St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-01-14
Governor and Council.

The Legislature. i'll lS12. authorized
the governor. to appoint il suitable per
son To edit and publish the journals OF
The council of safety and the early
journals of the governor and council to
the extent the governor should deem
''neceSSaIN to preserve the history OF
the state. BY virtue of this act Gov
crnor Converse appointed the Hon.
Eliakim =. Walton of Montpelier and
Il more suitable selection could not have
been made is the editor and publisher
of the volumes contemplated. The first
volume WIS issued in 1873. and CON
tanned the Journals of the general con
ventionS in the New Hampshire Grants
for the independence. organization and
4 defense of Vermont from July no. Ia
/ December, l1I1 : the first constitution
of Vermont with its several amend
mcnts; journal OF the council of safety
/ To March II, MS: record of the gov
/ erIIor and council from March l.. lIIS
/ to August %. l779: record of the coun-
ell of war: with notes. biographical
/ sketches and illustrative contemporary
documents. making an almost complete
documentary history of Vermont, from
/ I775 to August %. l119.
! The second volume was issued in
( lS74. and contained the records of the
governor and council, and of the board
/ of war. from October l119 to August
%, I7S2. with illustrative contemporary
( documents. biographical sketches, etc.
Among these contemporary documents
are those relating to the resolutions of
congress in September 100. aud the
action of Vermont thereon the claim
of Massachusetts to Il part ot Ncrmont :
''Ncrmont'S appeal to the candid and
/ impartial world - Allen and Fay :
/ rcfutation of the claims of New llamp-
shire, Massachusetts. and New York I;
relative to the action of congress in
l1SO. l7~l, and l7S2: the attempt 10
form an alliance and confederation with
adjoining states: the attempt to form
an union with certain New Hampshire
and New York towns. etc. etc: many
OF the documents being absolutely ne
, ccSS:trN for :; correct understanding of
nnr history, and here published for the
ti>t time.
/ The third volume is just published
and contains the record of the governor
and council down Ia the date of Yer
mont admission into the Union. con-
Guiding he general documentary history
of the New York controversy. and coy
ciiug the period of the anti-couIt re-
bcllion, which is amply illustrated with
contemporary documents. as are. also,
. the several movements which resulted
. in the admission ut Vermont into the
/ Mon. the settlement nf the land CON
! tr"vrr>l. the adoption ri the federal
constitution on the pant OF this state.
etc. etc.
We understand that this volume Will
conclude the qualifications. unless the
governor takes affirmative action other
wise. We most sincerely trust that he
will. as he has full authority to do.
direct II continuance of the publication.
The period from l19i until after The
cln>,. of the war ni l-l!. including. us
it does the time of the enforcement Of
the alien and ~cdition law. the embargo.
the war. etc. is fully Us important a>
amy which iicccdcS il. The cutcm-
pOrincouS documents are numerous
important and NOW accessible how
long they will remain accessible il Is
impos>ihc To- tell and Mr.. Walton. OF
all other men. is the one person who
knows where and what they are. which
are important. how and in what way
they need explanations, etc. etc. and
now is the time To complete the work.
We Trust that Governor Peek will direct
him Ia proceed III once. RHiIdnd GIobc.