Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-02-15

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t!"
Thus they continued to fan the fame till Sat-
urday, when the plan for mobbing was matured
and executed thus
Deacon Stones foreman, Ham, young man
OF giant size and strength, was selected as a
leader, to be accompanied by several Others, who
accordingly in the public street, in open day,
with canes or other weapons attacked Mr. Chez
yer, small-sized, infrm and feeble man, who
besides being clergyman, was professed nom
resistant, knocked him down and repeated their
blows till interrupted by others. The excite
ment through the whole town was electrical and
universal, and was not quellcd, and scarcely re-
ceiycd any abatement for several days The Of
fee of the Landmark was attacked, and an at
tempt made to burn it down; even the editor of
the Landmark seemed greatly intimidated, and
as an excuse, denied that he had ever read the
dream" before it went to press. ~.---As.-
4 Up to the next Wednesday, not newspaper
had taken any notice of this extraordinary and
reprehensible movement except the Boston Re-
corder, which barely and timidly mentioned that
there had been such an excitement in Salem and
iutimated that possibly the agitators were carry
ing matters too far
The Lynn Record was published the next
Wednesday, four days after the attack. The
editor, before writing on the subject, reflected
moment with heavy heart on the criminal cow
ardice, and remissness Of the newspapers in pas
sing unnoticed such an act of violence and
breach of the public peace, and the heavy re-
sponsibility which might fall on him alone; and
reasoned with himself thus-ShaHI do my duty
on This trying occasion, or ingloriously shrink
from 1t, as all the others haue donc7 WILL DO
Ir-'Jiat justitia, ruat coelum."
With these views after deciding to publish the
Dream, in spite of all tho threats of prosecu-
ton, he sat down and wrote nearly a column
and half, viewing the subject on all sides, and
treating the representations and arguments of
the Salem papers, sometimes seriously, some-
times ironically and scientifically, and in such a
manner as to make them appear irresistibly and
in high degree ridiculous. This leading edi.
torial, was headed "a The Salem Outrage" thus
throwing the responsibility on the town of Sa-
lem, and not merely on Ham and his comrades
as the Salem journals had declared that the peo
pie were of one mind on this subject.
The article is too long for insertion here, bu
something of the style, manner, and spirit of il
may be seen in the brief extracts which here
follow:
THE SALEM OUTRAGE.
The ancient town Of Salem seems destined ia
be the seat Of violence and disorder. Another
instance of daring outrage, unparalleled in thit
part of the country-of personal and savage vi
olence, an assault committed upon clergyman
in the open street occurred in that devoted town
on Saturday last, which we hope will meet with
merited rebuke. As lawless violence is lifting
up it its head in various forms in murders ,mobs
riots, and personal assaults, let the supremacy
of the law be proclaimed, and its salutary col
receives dealt out with an unsparing hand
Our boasted liberty is getting to be farce
our Bill Of Rights, dead letter.
The ostensible cause Of this outrage I'VE under
stand, was a communication, published in Th,
Landmark of the 3lst ult., in the form of Q
dream or aLegory, which we have copied inte
this paper, entitled Enquire at Deacon Giles
Distillery," )" which was supposed by some to al
lude to certain Deacon in that neighborhood
who was distiller of New England rum. This
however, appears to us impossible.
The "dream" appears to be q highwrough
and highly ingenious fiction, full of imagina
tion, clothed in bold and fgurotiue language
If it applied to any real person and CASE
there really did exist, in this age of Temperance
reform, deacon Of Christian church, who ha
taken from the hungry the staff of life-whos
employment was converting wholesome articl
Of food into liquid poison. on an extensive scale
and dealing out destruction to his fellow being,
for money while one and another of his own fan
lily and friends are falling victims in the geners
ruin-who then, to cover over the glaring ini
guilty of this Internal traffic. added the hypot
ricy of selling bibles alse-(rum aud bibles J.
the fury of the people in that casually peacefi
town." we are very sure, would be directe
against the vile destroyer of his race, the run
selling deacon himself, and not against tho e.
emplary christian, who had the commendab
honesty to tell the truth, and warn the victim
of their danger. But we cannot suppose it pc
; sible that such state of things could exist in
civilized community at the present day. "Nol
but mailman would throw about fire." v
4 must believe it dream.
! If the allegory applied to no one, then
! need feel himself injured. Whether it did,
did not, it could furnish no justification for tn
brutal attack. If it was imprudent, unjust
unlawfal, public sentiment would have correct
the error; if that would not, the la,o Douid
The newspapers and the Courts of justice we
v open to the affected party.
Is We know nothing of the "distiller' in IL
. case but we do know that rum-making, ra
selling aud rum-drinking deacons Gather Abb
10 ham } were for long time stumbling-blo
10 to the cause Of temperance--a reproach to re
e gion and the song of the drunkard.
D There may be vast deal Of courage and ma
% nanimity in selecting rufian--a giant in 8
1t and bodily strength, with savage ferocity,
a the aggressor is dsscribed) and pushing him f
If ward with ,ceapon in his hand, to attacl
'r young and feeble clergyman, whose religic
y principles. it was well known, would prevt
y any combat on his part and there, in the pr
s. lie street, finding no resistance, and being ba,
% ed by throng of his comrades, applauding
ID courage, to continue beating him, with bru