The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-03-14
Editorial Correspondence.---No. 4.
The Presidents Veto and SPeec h-Ben-
ninGtOn-Its History, Manufactu lures
q nj sfefr-Frre library o. nc.
BEyNno1oN, Vt, March %, 1906.

BESSHG1oN, Vt, March %, 1866. ;
In passing over the railroads from Chi
cago 10 this point, l found the Presidents {
veto and late speech the common topic Of '
All Republicans stand by {
Congress and disagree with the President
While some think the objections made il
the veto message to the unlimited power
placed in the hands Of the President by the
bill, aud the want Of any provision for an
appeal from the military power TO the Uni
ted States Courts, hold good, and should be
modified by Congress, Vet the feeling was
universal that IN his late bad tempered,
and undignided speech 10 the COpperheads
Of Washington, and 10 unpardoned rebels,
be had disgraced the nation and the posi-
ton he holds. Nor j. il forgotten that, in .
spite Of the mOdesty of the President as TO I
the exercise Of power he has already as
sumed in the reconstruction OF the rebel
liOus States. much greater authority, with
out consulting Congress, than that confer
ed upon him by the bin establishing the
Freedmens Bureau. The attempt to charge
Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner and
the Republican members OF Congress, with
desire of assassinating him, is considered
beneath contempt The only hope express
ed was that il was drunken speech and
not q sober one.
During the last campaign, the New York
Herald, by its support Of Lincoln, obtained
many Republican subscribers IN New Eng
f land, and the circulation OF the Herald
I Tunes aud Tl1Juue, IL about the same in
this locality. As the two first are support
7 ing the President, there is some difference
Of opinion expressed but in the end the
liberty loving ireemen Of Vermont Will be
/ found shoulder 10 shoulder with Con
gress. But 10 excuse Is offered for that
speech. without precedent in the history Of
/ the country. Andrew Johnson, Of 1850;
/ Andrew Johnson. in the Senate Chamber at
the opening OF the rebellion, hurting deli
ance at Davis Toombs, Stephens and their
/ traitOrOus compeers; Andrew Johnson, IN
| Tennessee avowing myself the Moses Of
1 the Freedmen. promising thy life and infu-
/ ence TO the oppressed; be myself again.
I Exercise the spirit OF evil that holds pos
session. and be true to thy pledges and TO
/ freedom
Bennington Is the oldest organized town
ship in Vermont, and was settled in 1904,
I by u colony from Westfeld Massachusetts.
/ Charmed alike by the beauty OF the nat
ural scenery, and the fertility OF the soil,
the colony rapidly increased in numbers
and wealth, and this town Tor forty years
controlled the State. Here was the home
Of Ethan Alien, the Revolutionary imper-
sonation Of courage. tenacity and reckless
F bravery settled under New Hampshire
grants, given by Benning Wentworth, then
/ Governor OF that colony, from whom the
/ town received its name here was the
headquarters OF the brave Green Mountain
/ Boys, who upon the North resisted Canada
invasion, while upon the West they bailied
the often repeated attempts made by mill
tary forces sent by, and backed with the
authority OF the State of New York, to
wrest from them their homes. Here still
stands the Old Fay tavern, whose sign post
was the support of a stuffed panther, with
teeth grinning defiance to the New York in
vaders. Here at this post many victim
was tied and received the beech seal " so
called. which was the carrying out OF the
usual sentence of two hundred lashes with
beech rods, when the unlucky victim was
On --ial tbraa ,ilou 70 no Ior1or NTH e+riot
orders not To return under pain of death
The victim was usually satisfied with the
first application.
Like most New England towns, the first
settlement was made upon high hill, long
known rs Bennington village now called
Bennington Centre, a larger and more pros
porous village having sprung up a mile east
ward, where large manufacturing interests,
supplied with first class water power. are
now in operation In the Old village Won
still see the houses Of the Fays, Fassetts.
Governor and General Robinson, Governor
TichenOr, Deweys and others. who made
most Of the early history Of the State Up
on the centre Of the village green, stood the
battle of Bennington, August 10th, l777,
General Stark, with small force was a
few miles away. sending his troops across
the stream and up steep bill, against l, 200
Hessians and as many Indian allies, with
that memorable speech. " Boys whip the
British to-day or Molly Starks a widow "
In this church the women and children were
assembled III prayer meeting. sailing upon
the God OF Battles to save their husbands
sons and brothers. and to preserve them from
the scalping knife and tOmahawk And, /
after that battle the old Westinghouse was I
the prison of hundreds Of captured Hes
SLAMS and in pits in the old church yard /
many of these hrelings, dying from wounds /
and disease. sleep calmly in the foreign |
ground.
Bennington is the largest manufacturing /
town in Vermont, and makes the largest |
returns of incomes OF any other town in the |
State, though the population, about 4,5OO, /
is much less than that of Burlington or
Rutland. With her knitting mills, potteries, /
wadding mills. cotton factories, ochre /
works. square and cork factories, paper .
mills. machine shops. fOundries, powder .
mills, &c. the town IS now prosperous and .
wealthy. In lis natural scenery il is unsur-
passed by any town in New England and is
30 miles from Troy, only an hours ride By
railroad. Its many mountain views, its pure
air and water, and its location so near Troy
and Albany. IS making this town, among
the Green Mountains, 4 great place OF re-
sort for invalids and pleasure seekers during
the summer months. On the east Is the reg
ular Green Mountain range. on the south
west a noble isolated mountain, known as
Mount Anthony, on the south high range
Of hills running across from the Green
Mountains to Mount Anthony. and on the
north q range Of Mountains or high bills
running east and west, known as the Ia
comic range. This little valley. thus embes-
Omed among the hills, is sheltered from the