Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-05-24

We are indebted TO Il TREND IN nelghDOr>
lpg town for copy Of a private letter from
Kentucky from which we make the following
extracts. The writer has lived for eisTen
wears or more on the Kentucky border. We
fear that Union men Of his stamp are none
too plenty in the central and southern por-
tions Of the State
CovISGIoy, KY. May, 1861.
You can think how we are situated; are In
badIplace. You will recollect that Cincinnati,
C,viugton ond Newport all surrounded by
bigh hills, and there is way Of going in or out
without climbing hill except Going up or down
the River: so YOU sec if the State secedes we are
surely in the bloody ground and if it is possible
she will 20 out, but we trying to keep her In
fit is possible thing. But we have some ef the
blacklist hearted traitors among Us; you hardly
know who to trust or when you axe safe We
have formed secret societies called Uncon-
ditiona1 Union or Union forever societies,
and none is permitted to come in except be can
can prove he is for the Union u1thou' resoUe. We
have many who sag they for the Union, but
they say if the State goes out they must 60 with
her, for their interest is here, but such men are
not to be trusted. No one who mas been where
he could smell a nlggsr will 10 to tie trusted; look
out; you have traitors there and they are every
where
You say, why don't you leave and q North
We have the girls trunks packed togo to Buffalo,
the first chance, i. we can find any that is
going that we can trust them with; and then if
we leave, and the State goes out, all We have will
be confscsted. But what Of that Let il g. 7
would rather beg from door to door, for the re-
mainder Of my days, than strike hands with trail
tors. For what s life worth in country where
| there is no law and what is the object Of the
whole traitor gang hut robbery and rapine. Oh
If you could hear some talk and tell what tdey
had seen in Southern states within the last three
or four months your blood would run cold you
know nothing about it. and ] au glad you don t.
You are among good arl true Green Mountain
Bows (the mos, Of them,) and ought o. rejoice;
but am sorry to say there are many here that
were born and raised on the Green Mountains,
that sre on the Secession side and the worst kind
they 70 to the greatest extreme. shame on their
black hearted and tratcr cowaTdico. \ that
ont stand Up far his country j, not fit to live,
and ! an sure be Is not Fl 10 die.
tur streets look like Sunday. Many large shops
employing from fifty to five hundred hands have
stopped the bell has ceased to ring The bligh; Of
Treason Is on thcdoors. The man 7 have been
with almos. eleven years has broke up and cannot
pay bis debts, and 1, with many others am turned
into tho street with nothing to do, and no pros
poet for any thing TO do. In the mex; ninety days
there will be five hundred suspensions. Men that
were supposed 70 he perfectly reliable and safe,
are ing nv the board and suddenly find them
selves without dollar The reason Is, their
heaviest customers arc In the South. and there if
Ne one that can collect q dollar from below the
mouth The Ohio river. no Northern man dares
to e. to coliee, anything So you see tai. country
l. gone 90 ruin. NJ one can tell tie change that
hes been in thirty days. Then on was 1uict y ow
martial music can be heard IN an parts of the city.
NJ one talks Of anything but war, and buyin.
arms. must get me a Maynard. Saarr's or
Minnie rife aud pair Of Colts rcvolyerE, and
then send my family into Ohio and meet the
Rebels as they come. They havc an idea We are
all towards and that one south eru man can wdip
from Eve to ten Northern men. You know
always was peace maker. But have come to
the conclusion that there must be ono general
fight Jus, to let them know the Northern men
viii fight IL good earnest. A strong secession man
told me that there were boys sixteen wears old in
the South who could whip six or eight Yankees. I
told him I was ready for ia,, or any other seces-
sionist, singc-handei, and began to strip. lie
thought 7 was armed and began TO back out. and
his friends took him away. So you see they are
towards unless they can sneak uT The crowd
we're somewhat astonished t. see me in such an at
titude. They had always looked upon me as rath-
er quiet. But another soccssiouist standing BY
says Of me-"He is one Of the praying kind" And
then said-"The Yankees, many of them, will
look at the thing first, count the cost, then look
at the cause, turn It over and look at it on the
other side, then knee down and pray, then get
up, and they will fight like the devil - So you
see some Of them have some idea Of the job they
have undertaken. But il is impossible to describe
the insults they can give. I must stop.