Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-05-14

eptaph for my text, and endeavor to explain its
meaning, and collate the accompanying circum-
stances.
Among the events Immediately preceding the
war of the Revolution, which served to show
the feelings of the mass of the American peo-
pie, and prognosticated the impending struggle
none has been buried in deeper obscurity than
that which occurred at Westminster, on the
night of the 18th of March, l775. There may
be in this audience some to whom the facts con-
nected with this incident are familiar. 1t may
be united in the minds of few with the mem
ory of the venerable grandsire, who, with his
descendants gathered around him,
"Wept DER his wounds and tales Of sorrow DONE
Shoudered his cru,ch, and showed how fields were
Won"
or, who, during the long winter evenings, would
depict in his own expressive language the scenes
at Bennington or Saratoga-scenes in which he
had borne part in his youth, and on which he
ever loved to dwell as the great eras in his own
life and in the history of his country. To 9TH
ers the words "Westminster Massacre may
convey but little meaning beyond their etymo-
logical Specification.
In the month of October, in the year l774,
the 'non-importation, non-consumption, and
non-exportation association" was entered into
by the Continental Congress, at Philadelphia,
and was hailed with JOY by the people. AL
though the measures therein declared had been
adopted by the other colonies, the Provincial
Assembly of New York refused to give them
its support. There was, nevertheless, strong
party in the province of New York. who were
in favor of reform. This party was repre-
scnted by the Committee of Correspondence, as
it was called, of which Isaac Low, of the city
of New York, was chairman. A letter had
been received in Cumberland county (of which
county Westminster was then shire town. in
the month of June previous, written by this
gentleman in behalf of the committee, in which
the late tyrannical acts of the British parlia
ment were detailed, with the effects produced
by them, and the evils to which they were con-
tinually leading. The supervisors of the coun-
ty, to whom the letter was directed, not enter
tanning views accordant with those therein con-
tanned, or, as it was elsewhere expressed,
Through ignorance or intention" kept the
communication q secret until the September tol-
lowing.
AT that time Captain Azariah Wright, of
Westminster, and DIR. Reuben Jones of Rock
ingham, an adjoining town, having been ap-
prised of its contents, took care to sNead them
far and near, and primary meetings, having by
their advice been previously held, congress
was notified to be held at Westminster the 18th
of October following. At the appointed time
delegates from twelve towns assembled in the
County Hall. The session lasted two days.
The committee who had been appointed to take
into consideration the letter of Mr. Low after
stating in preamble their surprise that Amer
leans should be deprived of the great right of
calling their own which they by their own in
dustry had honestly acquired; and that Great
Britain should with impunity say she had a
right to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoev-
err reported eight resolutions, declaratory of
their loyalty to the king, so long as he should
prove true to them, in defending their rights
and privileges, but denunciatory of the acts OF
Parliament, by which the blockade of the port
of Boston had been commanded, and other un-
just proceedings countenanced The fourth of
these resolutions, which was most decided in its
expressions, was as follows "Sensible that the
strength of our opposition to the late Acts [of
Parliament consists in uniform, manly, steady
and determined mode of procedure, we will
bear testimony against, and discourage all riot
esKo 'Y8BYYhitGHpeS W tfRed ynneGsssary m9bs, which
harmless individuals; but endeayor to treat
those persons whose abominable principles and
actions show them to be enemies to American
liberty, as loathsome animals not fit to be touch
ed or to have any Society or connection with.
That the latter part of this resolution wa:
adopted and put in force by the constituents o
some of the delegates who passed it, is evident
from the following circumstances.
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK