Indian chief, and said he would have at
once had him executed, had he fBurgoyne) NOT
really thought tina. the interests of humanity
would suffer less by foregoing, than inhictng
the merited punishment. Would Burgoyne
/,
have made one so triumphant if he could have
replied to Gen. Gates" Sir, the murder you
complain of was committed by one of your OWn
SOLDIER" Again it seems to be admitted on
all sides, that Jane was scalped, and her scalp
/ carried off and shown by the chief. Now did
anybody ever hear Of an Indian scalpng per-
son slain by others? Never! 1t is against
\ their code of war and honor. But these consid-
: erations are not all we would present to show
the entire falsity Of Losings version. Before
Mr.. Sparks wrote the life of Benedict Arnold,
t in which he details the facts attending this me-
morable massacre, he visited the region where
it occurred in search of any new evidence that
might be found on the subject He there found
an old soldier who was one of the very scouts,
on whom Losing charges James DEATH That
soldier affirmed, with all the minutia of descrip.
ton, that he saw the whole transaction, saw,
from his covert few rods of, the chief kill Miss
, McRea, scalp her, and shake the scalp in tri-
umph at his rival chief who had first taken
charge of her. Mr. Sparks then visited Gener-
al Morgan Lewis, who, having been in Gates
army, present at the investigation above named,
and, we think, at, or very near, the place of
massacre at the time, fully confirmed the old
soldiers account, and established beyond dis
pute, the old and only true version of the death
= of Miss McRea. These facts, Mr.. Sparks re-
: peated to us but few weeks ago, in an inter-
view we had with him at Cambridge, on this and
kindred subjects.
I A RELIC OF THE MAY FLowER.-Our intel
t ectual friend and patron, DR.. Thayer, of North
field whose tastes for scientific knowledge are
not limited to professional atainments, has in
possession a small circular table about two and
a halt feet in diameter, of solid mahogony and
of the curiously carved workmanship of the old
eu time, which was brought over by one of the
Puritan famil les in the May Flower. We ex-
amined 1t, among other curiostes in the Doct-
) or's Office, not long since, with great interest
, as well we might; for what could be more cal
culated to start train of interesting and proud
reflections in a New England mind than the
sight of an article thus connected with that nest
egg of nation-the noted May Flower!
The London Times speaking of the late
census in England, says:
1t is now shown that during the last