Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-01-20
George Chapman.

ted and given many PARTICULARS, undoubtedly, /
which it has not vouehsafed to US, Az present
it is painfully brief and leaves us no resource
but to ill out tho picture by tho help OF our
imaginative faculties, Yet the despatch Is sug-
geslive. The name, Of itself is nothing George
Chapman is quite plain, aud hardly sonorous
enough for an T. f. v For that matter, it
might rs well have been Smith, or Brown
and indeed, both Of these latter names are
of more historic fame in the Old Dominion
lhan the namo Of Chapman. But ii there were
any doubt Of his claim to rank among the chiv-
arous sons Of the Mother Of Presidents, the
fact hat he was secesh and had been striking
servant girl, would settle the question at once.
There could be 10 more room for doubt. Such
evidence Of patrilrchal and plantation manners,
Of high toned aud koighty bearing, of delicate
and exquisite sense Of honor, Of well-brod and
courlly behavior, in short,-to condenae all into
asngle sentence ,--ofan f. 7. ", isoverwhelm
ing, and cannot fail to convince any one that
Geo Chapman belongs to tho Same race now
rendered notorious, if not ilustrous, by the
Wisas tho Ietchers, and the Pryors Of secesh
Virginia.
The telegraph gives no information how Geo.
Chapman, secesh Vlrginian, happened to ba in
New York. One would suppose that, being Of
pugnacous and bellgerent character, " Sc
esh )" and native Of Virginia, all at once,
instead Of taking his meals and his dramssat tho
5th Avenue llotol, ho would DO at home dc.
Tending his hearth md homo and patcrnal acres
and patriarchal institutions from the Northern
yaRdals, who are somewhat numerous on the
sacred soil 10 be sure hs ratons might not,
in that event, have been in the most approved
Filth Avenue slylo and his drinks might have
been Of that kind which is more celebrated for
rs strength than for its excellence, and he
Northern mudsils in battle array on bis native
heather, than knocking over offending servant
girls, 10 quiet diuing saloons but one cannot
for moment believe that chvalrlc child Of
tho sacred soil would DO influenced by any such
comparison Of personal advantages and disoom-
forts, to forsake his bleeding mother IN the day
Of her extreme peril No, by no manner of
means And 20 We are compelled to entertain
tue opinion that this " secesh Vrginian - vas
stopping in New York, to be in easy cOmmuul-
cation with those stern and uncompromising pa.
triots, lloratio Seymour and Fernando Wood.
Having seen their light afar of ho had come to
cit at their leot and become converted from n
- wayward sister int re constructed Demo
orat.
Standing as the case Of the State of New
York IS. George Chapman seems to on the dry
statement Of the telegraph, we are left who'll y
IN the dark as to the counsel who appeared tor
the defence, or the very able and lucid EXPOSE
ton Of constitutional law which was urged in
favor Of the respondent, Quite likely, if Geo.
Chapman had worldly store Of goods, as lie
must have ia live in such ari'tocratic quarters
as the Fifth Avenue HOTEL that distinguished
lawyer, Prince John Van Buren,, took a retainer
from tho " socesh Virgniap,' and made briei
in his behalf With his charming simplicity
n-.--- - $500 --soer'od tnat M
client, was Maynard brother, and should be
allowed to depart in peace. lie would have
also shown that the respondent had, in lbi.
alleged offence, been guilty only OF transfer
ring to Now York his plantation habit Of strik.
ing his servants when and how no pleased
without danger from such New England notions
as statutes made and provided against such bat
tories, and unless he could be allowed to bring
this Virginia custom to New York, it would b,
quite idle to talk about living in peace mt
brotherhood with him, He would have tolC
the Court, with a burst of eloquence, that i
was idle to talk about conliscating the property
of this brother, that this course would onl,
exlsperate him and that the true way was I,
cJnclllato the" seccsh Virgininn aud repeal thC
; laws OF New York making it crime TO com
NIT assault and battery. lie would have added
with great force, that tho recent Democratic
victories in the North were only the expression
Of the popular will against all violent method
OF restraining crime, and we're the herald ant
morning star the day when the heathenish anC
savage practices Of punishing men for commit
tlng crimes, would be all given upas the poores
81 imaginable philosophy government or religion
81 And we can imagine him closing with a lofty
peroration, in which he would have shown how
the " radical course Of tho " servant girl '
had provoked the wrath of this full bloodet
son OF secesh Virginia, an left him no alter.
native, but to remain dlshonorcd in the sight o.
tho world or strike the offending female to the
= floor. Here, exhausted, he might have sunk
back into his chair and rested his clients case
It is more than probable, from tho report o
the case, that the Judge, however, was viudlc
tvolyoi the opinion that striking a servant Cir
was a crime, and tho good of the public demand
ed that such offences should DO visited with ex
emPlary punishment, whether committed by
seca'h Virginiuns, or other evilly disposed per
sons. 1t is also quito likely that he did MT, in
that opinion, consult very much the prejudice,
OF the respondent Geo, Chapman, was beyond
doubt, not oontiliated at all by the decision ssd
at once made up his mind to sccede and never
retrun to the rule Of 80 vindctye govern.
ment, prolcrrins to liycwhere such pleasant, gen
t!emNnly, dinner recroatious as striking servant
girls were not estimated according to ancient Pa
ritau standards We expect to SEQ the next N