Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-11-30

artillery was the signal for the beginning
of the march, and the vast crowd moved
through the city to the roar Of an i'm
mense 'hurrah y intended to announce the
certainty of its victory over the opposite
party. Up to this point the scene had
been at once joyous and imposing but
the national spirit was soon to overflow,
and to produce the most dramatic incl
! dents Their adversaries, the Wings and
the Know Nothings were posted at every
window and every doorway, and at every
corner of the streets, replying by groans
and Kisses to their cheers for Buchanan
Women and children joined eagerly in this
noisy warfare, whose spirit is so conta-
gious. Hostile cries and insulting words
were speedily followed by blows, and the
fight became general along the entire line
of the procession. A torrent of projectiles,
of every conceivable sort, poured down into
the streets from the windows of the houses.
Nothing was to be heard but volleys of
| oaths, the crash of broken windows, the
report of reyolyers, and the stir and roar
of the dense multitude, closely packed and
half drunk. Irish shilelahs were crossed
with Know. Nothing ingots producing ar
guments of the most persuasive character
on both sides. Regular discharges Of fire.
arms now took place, these 'pistolled dev-
ils,' to borrow an expression from the sat-
ire Of Menipus, carrying each complete
arsenal in his pockets The delightful
prelude to the barbecue had reached this
exhilarating point, when skilfully direct
ed fire was brought to bear on the carriage
of the political leaders from the windows
of Wing dwelling. A terrible shout re-
spondcd to this attack In another mo-
ment the door of the house had given way
under the pressure of the crowd, every
thing it contained was broken to pieces,
the house set on fire, in less time than it
takes to describe the scene. The fremen
now made their appearance, completing the
| work of ruin, as is the custom in this
country, in case of fire, by throwing all the
furniture out of the windows. 1t was in
midst of racket and confusion, Of which
my pm is unable to give an adequate idea,
that we made our way out of the city and
into the prairie which was to be the scene
of the dap's sport.
a barbecue pronounced barbhiou)
a primitive banquet, in the grand Homer
il style, held in the open air. Hogs, kids,
bears, oxen, all whole, were roasting at e.
normous fires, strung upon spits as big as
carriage-poles these spits being kept in
movement by cranks turned by negroes,
while negresses basted the roasts by pour.
ing over them the contents Of regiment
of great buckets. The air was laden with
the smell Of roast meat. Pyramids OF
loaves were piled upon wooden benches
and numerous improvised bars displayed
the many fantastic drinks which the Amer
leans invent, mix, and consume by means
of tubes of straw Foremost in favor a.
mong the delicacies ofth day was the classic
gom5aud, whose mucilaginous substance
was simmering in vast cauldrons of sugar.
In this Agape, whose guests were number
ell by thousands, and who. apparently,
were not minded to nourish themselves
merely with poll ical enthusiasm, all the
culinary preparations were made on a
scale altogether Titanesque and the ele-
ments of good cheer were farther reinforced
by innumerable tables offring the charms
of cards, billiards. raps, poker, lansquenet
and other games of hazard, of which the
Americans are more desperately enamorcd
than any other people. The players staked
their money, their slaves, their houses,
their horses-and would doubtless have
staked their souls, if the devil had cared
to take up the bet. In score of cockpits,
surrounded by ardent amateurs, valiant
featherod cho'"pians were tearinp zach
other to pieces with claws ana uuaas. =.
little further on, host of little terriers
were fighting with rats, hundreds Of which
| were thrown into the arena, where they
fought with indescribtac courage, inspired
by the impossibility of running away. But
the attractions of these scenes of carnage
Weld to those of the fancy Several
couples of boxers paraded the rings and
maulcd one another scientifically, to the
lively satisfaction Of the 'bullies' and
'bruiscrs' who passed judgement on the
blows. 1t is needless to speak of the bets
which accompany these exciting episodes
Of barbecue, and in which many for
tune is seriously dilapidated, by the over
powcring enthusiasm called forth by the
exploits of a cock, u rat, terrier or a
boxer.
"All this time the orchestras are execu-
ting the most popular airs, producing with
the various noises of the crowd q deafe-
ming did, which is only put stop to by
the signal for the Pants grulistic banquet.
A sight worth seeing was the onset of the
attlllions of this hungry army upon the
Cyclopcan roasts, switch they tore to pieces
in a twinklinc, and devoured almost as
speedily. Never did the carcasc of a buf-
falo disappear more rapidly under the at
tacks of flock of famishod vultures on
the solitary prairies of the West :; and I
was amazed at the achievements Of a Seem
ing-frantic appetite which made one think
of the similar exploits recounted by Ra-
belais and Cervantes. Every other sound
was hushcd, and nothing was audible save
the cnergic mastication of the multitude
which filled the vast savannah for these
people never speak when they cat. They
do not, like US, perform simultaneously
these two important operations.
"According to tho phraseology in vogue
on these occasions, the assembly, having
amply satisfied the wants of the body, ga.
thered round the hustings, to satisfy the
< wants of the mind 1t was now the turn
of the 'stump-speakers,' and never could
l more pitiably. poverty-stricken lucubra-
tions have been put forth on a more mag
ni6cent stage than that afforded by the
green arena in which this strange drama
was being enacted, under the shade of a
4 grove of glorious magnolias, their dusky
c foliage starred with fragrant blossoms-the
most poetic Of canopies overshadowing the
delivery of the most wretched platitudes,
: outburSts of cheers, shouts of hear. hear =
e hideous Choctaw yells, piercing war.
4. whoops singing sarcasms, impudent cal.
umnies, and libellous falschoods, degra.
ding personalities which are tolerated by
=. both parties in the political conflicts ol