Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-25
A RY %, 1873.

with ptchfprk. into the river. hy tri ,fmlnt
bore the AZ Propr ate name Of Blood
Considering the geographical position o vermont
IT is well that it is inhabited by stnlwart and
martial race. II you will look at our northern
frontier, you will see that from the "uf OF 1t.
Lawrence To the Pacific Ocean the Union can 10 IN
vaded nowhere, without great diihculte-' save
through the Valley OF the Champaign or OF the
Memphre:nlgOg Lake.
When the peace of l7sl came, a new era opened
for Our native stlle. All communication with the
British provinces was cut on, and our fathers
dwelt, as II were. in a pocket. having only an
opening TO the south. This i'olation has Lett an
ndelible impress upon their cha acter ana cOtdl-
ion OF eommerce there was none. kolds were
Nv and poor, and such 4 thing as a raiIoad mai
not been dreamed Of as present poss,hlllty any
where. certainly not in Vermont ! remember
once when ! was lad. walking from my native
town 10 an acjonng one, u attend the academy
there, met an old acquaintance o, my iither
Remarking to me on the changes that had occurred
in Vermont since his bOyhoOd, said he w hen
was boy, had peddler cone along witha box
Of lOcOioco matches for sale, tho people Wou d
have hung him iO- D wizard But ] wOuldn 1
wonder II YOU might live long enough 10 see
railroad IN Vermont" In default OF railroads,
the only means Of transportation were the SIX
horse team that made their regular trip; from the
principal towns To the seahOard.
The only market was in Boston. What was sold
out Of the Stste-and it was very little-Was sold
there. All our "bCughten goods"-do you re-
member the term came ir III that city The
result was that pretty much every thing raised in
the State was eaten by its own people.
Old residents will remember the sroanins tables
OF forty years ago. We think we have before us
abundant provision for the inner man.
But let me describe to you candlc-,isht breakfast
| once had set before me ut little stage tavern
lew hours ride north Of MONTPELIER. There were
myself and the stage driver only, and We had upon
the table three kinds Of meat, two or three Of
poultry, fresh trout. three varities OF sweet
axe ,h-er or four Of pie, besides tea, coffee,
dOughnuts, and the numberless other knick-
knaeks that vent to make square meal IN
Vermont at that lime. OF course, the NerRonters
OF that dav were m rhty men of stomach as well
as of valOr. Board, | remember, was then only
- per week, including fire, lights, and wash
ins and one who should ave paid y week
would have been liable to he set down as pop
ular, that is. As aristOcratc.
OF books there were scarcely any, and ui news
papers but few. / have no doubt some Of you Will
recall the North Star, published at DanTille' an
anti-Masonic and Democratic paper, that almost
alone she'd It's light at that time upon Northern
Vermont 1t ystery and horror TO my
childhood, Tor my father was Whis ana Mason,
and, in the latter character, the object OF dlstrus
aud hatred To some Of his anti Masonic neghbOrs.
The North Star had a prlntins-press in the centre
of its heading, and this ] had no doubt, was an
Internal machine with which the tl-MasOns and
Democrats squeezed the life out OF their oppo-
nents.
| will detain you further, ladies and gentlemen,
only to say that our fathers came manly from New
Hampshire aad Connecticut that It was only the
most adventurous spirits who would abandon their
homes tor sucn wilderness a Vermont; and that
in point OF reli zion. they were Independents. not
Purtans. The circumstances | have detailed
made OF them tina sslgrc.iiut often eccentric, but
always downright, as well as upii sht people,
whom We 80 well remember. They have ever been
more distinctiyely English, or New English, in
character and spirit, than any other New England
ers.
The Vermont hills green. and the jewellers 10
cities have been wont to speak of those vino live
amongst them as green also. II this admit
ted, you would Join me in the hope that the YER
dant tint OF both might remain unchanged Tor a
years, ifupon that condition only might
ou- descendants inherit the virtue, the vgOr and
the plu .E or fathers.