The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-02-01
Western Correspondence.


DEAR REGISTER
The most prominent topic of con.
vcrsation just now is, the great and sud
den change in temperature, which took
place few hours ago. Yesterday, du-
ring the whole day, the weather was as
bright aud warm as We have it during
the month of June. 1t was a real sum-
mer. The wind twas from the south
west, and in a few hours tho rain do.
seconded in torrents. 4 thousand little
streams swcllcd into rivers, and only
ono universal bog was presented to the
view. The wind suddcnly changed to
the north and variation of more than
GO degrees took place in less time than
| shall be in writing this letter. Now,
it is most bitterly cold the icy wind
whistles around every corner, and has
frozen up the whole landscape
The trial of the Bedini rioters has
closed The State failed to make out
anything criminal against them, and to
the great JOY of their friends and the
community generally, tho accused were
all set free. The whole company then,
deeming themselves grossly assaulted by
the police, Immediately appealed to the
public at large for fluids and at once com
nonced prosecution against tho police
department, including the Mayor and
Judge Of the Criminal Court. One
hundred policemen were served with
wrts in due FORM aud the whole crowd
were marched into the court room and
placed on the prisoners bench The
plaintiffs engaged sCmc of the kocncst
lawyers this region can afford and the
eager multitude were called in TO hear
the fun. Col Chambers, great in black
guarding, and Judge Walker, the crafty
advocate in the Martha Washington
case, have been raining down upon our
whole police operations all the rdicule,
and sarcasm, ard contempt, their volublo
tongues can utter. The examination Of
witnesses has now occupied one whole
week, and promises a whole week longer.
The developments that have thus far
hcen made are certainly astonishing.
They indicate an amount Of villany
and barbarity in the department to
which is committed the keeping of the
public morals and public safety, that is
absolutely surprising.
1t is no longer wonderful that the
miserable wrctchcs who arc daily brought
from The cells of the Warehouses; are
covered with bruises and filth. Knight
specify instances that would lead one to
doubt whether our good city had ever re-
ceived any Of the refining influences of
civilization or not The most prominent
impression of their proceedings seems to
be THAI when they 20 up to man to ar.
rest lin and take him to the watch
house, the first thing they do is to hit
him on the head with their maccs. and
knock him down, without waiting to as.
certain whether their victim is designing
to resist, or capable Of it, indeed The
feelings of the community are so much
against them that many Of them have
left the department, and among them
Mt. Lukcn, the Chief of policc.
Among the notablcs monopolizing pub
lie attention, / must not forget Madame
Sontag, the distinguished songstress.
Her advent to our city was hera!ded by
free concert on her part to the pupils
Of the public schools On the day mp.
pointed, about two hurdrcd pupils, COM
prlsing the two highest classes, in each
of our eighteen districts, together with
all the pupils from the two high schools,
assembled in the National Theatre. This
place was chosen because it was the only
one large enough. Imagine about 1000
youngsters, from uine to seventeen years
of age in their best attire, filling all
the tiers Of this theatre Madame S.
sang four songs, and was then presented
with boquets from lad, and a miss with
appropriate remarks, on behalf of the
schools, The whole mass of pupils then
broke out into one Of their songs. with
words adapted to the OCCASION and to
my mind far cclipscd the prima donna
in her own field. The affair on her part
was a humbug. Her artistic music and
her German and Italian words made her
performance TO Inc farce /, for one.
protest against this importation of for
clgn music, whose great merit is per-
lection of artistic finish when our own
native simple production is so much moro
congeuial to an unyltiatcd taste for mu.
sic Yours, X.
THE MrsIcAI REPosIToRY.-This is
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