Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-12-15

whole, we side with the Presidents conclu-
sion on the matter.
The recommendation to pass a law to re.
fund certain duties to British subjects in
order to meet those which have been rcli.
quished to the Americans under the Recipro-
city treaty, is fair aud proper one. The
one to give notice to Denmark that VIC will
end our treaty with her, because VIC ought to
have II better ono ON the subject of tho
q Sound dues" or get rid Of them alto
gcthcr-that for some further protection by
law against svindling collcctors--tha for Il
further reductionoi duties-that for u small
increase Of the army and some reforms in the
scryice-that Of similar purport for the navy,
and for some additional laws to protect lives
and property at sca--complcto the list of pos
tive recommendations in the message. We
believe.
II seems there is some trouble about boun-
darics on the Northwest Coast. (Our nation
seems to be unable to make a treaty with
Great Britain which does not leave some
= .
gcstion is made that it would be a good thing
to have some money appropriated to settle the
matter, and extinguish the rights of the
Hudson Bay Company there, if it can be
done ON fair terms.
The longest chapter in the message is about
tho bombardment Of Greytown, and it ls the
most discreditable one in the entire message,
as we view it. 1t reminds one of tho argu.
ment OF pcttitogger who is trying to clear
bully from punishment, when he has been
committing an outrageous assault The die
tortion of the facts, according TO all state.
ments, is remarkable The conclusion Of tho
argument amounts 10 this The Captain Of
the Cyanc made u staggering threat fully
expecting the Grcytowners would be- afraid
and do as no bade them. But they paid no
attention to 1t. and If he had not burned
down the place he would have had to come
away with a flea in his car and that was quite
lnadmissiblc Besides, other States, stand
ing in the very front Of modern civilization, ="
have done just as bad and worse too Out
upon such scandalous justification as that
Of course, not hint is dropped about who
is to pay for the damage
The President is evidently clatcd at tho
rate in which the Nation is getting rid Of its
wild lands under Cobb's Graduation Bill II
the bill can only be amended so thut the
lauls can be sold for Sir cents an acre, they
will 60 faster yet lie ID getting doubtful
about giving them away by millions to rail
road companics-und tries to shuttle hi.
change Of opinion of under an implication
that he was not exactly understood last year.
We wonder why the President did not say
something about the happy influences which
arc already flowing from the passage Of the
Kansas and Nebraska Act, and detail some Of
the measures which he had put into propi
tious operation under it to promote the prin-
ciplcs Of freedom and popular sovereignty in
that region. lie must have forgotten it.
What is said on other topics in the mes
sage is of no particular value any way, and
as to the regular dose of talk about the noble
trust committed to us by our foreiathcrs-our
sacred obligations to the States and to the
lnion,-our duty to do equal justice to all,
and wrong to none and all that sort of
thing, which Franklin Pierce seems to have
a special fondness for-though his prcdeces-
sors INDUCED in tia great deal We are sick of
it.