Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-07-17

lay down my scythe, and TAX
up ny pen, for the purpose of Offering a few
friendly criticisms upon the late 4th Of July &C
LIBERATION at Burlington.
In the Free Press of the 10Th ult, you sent
forth the programme of the proceedings, with
the inyitation!!-'' Come, old and young Come
one, come all To which we cheerfuIly and
promptly responded, wishing to aid in ''rekind-
ling the patriotic fires of'76.'' You said in your
next issue, that you expected to 'see great turn
out Of people" Well. 1 reckon you did We
were about all there. But what did we see and
hear, WeSslw some things that were in the
programme, and some that were not and there
were some things in the programme that we did
not sec or hear.
There was the Strawberry Festival. That was
all that was promised, and more All honor to
those patriotic Ladies, who plannei that affair,
and carried it out 50 admirably But what
shall l say Of the public speaking in the park ,
We, from the rural districts went, expecting to
hear something that was spirit-stirring, some
thing that would set the patriotic irss of 80
all aglow. Never was there more fit occasion
to call forth the powers ofthe orator. There were
all the sacred memories of the patriots Of the
Revolution, the struggles of our brave boys,
amidst the heat, and dust, and carnage Of the
battlefield on the Potomac-strikins perhaps.
the last blow that was to decide the fate Of our
country.-thcre was a vast congregation. COM
posed Of almost as many different natonalities as
were assembled on thc day of Pen,ecost, all
needing instruction in relation to the great
principles Of our Republican government. which
are now being put to the test Of a-tuI conflict
with the worst despotism that ever cursed the
Earth, all. apparently, eager to hear and re
ceiye the truth,-thc glorious old fag-emblem
Of the -' land Of the free and the home Of the
brave, waving proudly over all The hour.
the right pace-was there. But alas the
HaH-the right aaa-was wanting How
happened that: With the University, and the
concentrated wisdom and oratory Of Vermont
40 Burlington, how dill it happen that the man
for the occasion was not there I mean no dis |
respect 20 the gentlemen who did address Us on !
that occasion. They are all strangers to me. |
Perhaps they lil the best they could. If 50, I
am sorry,that is ..ll / wish to be as charitable
a, possible It may he that they had been to the /
Laie>. festival and unwittingly eaten too many /
Strawberries. q viii not he so uncharitable as
20 suppose they had been anywhere else.) At
any rate they dl 200: seem to enter into the spir-
itot The occasion. The Oh gentleman. calling 4
h.r.sa,r Col. Willard. from Richmond. mot
Richmond va.) who mounted the platform, and
threw down his OH trlw hat at the feet Of Bur
lnstou gentlemen, seemed to have more Of the
spirit Of 20, than an the rest.
do not know. Ncssrs Elitors, but You. and
some of your readers viii think am a little Sc
we're. But IS there not any cause, There was
% good deal Of dissatisfaction manifested among
those from the neighboring towns in regard to
the fllins out Of this part Of the programme.
We could not help feeling that we had been
little humbucgc,I What did we care for the
balloon ascension Let that 90 down and see
if it can find the Army of the Potomac.
What dii we care for the fireworks
They are having fine fire works enough down
south about this time But we did want to hear
some good rousins speeches, something that
would stir the blood and make the old Green
Mountains quake. Why could we not have hal
them Has the spirit of Old Athan Allen del out
Of Vermont Why,when Libcrty,s being cruci-
ieI between two thicycs.-the confe-lerates and
northern synpathizers,-is il not time for some
Of the Oh patriots Of Revolutionary times to come
forth out Of their graves and appear unto many,
But perhaps your committee Of arrangements
lij the best they could. Ifso the more's the
pity. Ii, after searching the state Of Vermont
through and through, they failed to find man
physically and intellectually constituted TO blow
he siirrr trumpet ofliberty on the day Of the
nations jubilee, they should have imported one
rom abroad or gone out into the rural districts.
where they could have found men thick rs black
lcrrics. who would have blown blast on their
rams horns that would have aroused that vast
assembly to the widest enthusiasm for liberty
md right There is no excuse. there can be
zone. for such delinquency. That vast multitude !
u the Square were 'Poiiins,-not for fight
xactly,-hut for a speech | verify believe Q
ire copperhead would have been acceptable
et him ventilatc his copperheadsm fully as he
,lease,l The more it was ventilated the less {
iarm it would do.
Now, Messrs Elitors, the only apology have ,
o. offer for these structures Is this The goody \
illlgc of Burlington,-the place Of my nativity b
was dishonorcd. and I could not keep silence t
did not intend to spin out this article to such d,
rcat length when began. But it is difficult {
D. coudensc when the Thermometer is at 90 and c
yer. Indeed, was like the man who had not
inc to be short.
close by proposing three hearty cheers for v
hose patriotic Ladies Of the Relief Association
tho did so much to uphold the honor and pa h
riotism Of my native village and feeced me Of p
~ last rcd cent, to my great satsfaction.-
''Long may they wave - and a tiger for your
,mous bee man who amused and instructed us ;
luch on that sad occasion, we should :,
ave gone home feeling like man who had been F
ling his belly with the Eas; wind, "
Jew. il
Charlotte, July 7th 1868 d