The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-10-16

of Vermont from the claims of. New York,
the endorsement Of the validity of the New
Hampshire charters, under which Our carly
settlers claimed and held tito to their
lands, and which are the origin of the
good titles to oil tho landsln Rutland coun.
t. to-day. More than this, in such ON
event the facts stated BY, the soon to he,
Governor Chttcnden could not have exist.
ex, because our settlers would have had no
military service to perform, while Great
Britaia would have furnished us troops to
protect us from all Of our then foes, as
well as from the "Cnited Colonies" The
overturcs were actually made, not only to
leading men in Vermont as individuals, but
to them as representing the state, and were
rejected. The letter, above quoted from,
demonstrates the patriotism that actuated
our fathers in their determination to take
their staud with the other colonies for liber-
ty and independence, no matter what the
cost or sacrfico--yei the letter would never
have been discovered except through the
NiiVANo VI lNNNl lll0NVi ibhrs 'Nihiphi
ers, under Ethan Allen, "took Tcondcro-
ga thus striking The first blow for the in
dependence of the United States. They,
too. gave the first strike which ended in
the final blow which actually secured that
independence. The surrender of Burgoync
was the beginning Of the end &C the war for
independence, as was the battle of Gcttys-
burg the beginning of the end of the wal
for the suppression OF the rebellion, We
have an original copy OF Burgoync's de-
fence, made in England, in which he gives
| the moving cause Of his defeat in an cx-
| tract from one Of his former letters, as fol-
lows THE Hampshire grants in particu-
"lar country unpcoplcd and almost
unknown in the last wnr,"-that is the
French and Indian war--''now abounds in
= the most active aud rcbcllous race Of the
" continent, and hangs like n gathering
. storm upon my left"
u is these 'unconsidercd trfcs" that go
TO make mp the history not only Of the
state but of the nation. Probably 10 man
ever lived in Vermont whoec biography
and history was ever deemed go interesting
and important as that Of Matthew Lyon.
The history Of Vermont, Kentucky or
Arkansas. Of journalism, of Congress, or
the whole United States. could not be cor
rectly written without 4 Knowledge of his
life. Tho career of no Vcrmontcr has ever
been so closely investigated or scrutinzcd
as his. There was a reason for this. too,
beyond that which pertains to ordinary
lives. He was identified markedly So
in the early history Of our state; was act
i've in the formation of our institutions;
deputy secretary Of the governor and coun-
Gil clerk of the court of cOnfscation !;
member of the general assembly year after
year; judge Of the county court; member
of, or delegate to, Congress from Vermont.
Kentucky and Arkansas; publisher and
editor of one of the first newspapers both
in Vermont and Kentucky; one Of the
most prominent victims to the odious alien
and sedition laws, and only securing him
self from almost perpetual imprisonment
by his quick action in declaring himself on
the way TO Congress; and numerous other
events and positions which have made him
marked man in our country's history. A
diy or two ago, we stated reasons why the
probabilities might be against the recently
alleged fact that Matthew Lyon was, at
ono time, a resident of Wallingford, and
Ian t,,t II.
doubtful point in his history would be in
vestigatcd and set at rest in connection with
the Wallingford centennial Pliny II.
White, one of the most painstaking, labo-
rious and minute students of Vermont's
history, had located him in Arlington and
Fairhavon, and there alone Governor
Hall and others were Of the same opinion.
Our Investigations, which had been some
what minute, were to the same cffect we
had examined the early records of Wal.
lingford for another purpose, or upon other
points, to be sure, and had not noticed his
name. Yet, after all, we were all mista-
ken. The extracts from the town records
of Wallingford, furnished by cur cores.
pondent, ~. L. H." seem to place this
matter beyond doubt. Matthew Lyon aoas,
for some time, a resident of Wallngford,
and represented that town in the convcn-
ton Of July Fl, 1776, and must have been
there resident when he was cashiered for
his abandonment OF the post at Jericho.
This discovery throws grave doubts upon
other matters and dates, which were con-
sidered we'll settled, in Vcrmonts early
history, aud presents field for the most
minute search and inquiry. If the Wal
lingford centennial had accomplished moth.
ing more than this, it would have been of
great advantage to the future historian of
the statc-for the full, minute history of
the state is yet to be written.