The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-08-16

| The settlers Of the grants were New Eng
| landers OF the then New England type,
| cherishing the democratic ideas, and i'm
| bued with the spirit of resistance to aggres-
sions upon the liberties Of individual or peo-
pie, which then peculiarly prevailed in New
| England, and to which that people had been
peculiarly schooled and trained for genera
| tions by the events connected with the early
immigrations, and the institutions of church
and civil government established by them of
their free choice, in the wilderness. What
was written Of these settlers by an accom-
plished loyal lady of the times, though said
reproachfully, we accept as true, forgiving
/ the reproach; they were 'fierce republicans,
refusing to become tenants to any one, and
insisting on owning the lands they should
occupy; whose whole conversation was
tainted with politics-Cromwellian politics;
who talked about slaves to arbitrary power;
and whose indifference to the mother coun-
try, and illiberal opinions and manners were
extremely offensive to all loyal subjects of
the King Few tories among them at any
time, and those few either converted to bet
ter ways by the rough discipline of the
"twigs Of the wilderness" or else finding
more congenial home in Canada. 1t was
not 80 along the Hudson, nor was this the
/ spirit of the gentry of the New York colony.
This difference is conspicuously indicated in
the reply of Gov. Tryon to the rebuke of the
| Colonial Secretary for the manner in which
the New York grants of Vermont lands had
been made. 81 conceive it," he says, "good
policy to lodge large tracts of land in the
hands of gentlemen of weight and consider
alton. They will naturally farm out their
lands to tenants a method which will ever
create subordination, and counterpoise in
some measure the general leveling spirit
that 30 much prevails in some of his Males
| TVS governments" an aristocratic policy,
hateful to the democratic and independent
spirit of the settlers, who would be vassals
| to no PATRON or land baron, but would own
the lands they titled.
| And so was kept up this controversy as to
titles and jurisdiction, until finally closed in
1901 by compromise, by which Vermont,
to secure admission to the Union, paid the
sum of thirty thousand dollars, which was
| divided among the New York claimants, by
way of compensation for their losses.
| In the war of the Revolution there was no
| people more patriotic, none more united in
| sentiment of hostility to the aggressions Of
Great Britain and determination to defend
the common liberties of the colonies, and to
achieve separation and independence, than
the people of the New Hampshire Grants :;
none who, according to their ability, did
drawer and more effective service in actual
war than they. Scattered along the war
| path from Canada to New York, they were
ever reliable as minute men to beat back or
battle invasion from that quarter. Ticonder-
oga, the Canadian border, Bennington and
Saratoga, tell the story Of their heroism.
They were the men of whom Burgoyne, in
modification at his disaster at Bennington,
and consequent perplexity of his affairs,
| wrote to the British minister in London,
"The New Hampshire Grants in particular,
a county unpeopled in the last war, now
abounds in the most active and rebelious
race of the continent, and hangslike gath
ering storm on my left"
Twenty days after the Declaration of In
dependence at Philadelphia there assembled
at the inn of Cephas Kent in Dorset, dele
gates from thirty -one towns of the Grants,
| who entered into solemn covenant between
| themselves by formal signatures, recon-
mending that such declaration be subscribed
shy all the friends of America in the dis
trict," wherein they declare, 1--WE do volun-
| tarily and solemnly engage under all the ties
held sacred amongst mankind, at the risk of
our lives and fortunes, to defend by arms the
United American States against the hostile
attempts of the British fleets and armies,
until the present unhappy controversy be
tween the two countries shall be settled !"
and at n later convention, held by adjourn
| ment' at the same place in September. IL was
| unanimously resolved "to take suitable
measures, as soon as may be, to declare the
| New Hampshire Grants separate district.
| This convention was adjourned to meet at
Westminster, October 30, 1776, and was
again adjourned to meet at the same place
January 10, 1777, and then and there it was
unanimously proclaimed and publicly de-
clared 'that the district of territory CON-
pretending and usually known by the name
and description of the New Hampshire
Grants, of right ought to be, and is hereby
declared forever hereafter to be considered
as free and independent jurisdiction or
State, by the name of New Connecticut. "
And later, at Windsor, on the I'd day OF
July, 1777, the representatives of the free
men of said district assembled in convention
and framed a constitution for the State o
Vermont. This constitution opens with q
preamble reciting in forcible language the
reasons for the formation of "a free and in
dependent State" These recited reasons
were, the right of the people by common
consent to change their government when.
ever it fails to secure the ends of govern.
ment, viz, the security and protection of the
community, as such, and the natural rights
of the individuals who compose it; the OPP
pressions OF the British government towards
the colonies, ''more fully set forth in the
declaration of Congress-" and the worse OPP
, pressions Of New York towards the settler,
of the New Hampshire Grants. This pre-
, amble was followedb by ga declaration of thu
Rights of the Inhabitants of the State o.
Vermont" and plan or frame of govern
ment ~
I 1t was while the draft of this constitution
was under consideration, that the alarming
news reached the convention of the evacua
ton by our troops of Ticonderoga, and the
, disastrous retreat through Hubbardton, thu
leaving all our western border open to tn,
ravages of Burgoyne with his Hessians anC
savages. 1t is reported that the first i'm
pulse of the convention was to separate an(
} look TO the protection of their families n
I home, when "a severe thunderstorm cam
/ on and gave them time to reflect :" and s,
/ they stayed till their work was finished. TIL,
; thunder storm was blessed providence;
4 voice from the skies proclaiming to the con
I vention duty higher even than the person
Q al protection Of family and home. And 81
Q | Vermont received her christening and be
A came State, though for time after, unde
I the anomalous administration of council
( OF safety, and, until March 4, 1901, fourteen
: years, existed as an independent sovereign,
- with all the attributes and functions of soy
ereignty, when she was admitted as an equa
Q member of the Federal Union. In the mean
: time the American Revolution had bee
I closed in declared peace. The confedera
: ton Of the United States had been forme,
and dissolved, and the United States Consti
: tuition had made Of the United States q gov
g eminent. In this construction Of confedera
4 Al \ - u 4 i
q allowed to take part, but during all thes
n fourteen wears abe had stood anart anon