Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-09-12
BY rmEIArF FRANCIS q. FISH


w. ''
BY THE LATE FRANCIS IT, fl7h'
/ During the land and naval conflicts Will
! the enemy there were two thousand ermon
miitiamcn at PlatishurEh, under the com
/ mand of General Samuel Strong, besides the
numerous Volunteers who mustered under
| different officers as they scVerally arrived.
| The western border of the State was thus
| left almost dcfcnccless by this unpeopling
of il by its arm-bcaring citizens, and as the
enemy was aware of this state OF things.
and might suddenly turn his forces upon us
through our northern border, there was 4
very general desire that our troops should
be immediately recalled especially as there
was now ample force on the New York side
| of the Lake to rcpc any new incurslon in
that quarter Governor Chittendcn accord
inglv issued his proclamation for the return
of our soldiers to the defence OF their own
homes and possessions This was another
firc-brand thrust into the combusilblc party
material of that day which threatened Ia
hurl the poor Governor prematurcly from
his executive seat.
In the winter of lSll-1', burlington was
the theatre, or rather, perhaps, the hor0Egh-
fare, of very extensive business transactions.
A Spaniard 10y the name OF Manzuco-' ap-
tain Manzuco. as he was calied-br brought ll'
by the way ot Canada an immense amount
OF goods Of different descriptions ana values
under the Spanish liag, which goods were
said to hr regularly entered at the Collector 5
Office 1t was not unusual to see from 'o
I" 100 slclShs thus loaded, following each
other in a ''rtinuonS line; and this trade,
whether all honest or not, would probably
have made the fortunes ol those engaged IN
hlI If moi hppn suddenly chi short
by the return OF pace IN February, lSl3,
which deprived the neutral flag OF its special
privilege, and threw open the natural chan
ncls OF importation.
The constant stale ol insecurity ana alarm
which had so Ion" prevailed, "roWinS "ut Oh
war preparations and operations on the Lake
anu ir"niler, rendered the restoration
oi peace All me more welcome 10 the
people oi burlington ana Nlcnity, anu
nowhere WIS us adNeh' met WIN heart-
lcr reJoicinSs. By !hcln, TOO thc peo-
pie OF 'ahaui, ana especially thosc oi Mon
treal, were regarded as hrl"hh"rs' anu inc
prospect ol renewing ihc intercourse nom
business ana social, whlrh had formerly
suhSlsted between thc TWO places, was
source OF graduation as sincere rs the regret
experienced at It's disruption
Could the grumhlcrs at the qroeabacF ana
JFdctondl currency ol our llmes hut carry
their minds back to the period OF ISL ana
several succeeding years, they would PROB
ably ehdNTc their ''mlSerlcs win llttle
more resignation AT that day the bilis OF
the Boston banks were the gui@c bN Whlch
al oiher pahk issues were nieasuTcu- many
oi thc country banks o1 New EhSianu, as
elsewhere, were broken, anu the piiis Oh
thosc that renamed were al more OF less
ulscount, according 10 thelr supposed safety:
Inc bills of the New l ork banks, cllE anu
state, were from ~ to ~ per cent helow
me boston par ihilauelphia anu baitliilo
rom ~ TO ~ per cent ana th"Se iuIther
Hou'h had such uncertain NaIue lliat ihey
were taken II taken at all, with lear ana
trembling anu scarcely any mn was rec"iVed
without first consulting broker Bcsides
AL inns we were subject I" all manner oi
SHIN plasiers put forth by iirins ana indiViu-
uais- During the war specie was unknown
hut when That ceased, com n"wed IN from
Canada, which was almost as lnconvrnient
and veNlng as the paper currency ms com
bore the stamp, not OF Britain only hul OF
several continental governments, ana was OF
AL denominations, SO that IL could scldoih ne
passed until weighed, and its value marked
upon 1t. For several Years after the war
business was greatly depressed, OWING IN
pail /" Ihc iluctualiun and insecurity OF the
currency, employment dlihcnlt TO he OBJ
tanned, labor or service Ill paid, and The
prices OF many articles OF necessity were quite
as high as at present. How stands the
matter now: business OF all kinds during
iLc past sin or seven years has been exceed
ingly active and profitable mechanical and
other labor has been in unusual demand and
rcmuntrllivc; the manufacturing interest
has been well rewarded. and agriculture has
rcapcd rhLer harr. Il than ever before;
and although this IL not strictly a gold6H
age, except 50 far a the spectators are con
c"rncd, 1t is the A." OF y"po stability and
security an aye whcn the circulating ne
dunn is th" SAME all over the land, and
when the lakcr OF il knows tridt he is taking
ami how much he cIn buy with 1t, ana has
no fear when lir lies down al night that his
m"n,R may hc worthless IN the morning
OF The men ol Burlington, al the period
We are speaking Of. some ol them have
since brcn quite distinguished elsewhere.
Cornelius I. Van Ness, the Collector ni the .
ustoms, was afterwards Governor "l the
State, Judge ni its supreme Court, Minister
10 Spain, and since Collector OF the Port "i .
New ork- Henry fltchcock, then a .
Young lawyer, grandson OF the celebrated
Ethan Allen, ni Revolutionary memory, .
removed Ia Alabama, oi which Stale ht be
';lme Attorney General. Ethan y. lilich- /
cock, brother OF Henry, AT that time II mere
n"y' afterwards received military ednra-
non al "eslp"lnt ana subsequently rose
y Hiih h''i"r' through the various grades "i
ne seINl'r. '"a MaJ"i''rh'iaiship III inc
niied states army
me hlVrrSIly building had been used
iutihs part "f the war l"r hiriacks. IN
80 III" institution was ph'sa uhd'f tic
rcSlu'htN "l iht h'F. samuel AuSllh WIN
lew professors Inc hilinhcr "i students
"weNcr' continued small for some time
now recollect only one Of the graduates oi
his period who afterwards became known to
he general public lehudi Ashmun- lie
ecrived from the Colonization society the
appointment oi Agent to the Colony OF LII
'erll, oi winch he was also made H"V"rnor,
MI The arduons duties OF his mission were
reformed with tact industry. zeal and
leVollon which secured HIM an tnvlahlc
nd widespread reputation hut his
lhorS IN that dchlltating climate brought
nm To premature grave. lie reached his
ailvc land only to he buried in il, and "A