Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-05-16


A GLOOMY But Truthful PIcTURE-We
love and admire Kentucky. The natural
character of her people is frank, manly and
generous Tho history of her early settle
mcnt is history Of heroism and manly
achievement. The pioneers of Kentucky were
brave and honest They have left to their
children an honorable name and glorious
inheritance.
But in an evil hour, they permitted few
of their fellow -citizcns to introduce into the
green hills of the West class of degraded
and ignorant laborers to employ them in com
petition with their poorer neghbors. In
new country labor is scarce. The owner of
slaves could plant more corn and tobacco
than the man who had only his own honest
hands to rely upon. The farmer who worked
men without paying them could undersel the
farmer who had to pay for help. Gradually
the poor man became discouraged and dissat-
isfied. Gradually the rich man became rich
er and more avaricious. The poor man want
ed schools for his children. Slavery wanted
no schools lie wanted the society of his
equals Slavery despised him because he
owned no Slaves. The Slavehoders 8 wife re-
fused to associate With the ioborer's wife. The
planters daughter refused the addresses of
the laborer's 8 son and the visits Of the labor
ers daughter, except in some instances, and
then the planter grieved with bitter lamenta-
ton. and sadness to see his own children fall
into the arms of that ignorance his peculiar
institution had created. The noble equality
of early Kentucky life has disappeared. So
ciety is divided into classes, with bitter pre-
judices and opposing interests. The Slave
holder despises the Slave, the Slave despises
the Poor White Man, Except where each
sees that the system makes them both slaves
alike to the same mastery the Poor White
man regards both as his natural enemies
what is the consequence of this unhappy and
unnatural division
Go where you will over the beautiful un-
dulating surface of Kentucky and you behold
deserted farm houses falling into decay. Eve
rywhere you meet the long professions of
wagons laden with household neces essaries, of
cattle, of horses, of sturdy farmers with their
wives and children, all vending their way to
the Northwest, but among these professions
you never see q negro. Kentucky spurns the
best blood Of her children. She hugs the ne
gro to her bosom. There are. indeed, process
sions of negroes; disgracetul and scanjalous
professions; handcufled and lettered, with
fearful eyes an1 sorrowful countenanccs.
These victims of barbarous and bloody dcs-
potsm march sOuthward to the music of their
own chains. Their feet keep time to the
death march of their withercd hopes, of their
murdered joys, of their despairing memories.
Torn from their families and severed forever
from the scenes OF their humble pleasures and
early associations, with no hope Of re union
they go to the pcs,iterous swamps and dense
forests Of the South west, to work in gangs
beneath the lash Of the brutal overscer, till
fever and excessive toll put an end to their
suiferings.
The PERILs OF LIsriNG.-A clerical char
acter in the ''Lost Hunter n recent popular
American novel, thus illustrates. the danger
of the doctrine that one name is as good as
another. The anecdote is veritable incident
in the experience of worthy bishop of the
Episcopal church:
"a couple who brought their child lately
to me to be baptised did not think so, at any
rate. | inquired what was the name chosen,
when, to my astonishment. | heard sounds
which rcsembled very much one of the titles
bestowed upon the arch enemy Of mankind.
Supposing that my ears deceived me- | inquir-
ed again, when the same word. to my horror.
was more distinctly repeated. 'Lucfer =
said |, to myself impossible | cannot bap-
tise u child by such a name. | bent over
once more, and third time asked the ques-
tiOn. The answer WAS the same, and repeat
ed louder and with an emphasis, as if the pa
rents were determined to have that name or
none BY this time my situation had become
embarrassing, for there was l. in the presence
Of the whole waiting congregation, standing
up with the baby in my arms, which, to add
to my CONSERVATION, set up a squall as if to
convince me that he was entitled to the name.
My bachelor modestycould stand the scene no
longer; SO, hastily dipping my fingers in the
font, and resolving he should have good
name. as opposite as possible to the diaboli-
cal one so strangely selected, baptised the
infant George Washington. ! thought the
parents looked queerly at the time, but the
rite was performed, the baby had got an ex
cellent name and | was relieved. But conceive
if you can, my confusion, when, after service.
the father and mother came into the vestry
and the latter bursting into tears, exclaimed:
ooh, thir, what have you done lth girl
18th girl, and you've called her George
Washington My poor little Luthy, my dear
little Luthy" Alas , the mother lisped, and
when ! asked for the name, meaning to be
very polite, and to say Lucy, sir, in reply to
my question, she had said 'Luthy, thir,
which | mistook for Lucifer. What was to
be done | consolcd the afflicted parents as
well as ! was able, and promised to enter the
name in the parish registry and town records
as Lucy, which did; but for all that, the
girls genuine name is George Washington ~
from the Knickerbock-.l
We purpose to initiate the reader into the
mystery Of Silent JOSH 1t is terrible
ceremony, and calculated to 'unman the stout
u