Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-02-17

Correspondence OF the Free Pres
ERzRoon. TURSEY, Dec. 20. 1854.
I Dear Free Prft.
Failing 90 receive two or three
numbers Of your valuable paper lately. begin
to realize how much prize it-for II il 8 trite
but true saying. that blessings brighten IS they
take their fight" If I were dependent on I'm
Gle Sam alone for the delivery Of ny postal mat
ter. should be tempted to ferret out the culprit
who thus cheats me Of my dues, and give hin
Lesson that would prevent the occurrence Of
such remissness. But vha; can man 10 here
Who knows but my paper is nourshing some
shark in the midst ci the Atlsntic-or i. stuck
in some waste paper basket in John Bulls or
I the little Napoleon's dominIons-or perchanee
has been lost through the carelessness Of this
etfeie and rotten old relic Of Nabometanisr1 Il
would, indeed. he vili-gccse chase 10 try 10
settle the question. We can only submit to thi,
as one Of the least Of Cur annoyance.
But 1t sometimes seems very hard to DO this
Our papers ard letters are the arteries which
convey to rs our patriotic hfs-blooi You
know with what ,agerness you devour YOU "a
pers. But your papers a7y not everything to
Won Of your country IS they are 20 Us You
ersy the blessings # our glorious land every
moment-you inhale them st every breath
Your schools and churches- your happy hmily I,
relies. miniature he,vens-ihe Injuries tbs,
fIl your houses and crown your tables - the Sc I
curiy Of life and property-all these sre the
Legitimate offspring n free Christian republic. .
We here are removed from r., fragrant atmos
phere q home. Our weekly post WATTS .veet
scented gust acr1ss The .eas. which comes /
20 us as breath of outdoor air to sularit IN /
his close '-ul dungeon Withou, this weekly .
feast. cur position here would be quite intoler-
able.
Could You live here eE months. YOU would !
better appreciate the blessing. you enjoy; YOU
would better understand what you are fighting
for you would aer,e. think, that it was a.
better TO give your right sr,H or your righ, eve.
OF even your lie 90 MAINTAIN such . govern
ment A. tins. L.; me illustrate thi. POINT
little
Take che matter of taxation. You probably
feel rather sore under your prcsea, burdens.
tut they are small compared With what the
poor people here hear O-e-is1m Of every
thing raised on the soil here goes TO the govern
ment The poor man after working hard an
summer. and gathering ia bis scsnty crop-just
barely enough TO feed himself and his chiliren-
must divide with the government. These taxes
are not collected directly by the government.
but by wealthy and coli-hsartei men who pur-
chase the rgh, from the government. and Who.
IN their eKsctous. are not particular TO limi,
themselves TO oae-t,ah. The peculiar severity
Of this tax consists more IN is nature than in
its size. Il takes the bread from the mouths OF
the people, species Of burden which as vet.
thank God, you have not been obliged 90 bea-
Then there are ts1es in every other possible
form. The cotton and wheat that 20 o. Fog
lini are taxed, and the calicoes and sugar that
' tANtH Tug .Ail NI rance EFt LtAfNl--Nltn- /
ou, the slightest discrimination in favor Of the /
b 81 gooi Of the people, and very seldom with
Eisest reference 10 the best interes; Of the GOV
'rnment Nor is this all At the entrance OF o
Every highway 10 the city, isA guard-nouse c. a
'upied by police officer. who follows to the
us'om-house every poor villsCer Who has a DON -.
IT,, load Of wheat to sell, and does not relea,e n
nm until the government has taken its share. ,
very poor nan that spends several DAYS N C.
citing and bringing to market small load o, =
1ean wood, must share his meagre profits with IA
ne government Every pair Of shoes. or stove =,
r Washtub made in the city. cannot pass the te
uard-house into the country. without the prop =
certificate showing that the duty has been u,
aid You can have little conception to what 0,
D extent this oppression is carried. Ii
And what do this poor people receive in re- ~
I'm from the government Nothing worthy .,
mention. !, does not build road. or bridges lic
establish schools for the mass Of the people I'd
does not give security to life and property u
'boeries and murders sre frequent. and It i, -
4
re 'h't the government does anything to pre- AL
nj them. The only secure method Of travel nh
g Is to go we'll armed and in plenty Of com ie
ny. Justice i quite unknown to the courts '''
less It should chance TO be on the side Of tb ,yt
ATHEIST or most powerful ltigant.
A. resus of this state Of things. the peopl, lol
utterly without earthly blessings-the,r con. RI
ion Is one Of abiect bondage They have III r'
10 eat except the blacklist and hardest ana d.,
rsest Of bread-made Of wheat or harley nc,
y live in stables With their cattle-swarm "a
with fieas and lice-full Of filth and into, 'oli
bic odors. They are but single rrad, ut
We their dumb brutes. The meanest slaveo. md
dirtiest beggar IN America. knows more q, me
fort than the msss CT the people here en-. 'nd
mp
III {
thout the glorious institutions Of our free mn I
stan republic, We would be in the sam, CON
''ion Are they not. then. worth PAVING Linz
and fighting for. at least for little tims iiin'
Yours. &c.