The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-03-26

Georgia and Vermont.

in consequence of the Anti Slavery pro.
c%livities of the latter, is an crent at least
in the history of the times. 1t seems
too bad hat the President should be
called upon to send a body of Irishmon,
with directions to dig around the "thing"
and float it into the Atlantic and it
would be still worse. if the suggestion of
friend Walton, Of the Waterman, " to
make sail for the coast of Georgia."
should be followed. Tho people who
stir up matters after this fashion must be
the same individuals who have contem-
plated digging away the Island Of Great
Britain, in order to widen the Atlantic
Perhaps if that state could raise so large
a force in the shape of Irishmcn, it would
be a good plan to employ them nearer
home, after tho manner Of Major Starkie,
whose case may be within the rccolIec-
ton of many of your readers, as reported
among the agricultural experiments Of
the day.
This gentleman. who resided in Geor-
gia, undertook the gigantic enterprise of
retaining one of their shallow lakes,
or it might be some 4" dismal swamp" in
that state, covering several thousands of
acres, and succeeded in bringing it TO q
high degree of cultivation, and constitu-
ting a tract Of immense value, wholly
through the agency of these same Irish.
men. If the man who makes two blades
Of grass grow, where but one grew be-
fore, is justly deemed a public benofac-
tor, Major Starkie certainly deserves bet
ter of his fellow citizens, than the per-
sons who had the chivalrous daring to
drive away the white-haircd and vonera.
bic Judge Hoar, of Massachusetts,,
though accompanied by his daughter,
when he went to Charleston, to test the
constitutionality Of the law authorizing
the Imprisonment of colored seamen
while vessels lay in their ports. Thoycer-
taiuly need not fear anything treasona-
bic or disorganizing from the gallant lit
tie Green Mountain State, and it is not
very courteous to bestow such treatment
upon her, upon such slight provocation.
1t has been customary for more than
twenty years for Vermont. at the close Of
each session of the Legislature, to pass
Anti Slavery resolutions of a moderate
stamp, aud in this both Wings and Dem
ocrats cordially united, though, as the
majorities upon other questions usually
averaged, it would not be strange if the
latter were a little suspicious that the
responsibility would eventually rest upon
their innocent associates.
Now, custom has required that copies
of these documents should be sent to the
other party in such cases. for the reason
probably that legislative bodies, as we'll
as private individuals, claim the privi-
lcge Of exercising the courtcsics and
mcannessos of life ITO use the language
Of the discriminating Mrs. Parting
ton. Vermont once made an effort TO
repeal the clause in their IIabcas Corpus
act, which is supposed by some to con
fIct with the Constitution. but so many
of the members understood it to be the
| opinion Of Chief Justice Royce. that it
might be as well to let it stand as it was
until IL trial should show wherein it was
defective. it failed of passing by about
two to one. 1t is possible Southern pco
pie may be unwilling to trust the qucs-
ton in this way in the hands of the de
scendants of Judge Harrington who once
ruled that the ouly admissible evidence
of ownership Of Slaves, was a "bill o.
sale from the Almighty II
Vermont has paid Georgia, in hei
early history, a high compliment, anc
one not to be found in the case of any
other state, in naming one Of her town,
for her southern sister in the coufede ra
cy.andi i! is no small honor that the Hon
Alvah Sabin, member Of Congress, hail:
from there, and that it is also tic bril-
place and early home Of the late Walter
Cotton, Chaplain in the Navy, who,whcr
the territory of California came into pos
session Of the United States, held the of
fee of Alcaldc, or Chief Magistrate, o
Monterey. This gentleman in oficia
capacity made the report of the first dis
covery of the gold mines, to our govern
mcnt. While the documents which affJr,
abundant evidence of his ability ant
craftsmanship, are to be found in thei
proper place at Washington, we trus
that as a christian and philanthropis,
i" his record is on high" His thrc'
years in California" is a book of rare in
~ierest, containing. like Dana's Tw,
years before Tie Mast" much in refer
ence to the peculiarities of that country
and Bayard Taylor mentions the plac
where the constitution was signed, a
Monterey, at " Cotton Hail. large an
handsome edIfcc, built by convict labor
during his administrations glance at tn
individuals who have represented Yer
mont, abroad and in our halls of legisla
ton, ought to satisfy oil concerned. tina
they have nothing unreasonable to appre
hend at her hands, and that she is to,
" candid, and generous, and just u to dis
turb the tranquility of the nation. X