Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-06-28

SCRAP OF HISTORY.
There ere various kinds of friendship.
There are friends whose love you learn BY
unselfsh help rendered in your time Of
need and friends whose friendship you
discover only by their own announcement
when they want your vote. The Caugbna-
waga Ship Canal enterprise has had its
friends who have given it their interest
and their best help early and late and it
has friends who suddenly burst forth as
such, when they come up for Office and
want the votes Of thuse who want the
canal. There was candidate for Gov
ernor, during the late canvass, who was
very anxious for some help from Chitten-
den county, and who was thereupon an
nuunc,d, lu one oil his organs, as great
friend Of the ship canal. A. he had not be-
fore been known as such, and as the people
Of this city and vicinity could not recall any
thing he had ever done to help the canal
project. they did Lot tnthuse very extensive
ly IN his behalf on this score. lie went
under as a candidate and We hear no more
of his eyertions in behalf of the St. Law
renee and Lake Champaign route of trans
portat'On from the West
There is candidate for the nomination
for Congress and those who were shouting
for Sprague and the Canghnawaga canal are
now hurrahing for Barlow and Caughna-
waga. We feel some interest in that great
project. ourselves, and we like to haze it
gain friends; but We fear that the friend
ship of the would-be Congressman, like that
of the would-be Governor, is rather thin.
There have been times in the history of the
enterprise when Bradley Barlow's active
exertions and great wealth thrown into the
scale in behalf of the canal would, perhaps,
have ensured commencement of the work
of construction of the canal. If he did any
thing to help forward the canal at those
times, We never happened to hear of it.
Running over, ia mind, the history of the
enterprise, we haze recalled the time when
the Legislature oi Vermont was induced to
express an active interest in the scheme. 1t
was in 1865. The subject of the ship canal
had been brought before the Legislature by
Gov. Page in his message. In due time the
following joint resolution was introduced:
Fhereas. The rapidly increasing commerce be-
tween the rastern States and the Northwest Is |
hear
ton and whereas, slso, certain mutual privileges
are nov enjoyed by both Canada and the United |
states, touching navigation and transportation,
which ought on the part the two countries to be
insured into rights therefore,
Resolred By the Senate and House Of Repressnf1- |
tires
That 4. by treaty or otherwise, the free naviga-
ton OF Cana dian waters and the OF the Cana
dian canals, by the shipping Of the United States,
upon the same terms by Canadian and British |
shipping, ana the iree transit 10y land OF American
merchandise acrOss Canadian territory can be Sc
cured in exchange for Ike privileges to Canadian
shipping IN our waters. and British and Canadian
merchandise over our soil, senators and Repre-
sentatiVes IN Congress urged TO use their in
nuence TO bring about such arrangement and
IN such negotiation TO secure. il possible the con-
suuetiun OF chip canal connecting the ST. Law
renee with Lake Champiain and that our Govern
ment, IN case the State Of new York will consent
thereto, ofer, IN exchange therefor. to enlarge the
Chsmplaln Canal 10 the same proportions as that
which snail meet the st. Lawrence and Lake
Cnamplain, AMI allow the use thereof upon the
% me terms as are imposed upon American ship
ping.
RssOlrtd. That the Governor Of this state be and
is hereby requested t. transmit copies OF this
Joint Resolution TO the Governors Of Maine, New
Hampshire. Massachusetts Rhode Island, Conrec-
ticut New fork, Pennsy ANA, OHIO. Indiana, IL
HnOls, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota. and Iowa; |
also Copies Thereof 10 the Governor General Of |
Canada and the President OF the United States
Here was piece of important aid render
ed to the Caughnawaga enterprise in a time
of need Bradley Barlow was then in the
State Senate. Was it to him the friends Of
the enterprise owed the encoua cement and
aid secured by this expression of interest
Not at all. The man who drew and in
troduced the resolution was GEN WILLIAM
W. CIRCUIT. lie supported it in an able
speech, from which We shall give some ex-
tracts another day. The resolution had the
active opposition, in the House, of Mr..
Hunt, the St. Adams member, who fought
il by speech and vote; and it was opposed
m The Senate By Bradley Bdrlo,r, the St.
Albaus Senator. But it passed both House
and Senate, in spite of their opposition. The
friends of the Caughnawaga Canal knew,
then, who were their true friends, and they
have not forgotten them. We are glad il
Mr.. Barlow is now in favor Of the ship canal
and we are only afraid that his sudden in
lerest in it will evaporate as suddenly after
July 9th. Bat when the citizens of Bur
lington and of Chittenden county are asked
10 support him on the score Of his newborn
interest IN this project, their reply will be
We prefer to keep our votes for Gen. W. W.
Trout, the old and tried and true friend of
he enterprise, who helped it by word and
.ct, when he had no selfish end to gain, and
Who can be trusted to stand by it through
hick and thin.