Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-11
NUMBER ?

would oppose them in the extensive nrov;,o,
Oh Vue0ec wish to God. Ameri
) ca would, at this critical iuncture exerr
herself agreeable to the indignity offered
her by tyrannlcal ministry She. might
rise on eagles wings, and mount up 70
glory, freedom and immortal honor. if She
did but know and exert her strength. Fame
Is now lowering over her head. 4 vas, con-
tlnent must now sink to slavery. poverty.
horror and bondage or rise to unconruera bls
freedom, great wealth, irreprcsSible f-lici-
tY and immortal fame. will lavrnv Iif. an
It that with fifteen hundred men could tax,
Montreal. Was it n rude mountain savage.
or one Ot natures born orators and noble
men who could utter such words in June
1873! Which excites your wonder mo~e the
power of the man who uttered them Or the
stolIdity of the convention that could hear
them unmOyed ? But his speech must have
risen to the level Of Demosthcnean eloquence
for thar moved even the New York Con
ventiOn.
look upon this dramatic picture As the
highest proof Of the intensity of the patriot
Ism OF these eventful times. But must not
dwell upon it. Again Allen was heard and
again he withdrew. Without adjournment
or delay, the convention ordered that -
body OF troops be raised Of those called
Green Mountain Boys, that they elect their
own officers, except field officers,
and that General Schuyler be further To-
quested to procure the sense of those people
concerning the persons who will BE- most
agreeable TO them for field officers" 1t
was az earnest, full compliance with
Allen request; fine tribute TO his per-
s0nal influence, and splendid Illustration
OF the patriotism which in those times mast
have held sovereign rule
In career - crowded with events. / can
refer to only few. Allen returned t. Ver-
mont from thecOnyenti0n, and iftrue great
ness was ever proved by human actions, he
then proved himself great man. lie had
originated the Green Mountain Bows In
military sense, he had raised them. Il was
he who first called them to the dafen,e Of
their homes, who gave them and taught
them the use of arms. From raw country
men he had converted them into disciplined
soldiers For years his powerful will
had been their bond of union under him
they had won the glory Of Tic0nGer0-a.
Ana now he had done what no other man
or men upon the Grants would have done or
undertaken to Do. llc had induced the
New York and the Continental Congress-
TO form them into regiment under officers
OF their own election He expected 10 be
their colonel; that Office his heart euvetelaS
II never coveted aught before And Vet Lv
one OF those strange iatuitie-. as incxpllca-
bic then as miracle. equally 50 now. iu
the hour Of election they forgot him. It
passed-Ssth Warner was in command or
the Green Mountain Boys, and Ethan Allen
was private citizen
II seems strange tha. he did not pr test
with all the strength Of his mind a.aias.
such wrong, or hang his head in shame
and retire TO hide his modification in some
secret place. Other brave mea in those
days made the country vocal with THEREON
plants, where their just claims wcro ignored.
Look at Arnold the incarnation of grJwi-
ing discomfort every time be was made
second TO anybody, and a traitor at last, be-
cause he thought himself neglected. Aul
then behold Ethan Allen, Mortified. no
doubt he was-he would not have been hu-
man, otherwise. Bat he wasted ID time in
Complaints Notwithstanding my zeal
ana success IN my country cause, he writes.
the old farmers who do not incline % 20
II war, IN their nominations for officers of
the Green Mountain Boys, have wholly
omitted me. find mysclfin favor with the
officers Of the army and the young men.
How the old men came 70 reject me cannot
| conceive. This by way of criticism. and
this is all. But mark the conclusion "
hope the Continental Congress Will rcMcm-
I Der me, for dcNre fy rcUqiH ig flc Serrire 80
.
