New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-09-22
FROM THE GREEN FOUNTAINS.
Correspondence Of The ". Y. Tribune

Correspondence. Of The N. Y. Tribune
WhLLINGPoRD, Vt, Sept. II, 1851.
There is in Western New York an obscure tos
named Ogden, unknown TO fame, of little account
in the affairs of the great world, yet of mighty i'm
portance to your correspondent as the spot of bis
nativity. From this memorable locality which
visited on my return from the West, designed to
address you letter. OF course, every one Of your
wat multitude of readers would have been deeply
interested to learn that was born here in prm
tive log house, that as baby was distinguished
for being unusually fat and cross, that the sister
whs bad the care Of me one day grew so
discouraged that she set out rashly 10 deprive the
world Of my future BY feeding me to the pigs. That
was afterward a thousand times sOrry she didn't,
especially when sent to school III the brick school
house. to the savage masters and mistresses OF those
days. How ! was there punished on an average
twenty times week, IN variety OF ways; over
the knuckes with ferule; over the ears with tur-
key.qus and wbaleboDe; over the head and
shoulders generally, and over the patched part of
my trOwsers particularly, with anything that came
bandy-strap rattan, switch, arithmetic, cane,
dictionary green birch seasoned in the fire,
hanG boot or slipper; holding out straight
heavy pile of books with one hand; sitting on
nothing with my back against the wall
standing and holding down nail on the floor with
my aching fore-fDger; hanging by my tied-up thumbs
to the stOveppe, my arms stretched up to their ut1
most above my mise rable head, and going through
with many similar tXcruciatiDg performances which
were sport perhsps. to the tyrants, but very much
like DquisitOral torture to Inc. How / kept on
growing no better very fast under tins treatment,
falling out with the teachers and in love with the
girls until the arrival of the school Of teachers,
Iol;o | u
transformed as by miracle from an altogether in
eorrigibe pupil into Obedient and stdious.
All this you have lost in consequence of my fail.
ure to write that letter. Exquisite bits Of senti-
ment too you have Understanding the old
homestead passing into the hands of strangers; the
remensceDce OF the terrible deep, dark, mysterious
prmeyal forest within stones throw of the house;
the unfathOmable gloom, out OF which the coon
whnneyed and the owl hOOsed at night; the awful
sound Of the winds passing through it, roaring 30
nightly, tossing the great bOughs; recOlectlons OF
the orchard, cutting my name upon the trees, har
vest time raking after the load in the bayfield,.
sliding down hill in Winter, or breaking tracks
through the drifts; the sight of the poplar tree by
the pump opening food of memories; riding the
horses to water: the cattle drinking out CT the
trough at noon; the Katy -did's Summer evening
song; and hundred other things which it squte as
well on the whole to leave uDwrltten, seeing they
could not, after all, interest any other person ~
much as they have interested me.
Leaving last week this sacred maternal soil-nOt
as left il on the occasion of my first adventure into
the untred world, with my eyes filled with tears,
my pockets with seed. cake my heart with hope and
aspiratiOn-but with philosophical GOODNESS shaking
hands with my friends, ] turned my accustomed
face eastward. On the earlier occasion to which |
have alluded, quoted Byron
&" Here's sish to those who love me-
And emile TO those hate,
And whatever sky's above me,
Here's heart for every fate"
Zines which thought very high spirited and poet-
cali: but On the latter occasion | do not remember
quoting anything but the commonplace truism, that
the cars would not wait for me.
In this rail-Iiding age it is but step from West
ern New York to the hills of Vermont. put my foot
upon the ears there in the morning and OF here at
night. My arrival was IN time to witness the Yer
mont election, of which YOU have published the neat
result There is but one party here worth men-
tonine Let no one be deceived by the number Of
competing csnddates-they are mostly Of the saEe
pOlitics differing only some minor local questions.
A solid subs.ratum Of Republican sentiment under
lies all unmportsnt distinctions OF opinion. There
is generally but serious Administration man in
plsee-nainely, the Postmaster. He is always tx.
ptcted TO be of the political complexion End temper
amept prescribed by bis Office imbibng his patriot
ism with the milk of that sms national nipple His
Democracy is usually of the negative sort-yery
mild quiet and nofiensye. He stands with his feet
m the mud but he does not throw 1t. The people
tolerate bin, and see and think for themselves.
Not for nothing do they walk these lofty hill. and
breathe the electric mountain air. They plainly
enough between Freedom and Slavery that great
.uf fixed hut filed with deceptive dough. They
behold the Administration laundering in that dough,
and they are aware that no industry skill of po-
political bakery can ever convert that s)lt, sdne-
awe. Democratic substance into safe and stable
around. An old farmer, describing the dealings of
the South with the North, said:
They remind me of the bargain OF the man
who came 10 nv house To sell b.rries lie had
two quarts. and charged eight cents quart. My
wife didn't much want the berries, but as he said
he'd Ike some dinner and would allow twelve cents
for it, she concluded To trade. She asked Whist
he'd hav,. and be said he guessed he'd take some
berries and milk. So she left the berries on the
table, and put on psn u milk and loaf o. bread
aloug with EN-. Well, Sir he eat up the bread
end milk and all but handful of the two quarts Of
berries. When they come to settle, he in,lsted on
the original terms o. the bargain, ald when she
paid him the four cents, be wanted The rest of the
berries to top off with. That, Sir, Is just the kind
of political barter the South expects 10 make with
the North; and we've been blg fools enough AL
along to let EN- have things their oSn way
IL there net come truth Ia The lisdrahon
A FreeHen's Meeting, a. he Vermont election j,