Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-08-27


takes, and it is 10 be regretted they are too
seldom on time. All history proves them
the hardest class of men in the world to re-
form, fromGallileo down. They have seldom
hitched along in the progress of the race un-
til forced by the logic of events. The reason
is obvious,-not that they are bad men.
They embody, to large extent, the religious
elements of our nature, and it is admitted on
oil hands that our religious predictions and
prejudices, whether right or wrong, are the
strongest and most difficult to be overcome of
any in the world.
Before taking leave of the creeds of the
fathers, We give for the consideration OF
Old School the retort of the old Indian
Chief upon the Missionary, who had been en-
deavoring to vindicate the ways of God to
man, upon the principle of partial election
and reprobation, quoting the case of Jacob
and Esau in confirmation thereof. Now"
said the chief:
GAS you be white man and learned, too,
And we be Indians and ignorant, too,
Me want you tell us what to do.
Now here be squaw have two twin boys,
Both just alike-one just as good as pother,
| One she feed and cloihe him fine
| Puts wampum on him and make him shine.
| The other, me cau't tell why,
She give him nothing and let him die.
| Now" said the chief, what is to be
done with this bad squaw 20 To which the
Missionary replied, "She ought to die, she
is murderess-go, hang your squaw
Then replied the chief with nod, '' Go
home and hang your God "
Old School thinks US derelict in our duty
as son of New England, and rebukes us
sharply for applying the term "grim-vis-
aged - to certain class of ministers of the
stamp of St. Hugh. We trust this class of
ministers is growing beautifully less. and
we hope the time is not distant when our
adiectlves will become entirely obsolete as
applied to ministers. But now we submit
that when we had acknowledged the honesty
of these " solemn-toned y ministers, and ex-
tended to them our charity, whether
"sneer" was the right word in the right
place. Sneering and charity don't mix
we'll
We are not willing the term " grim-vis-
aged " should be applied to .' that great and
good man," referred to by Old School, who
did go much foz our little town. We knew
him, as near neighbor, to be genial, COM
panionable man, who could tell a good story
) and, if need te, crack joke. He could go
barefooted, with his pants rolled up to his
knees, and swim in the river like duck. A
stranger boy met him once, and inquired of
another who that was. He was told said
he: " He's got an ugly looking eye There
was snap and fire in that old eye. This uni
versally admired, and to some extent, almos
,oorshippod man, was not entirely free from
sectaran exclusive ness in the early part of
his ministry, as we have the best means Of
: knowing. But he was progressive man.
and came to acknowledge before his death
the capabilities of human nature. He was
mpbatically good man, and his name and
fame will not soon be forgotten.
1t will hardly do for Old School to claim
the clergy as entirely uncompromsing In
: principle even within the last fifty years.
He cannot have forgotten Southside, Adams
and other Doctors of Divinity who were
ready to compromise with the trafhckers in
human blood. But, now, admit the clergy
of the last century were good men, admit all
Old School claims, that New England is the
most beautiful spot in the world, that our
: own Green Mountain Vermont is the very
: garden of Eden, that our evil and religious
: institutions are the very best in the world,
t an / the clergy have been the procuring
: cause, still with all the potency OF their in-
T huence they have not been able to suppress
s the foolish, ridiculous practice of dancing
= Men and women pluck the forbidden fruit
: dance on and dance off the fearful precipice
Y have denounced that a sin which is not sin
o they have warred against nature. Instead
IL of trying to reform the abuses OF this health
II tul and innocent amusement and creating a
d healthy state of public sentiment, they have
5 gone to one extreme and denounced it sin, g,
while the votaries of dancing have gone tc
"a the other extreme and made it SO. Wha
5, we want is the medium bet we en- the two ex
1t tremes, the use without the abuse. Ii ouI
e religious teachers will lend their influence Il
N this end, in our humble view they will b
'e lar better conservators of the public morals
E. as relates to this practice, than they now are
j. The evils OF dancing with ell its abuses ar
y not drop in the bucket compared with th
is fashionable folly and wicked extravaganza
se of female dress at the present day. Look u
st our fashionables, with twenty-five yards Q
le silk or satin, padded and puckered. rufie
T. and h)unced.. trizzled and truzzled, with
u camel's hump upon their backs, ornamente
with elegant hangings, with huge roll o
horse hair twisted up top OF where thei
at brains should be, and a cabbage leaf top G
ne that, looking more like flying dragon
CT than Millions woman when 'unador ned
de adorned the most Pious mothers an
'g daug gLters spending months time workin,
ce babys salrt with hundreds Of dollar
TO worth upon their persons, while the poo
O. heathen are all going down to hell an
eo damnation forever for want of little timei
70 aid. Oh, Oh, let US turn aoay'
80 Here we are, worlds people and church
ca members mingled and commingled together
us Ministers preach to US and pray for US, au'
10 yet wo presume Old School don't even thin
VI of withholding the amenities of life
~ from us at the same time he is shocked 8
g, the idea of dancing l am told the millinel
of Paris have invented arts and other d,
70 vices whereby unreal graces and spurior
a. charms are successfully imposed upon credr
az lous men," We hope our American wome