Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-02-09

tary vocabulary were Winfield Scott and
Phil. Kearny and General Twiggs and Col.
Jack Hays. The Grants the Shermans, the
Johnst0ns, the Lees, were unknown to fame.
Nor had the journalism Of the country been
penetrated by such strong names as MantOn
Marble, and Wbitelaw Reid. and Murat Hal
stead, and Horace White. DR. Holland, and
not Samuel BOwles edited the Springfield Re
publican. John Russel Young was reading
proofs for Colonel Forney; and Croly and
Conant were barely ont of school. Dana was
an embryo hHerdteur, and had, perhaps little
thought of becoming a war secretary-a man
Of action and business-to burst finally into
the gorgeous newspaper suntlower OF to-day.
The Duykincks and Parie Goodwin and DR..
Griswold held possession Of the critical cita-
del in New Y ork; and the old Home Journal
with Morris and Willis, was a real literary
power in the land. Porte Crayon was lion;
and Miss Flora McFlimsey made sensation
as great as the leathen Chiuee, and much
more substantial and better deserved. 1t was
fashionable in those days TO discuss Poe and
the Raven. There was Bohemian set who
were going to establish new religion iu liz
erature and set up ne' school, IN the exc
eution Of which purpose they drank great
quantities Of beer, and smoked great pipesiull
Of tobacco and wrote ell manner of odd rhymes
irregular and funny as their own lives
until there came a sudden flash and smell Of
powder and when the clouds blew away they
were all gone, like the goblins in the Castle
Specter.
a queer old peaceful time When MacCau
lay wrote chat letter to Riyes Of Nirrinia, and
predicted what came to pass very speedily,
all those pens flew into an indignant passion,
and his l0rdship got himself thoroughly re-
buked for daring to cast an aspersion upon
the perpetIity Of American liberty and union.
Websters famous peroration was immensely
popular; aud indeed for the matter Of that,
it might be proftably reviewed now in our
school and debating clubs, though the sug-
gestion is beside the present writing. Edward
Everett represented our iGeil orator; and
Maud Muller was as familiar a character as
Victoria WOodhull. We had not Colonel
James Fisk, IT,, but we had Captain Isaac
Ryndcrs; and what a sensation Paul N0Tphy
and his chessmen raised u be sure Char
l0tte Cushman made Meg Ncr.lies almost as
popular as Jefferson has made Rip Van
Wlnklc, Forest and Murd1ck were ilv0Tites,
old Bnrton carried all before him in comedy;
John Brougham trollei of -quibs and bur
losques and extnvc3nza- ly the yard. and
all the girls were in love with Lester Wal
lack Bret Harte and John Lay had not put
on their literary pinaiores, nor joaquin Nil
Ter his war paint. Bundy, dreamless Of an
American Pal Nall gazette, read law in
Wisconsin Howcls was the deuizen of an
Ono village, and the brave boys of Frank
lin sgu-rs wore 1i-tie clara +hor- ror rha VII
of Rochefort and the billingsgate Of Brown
low had not united in the pencil Of Mast. In
literature, in art. in science, all were crude,
initiative, simple. commonplace, provincial,
almost rural Why, Maurice Strakosrh was
considered a trst-class pianist and John 2.
Cough made people cry.