/ Neglect could not drive him 0ut Of IT,
Schuyler seems always TO have been In fayJ-
with the people of the Grants. In spite of
all that criticism or enmity could d., Ae
stands ont one Of the most prominent figures
IN the historical picture, one of the most
noble and admirable characters in time
when such men were most needed. 70
Schuyler, Allen went, and was received
with a hearty welcome Schuy Ter employed
him Is volunteer, with the understanding
that he should De considered as much an
officer a. if he had a commission and should.
when occasion permitted, be placed in COM
maud
The hour of misfortune for Allen was
now drawing near. b Septcm-
Der the whole country hal become cJn-
yinced that Canada should he invaded and
Aliens advice had been adopted by Con-
! gresS. Bat IN those three months of delay
the favorable moment had passed. Allen
knew il, bat he was still hopeful, and be-
| lieyod he could accomplish much with the
Canadians 10y his personal influence; and
when Schuyler was collecting his forces for
the expedition, Allen accepted his invita-
ti0n to proceed in advance u Canada. as an
itinerant political missionary to the inLahi-
tantS. Montgomery then assumed the clm-
mand of the army ard proceeded o. iay siege
to St. Johns.
Delayed by thc resistance OF ST. johns,
the commandcr-in-chicf despatched Allen
upon a second and similar crrand. For q
time, all went well. lie went from village
10 village, as he expressed 1t, preaching
politics, and enlis;ing recruits. IT one
time he wrote in high spirits. tina. be had
two hundred and fifty men under arms, and
that they We're gathering a. fast aS he
marched. You may rest assured. he
wrote to his general, ''that within three
days | shall Join You with FIVE hundred OF
more Canadian volunteers"
Having made the tour of many villages.
and assured the people that the army came
not to make war upon them or their re-
llglOn, but upon the power of Great Britain.
in company with about eighty Canadians he
finally reached the banks of the ST. Law
renee, opposite Montreal At the village
Of Laprarie, he met Major Brown with a
force of two hundred and fifty men. Brown
proposed to attack and capture Montreal,
by surprise, and Allen eagerly accepted the
proposition. Ii was agreed that Allen
should cross ut Lungeuil below. and Brown
at Laprairio above the city, and on the cx-
change of three cheers, which We're to be
first given by Browns party. the attack
should be made. The latter agreed To cross
early the next morning and both well knew
that success could only be expected by co.
operation. Brown failed to keep his prom
iSe on the excuse Of bad weather. Alien
whom the elements had no power to delay.
crossed over and when the morning broke
found himself alone with less than a hun-
dred raw Canadians on an island in front OF
a large city. DiSlaining TO retrcatand still
hoping for Browns advance. he held his
ground until an escaped prisoner betrayed
to the enemy the weakness of the party.
The British rallied a mixed crowd of five
hundred regulars and volunteers and at
tackled him. lie was surrounded, but
fought bravey as long a. there was any
hope, but at length was compelled to sur
render upon the promise Of honorable treat
ment aS prisoner OF war.
His first experience as a prisoner had its
amusing as well as its tragic features. The
moment he gave up his sword, he was set
upon By savage. in whose face hedeclared.
appeared all the malice, wrath, death and
murder of devils His only means Of de-
fence was to seize an officer and interp0>e
him as q breastwOrk between himself and
his assailant-a difficult matter when the
T Indian was on every side at once, seeking an
opportunity to shoot him without killing
{ the BritOn. lie succeeded in whiriing him
between himself and the redskin until be
was attacked by another of those ''imps Of
hell" He then had t. increase his agility,
and he declares that he made tho officer ily
around with incredible velocity At length
a gallant lrishman came to his aid and
drove off his. .assailants Allen quantity re-
marks of this ludicrous exhibition "that IT
served to compose his mind
The conduct of Prescott. whO COMMANDED
the British on this occasion, was brutal in
the extreme. lie ordered a number Of the
Canadians to be shot on the spot, and
| actually drew up the firing party, when
, Allen stepped between them and their vic
tins. barred his bosom and told Prescott to
, take his revenge on him, for he was the sole
| cause of their taking up arms. Prescott
suspended the execution and the Canadians
were saved But he declared that Allen
should grace halter at Tyburn. and then