Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-07-29

We would the following were genter; yet
we cannot suppress 1t:

We would the following were gcntler; yet
we cannot suppress 1t:
From the B4Galo CootmcrceI -idrcr'iScr, JIy9.
lNuRAT.TUpE.-SO 1t Is true tnat Mount
Vernon has been sold to spccuiators. An Old
woman peddlcs canes at ten cents apiece by
the door ol Wa,hin4ton's tomb aud pretty
soon whlrigIg and swing will be erected in
the grounds, il saloon opened III the venerable
mansion, and along the plazzl, through which,
with slow and dlgnltied step, the best man Of
his are used to walk for recreation, there will
be line of smokers and tObacco-chcwerS, with
their feet up. guzzIIng mint lulcps and talking
politics " Ill the spectators be good enough
not To use tine sarcophagl IN which are the
remains Of the hero and his wife, for their
contemplate pcnny-gettug operations We
nope that they won't sell them to Blrnun.
Sell Mount Vernon. 1t is akin to that mean
spirit which leaves the resting places of our
great men unmarked and almost unknown. j
Is akin to that dIsgracrtul neglect Of ali obll-
CATION, al gratitude which has characterized
our National Legislature. This Dragging
country Of ours which glorliieS itself over lis
territory, wealth, enterprise, and cVcr-eXendIng
limits, hrs permitted its old revolutionary sold
lerS TO die In hoVelS or staryc on bcggarly
pensions; or sent them, grown old, feeble,
blind, to subsist on the cold charity of the
aImshouSc. Our Westminster Abbey, our st.
PauI's-whcrc are they? Where the mouu-
mentS to our patriots, our statesmen, our gen
erals Brars and thslle3 overgrow their
graves, or hide the mOulderlng tablets that
mark the spot. If commission for foreign
consuShip or post Office were paid at the head
Ot each, ana the whole hungry swarm of office
seekers set upon the hunt with such prizes in
i
them. The palIry spirit Of party refused
memorial to Clinton; and Legislature who
could not understand or appreciate anything
that did not belong to party, denied the tribute
which public gratitude demanded at their
hands. Congress haggles and debates over the
compensation winch some of the more patriotic
OF that miscellaneous crowd may attempt to
nuke to an old soldier, and squandcrs thou
sands IN mileage on useless, and worse than
useless mouhcrS
We'll, We don't mean to get out of temper :
but this exhibition of the remains of Washing
ton, and The sale Of gingcr-pop in his mansion
is something to get angry about.
We saw venerable man to-day who had
seen and talked with Washington. He rccol-
iectcd his stately presence and had heard the
uttcraucc Of his lips We were glad to take
The hand which had been clasped in that of the
IEthl CHI'l 10 HNlCn 10 ne III CrcSllnn incidents
Of hs life at mlldclphla-to know how he
Iycd-whIt was the manner of his home life
how ne looked, talked, and acted. W e seemed
10 be gazing ON one Of the few solitary links
that connect tins generation with great aye,
now passed away. when the venerable face
Of our informant was lighted up with the mem
lnorcs of his youth winch were thus called to
mind, anI his heart discharged itself OF It's
burden Of love aud devotion to WASHINGTON,
we could understand something of that chcr-
actcr which Impressed lis If SO ndchbly on the
age IN which le lived and ON the men who
were his contemporaries.
Congress quarrels and wastes the public
treasure IN the Capitol, under the shadow OF
the monument that begs its way slowly towards
the skies aud but few miles distant from the
scene of his death and burial. Alas for the
gratitude OF republics! The grave of Madi
son Is unmarked, and almost OBJ iteraled -
Jefferson lies amid the rank grass and the
brambles; the graves of the generals Of the
Revolution are. many of them forgotten; and
the country which they have established and
made renowned has consigned to obsCurlty the
memories OF those men whose lives were
marked by her lngratitudc.
ra3- 1t is announced that the humorous y.
!. Lantern has gone out. 1t probably
laughed itself to death.