Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-11

| PiONiHCt " unite Win them IN their pur-
pose to live free, or not a: all, it is an un-
disguised apology for taking possession of
the Forts on Lake Champlain. it was
dictated, " say the Congress, - by the great
law of self-preseryation. These forts were
intended to annoy us, and cut off that
friendly intercourse which has hitherto sub
sisted between us. We hope it has given
you no uneasiness, and you may rely on our
assurances, that these colonies will pursue
no measures, but such as friendship and
regard for our mutual safety may suggest. y
Three days later, moved by the aggressive
energy exhibited in this northern quarter.
they resolved, that no expedition ought
to be undertaken against Canada, by anv
colony or body of cOlOnists," and trans
mitted their resolution to the commander Of
the forces at TicOnderoga, to New York and
the other colonies bordering on Canada.
But while this conciiatory, ready-to-halt
policy controlled the Continental Congress.
Allen stood here on the border, proclaim
ing that the day Of negotiation had passed
and the time had come for aggressive move
ments. His policy was neither cOnciliatory
nor concealed. lie expressed it in three
words. . Take Canada nOlcr, lie saw
then, as clearly as the whole country saw
ninety days later, that Canada was the
| place where the death blow could be plant
ed on the front of British power in Ameri-
ca, and that the seizure of that province
was the shortest road to American indie
| pendence. lie was OF Sir BOYLE Roche's
/ opinion that the safest way TO avoid dan
| ger was to meet 1t face to face" Congress
must have known Of the disafection Of the
/ Canadians, and how easily they could have
been induced to join the other colonies.
/ They knew by bloody experience, many
| times repeated, that the royal road of in
vasiOn lay through Lake Champlain. That
| the patriotic members Of that body held
/ Allen back, proves the strength of the tie
that bound them to England. But they
| could not silence Aliens appeals - Lake
| Champlain,' he declared, - IS the KEY of
| Canada or Of our own country" . The
| key Is Ours as Yet, and if the colonies would
| push an army Of two or three thousand
men into Canada. they might make a con-
| quest OF all that would oppose them -
| would lay my life on it, that with fifteen
/ hundred men | could take Montreal. '
- The object should be pursued, though it
/ should take ten thousand men " Our
| friends in Canada can never help US, until
we first help them.
/ Mark the prominence and the wis
| dom too, Of Ethan Allen. upon the
threshold Of the revolution. He is the first
man IN all the colonies u suggest the inva-
sion of Canada. IIo stands here alone,
urging it with all the'cnergy of his ringing
words and emphatic pen. Every man with
/ whom he comes in contact, cOnfesses the
wisdom OF his advice and Joins him as an ad-
Vocate. On the other side, the New York
and Continental Congresses. with all their
craftsmanship, declare that Canada must
not be invaded. When Canada was unpre-
| pared. and the people were in sympathy
Wlth the popular movement, they declared
mat Allen proposal was rash, inconsistent
aud premature. Within three months after
wards, when she had been reinforced. when
her militia had been organized. all her
I powers Of resistance consolidated. thev con-
scntcd. by that time the whole country con-
cede1 the wisdom of Aliens views. They
were adopted and Canada was invaded.
The result Is a matter Of history. | cannot
improve upon the words OF one Of Allen :
biosrapher>, II his advice had been needed
when 1t was given, there can be no rcaSona-
I bic doubt il would have been successful.
