St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-04-30

All dSSthltu 10. the SuDStanllal poIltl-
cal equality of men. We grew up Il
territorial democracy of ministers. law
NerS. doctors. merchants. yoomcm, trad
erS, mechanics, and Seamrn. all or near
! ~ all being small proprietors of land
We were educated To the responsibili-
tics. duties, and burdens of self gov cln
memt, and knew that there WAS nu
liberty without burdens and sacrifices.
THE TOWN MEETINGS.
But chiefly these toWn-meetingS were
pallameutS for the free discussion oi
all questions touching the interests of
the people, and organs of popular com
muuicatiom with the legislature and
executive. The records of these town
meetings are the wonder and admirl-
iIon of students of political philn>ophs
everywhere. They were new thin"
i'll the worlds history. 1t has been
said. that. if every other record should
perish. the true character and full his
tory of the civil struggle from 1860 to
lIIJ could Ice written from the records
of the t0Wn-meetiugs. including the
resolutions adopted, and the imStruc-
tIonS sent to their representatives, in thr
General Court. In the provincial gov
crnmrnt, too. we We're free. We chose
representatives by towns, and the rep
rcsentatiVeS elected the council. The
judges we've appninted md paid 10y oIIr-
selves. We ordered our own militiI
system. established and regulated our
iudicItHrc and persons charged with
crimes were tried within the pIovim, e.
by iurir> drawn by lot IN the towns.
L.. 4 III !
and no tax had ever been imposed up
on us by imperial power. We held
allegiance To the crown. and were parts
"t the British empire but we were Il,
it-g"vcrnirg. h"mr-ruIing people.
loyal content. we'll educated, and in
du>tliou>. giving no cauSc of Just
c"mplaint t" the people of England
In short. We had been fur five genera
tI"u> the trc st, most self governing L
people the world had ever known.
WHO BEGAN IT
We VcIc NOT thc rcNolutiumi>tS. The
kin" and Parliament were the rrvnlu-
u"ll>t>. Ihcl WrIr the radical inn"-
Nat"r>. We We're the cnn>crvHtol> of
existing institutions. They wcIr seek
ing /" overthrow. and reconstruct ul "a
theory ut parliamentary rmmipotcmcr.
We stood upon the Lctrms, ot " hat We
had founded and built up under thri.
acqul">rcu-c. aud without which A..
could not h, the flee and ,,lt-uuN,in-
nr- people We had always hc,m We
broke u" chain. We prepared To stIikr
down ANY hand that might attempt to
lay one upon IL. ThrIc WAS not onl.
institution. law "r custom. political ol
social, from the muunrliII-top> Ia the
>cI->horc. that We cared To chauuc.
We were then content tu 20 ON IL Iart ,
of The British empire. holding that
slack and easy allegiance We had al
Ways hrld. on the old terms of self
E"yrrmmrnt and home rule. 1t WAS
not until more than yrar after Lex
m"t"n and Bunker Hill. that. findiu.
ti.r tN" things h"pcIe>>Iy Inconsistent.
We declared "ur dNna>tlr independence"
and. IN that >en>r and that purpo>'
only. hcctmr rtN "luIinnisf>.
THE FIRST SHOT.
The convention of Middlc>rN lr-olyr,i
a. follows: IF in support at "ui
rights We are called To- encounter even
death. "c are Vet urdauhtrd. >,li>ihlt.
That r" can r"N a. die t''' >,,hu Wh" lay :
down his life IN support al the law,
and 'lh"itlr~ "t his 'uuutrl." I.cNiug
ton vI"t, I" Boston. We trust IN C;od.
that. should he state Of Our affairs re
quiic il. We shall h,. ready 10 sacrifice,
our estates and rvrllthn. dear in life.
Yea. and lit" Itself, in support "t the
common rIi~". Quincy WlOte trnui
EnglLud. 'bur country men must seal
the cause III their nl"od." The Whole.
atmosphere was charged with war W.
felt it IN every breath. There WIS Il
stiffness of deadly preparation. an;i "a
pH'Irnt waiting "t the falling of Ih,
bolt The provincial Congress al
pointed - dal ot fasting. humiliatioH.
and pIHNc Il mcaSur" of deep >iguiii-
CInrr III those days. 1t ordered the
rltilcU> t. PAY their taNrS Ia Nh. Gard
mrr. The agent "t the people. and no;
~ the r"? Ill collector and LcNIn.Iou
dIiCrtr,i ~ collectors To obey this uIdrl.
and tn, town would secure them halm-
less. lhc issue WAS made up. But il
was >"lrmnlN resolved THAI We must
not plcCIpItatc the wal. we must not
strike the, first blow We were to en-
durr threats. im>!ilrS. and dcmuu>tra-
tIun> of Violence; bat the British troop
must irr the lir>t shot. This was not Il
formal thing with our ancestors. They
were close TcI>oncis. could walk
straight uu Il line of duty, and had al
most Il SuPcTStitioIIS respect for the law.
They felt the Importance of satisfy in"
the friends of our cause in England
and III the other colonies some of " hich
were still uncertain. and il WAS feared
that the people of Massachusetts would
"utim their sympathy and support.
Accordingly, the continental Congress
recommended the people of This colony
to avoid Il collision with the king
troops. and in all c;lSrS to act only oIi
the defensive. This advice WAS repeat
ed 10y the provincial Congress. echoed
10y the town-meetingS, enforced from
the pulpitS and the press. and we were
committed to il before the world. Men
of this day are sometimes amused tn
see. that. Immediately after the battle
of Lexington, the colOnistS took to col
lccting at1idavilS to show that the Brit
iSh fired first. But they were better
Judges than we can ROW he of " hat WAS
important at that time.
FIGHTING STOCK, ANDA FIGHTING TOWN.
Here let me call your attention aside
for one moment. The people of Massa
chusctts have received no little com
incubation. III some quarters, from the
notion that they were simple, peaceful
yeomcu and mechanics. unused to wal
and its works. facing for the first time
regular troops of warlike nation.
That praise is not our due. to the cX
tent supposed. True, they had NOT
seen wal on their own soil since the
last Indian fights. and the Younger OF
the minute-men had not served in act
nal war at all. But. from the tounda-
tion of the colony to the last Europeau