Its failure may be ascribei more To the
watering sentiments and tarly motions of
Congress, than to any defect in the plan or
m the manner of its execution" How
many years oi war Its rejection cost the
American colonies We may never know.
y the summer wore on, the opportunity
for active movements in the north went by
Benedict Arnold had enliveneI the small
l1tce here, by his perpetual quarrel about
rank, which he carried with him every
where, but he was finally suppressed after
some exerci>e0f his latent talent for treason.
and had quilted the army in disgust The
Connecticut Regiment had garri>1ned Ii
conderoga. and the temper Of CongrcS. in
diclted that unless q new spirit wa, infused
into Its members. il would sanction no ad-
vance to the n0rthwari. Allen could never
remain inactive. lie had no sooner turned
over his command to Colonel llinman, and
got him peaceably in possession. than he
determined TO impress his views upon Con-
greSs 10y a personal appeal. He bad written
them letters which had never been answered
But he was not to be satisfied by silence.
and within few days himself and Warner
were at the doors of Congress. His errand
was brief and plain It was TO procure the
recognition of the Green Mountain Boys as
part Of the continental army and authori-
I ty % form a regiment and then-GsiHdG cSt
/ Carthage Canada must be invaded.
{ His position must be kept in mind. lie
/ had been the open and fierce enemy of
I New York, and by that colony, the most
I powerful in Congress, he was regarded as a
rebel. In fact at that moment he was under
various indictments. But his soul was
/ bent on independence. and he did not stop
| for one moment to reflect, that the business
{ upon which be was going to Congress, could
not be accomplished until hc had overcome
/ her most active opposition. With his usual
| dlrectne>S he went straight to the accom-
[ plishment Of his purpose. How well he
succeeded at Philadelphia, we only know
| from brief record Of a dozen lines. On
of h.
/ first business of the session was the reading
| of a letter from Crown Point. after which
/ it was stated that two officers who brought
| the letter, were at the door and had some
! thing oil Importance to communicate. The
I Congress ordered them TO be admitted, and
| Allen and Warner entered the hall. His
| speech Is unreported. We are left 20
| imagine the powerful utterances with which
/ lie described the patriotism Of his men their
| prompt answer 70 his call II the field. the
march and capture of Tic0nderoga. their
| readiness to give their lives to the cause,
and the policy Of forming them into regi-
ment. We may be sure that following
/ his ruling idea he closed with '' Canada
must be taken,' They retired; without any
| delay, and, 50 far as We know, with entire
unanimity the Congress marked their ap-
| proval Of his conduct hyv0ting to his men and
| their officers like pay with the rest OF the
army and by recommending New York - 70
| employ in the army to be raised for the de-
| fence of America, those called Green Noun
tain Boys, under such officers as the said
| Green Mountain Boys shall choose. - You
are desired. - wrote President Hancock, to
/ the New York Convention, TO consult with
/ General Schuyler, in whom, the Congress Is
| informed, these people place great conf
| dence about the field officers tO b3 set over
/ them"
The Congress sent Allen with recon-
mcndati0n to the New York Convention
/ What could Ethan Allen accomplish in the
| New York Convention? That body wanted
| him-a little better than a twelvemOnth be-
fore it had offered anybody a hundred
/ pounds who would secure him in His Males
tvs jail in Albany lie had fogged their
justices, hunted their surveyors, trapped
their constables, secuted their proclama-
tiOns and dehed their laws. In their eyes he
was rebel; the very chief and leader OF
that sum of all iniquity, the Bennington
Mob, The chances were that instead OF
giving him a regiment they would take his
scalp
Little rocked Allen Of all this; doubtful
if he thought of it, 50 completely and ex-
clusvely had the great movement for human
freedom possessed his soul. We next hear
of him at the doors of the New York Con
vention demanding admission His demand
arouses storm Of opposition. member
moves that be be permitted to have an au-
dicnce. The debate is fierce and hot Ad-
NIT this mountain savage to the Provincial
Congress of New York the man who had
flooded every member of it with abuse, and
contemned even the Royal authority who
had organized a rebellion which had in il
the bitter sting of success Listen to the
tongue which had hurled at them every hard
name in the vocabulary and not a few in
vented for the occasion Better send him
to the felOn's dock or the gallows, than al
low him to come here and insult BY hi
presence the collective wisdom ofthc colony
But opposition was unavailing. In the
great army of the free all true men were
kin. Whatever he might have done before
he YVES a soldier now, fighting with all the
brave, throughout the colonies, the battle