Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-08-17

equal of its associate American republics, "
offspring. It may be added, of what the Tory
Governors of New FORK were wont to call
''the bennington mob.
This controversy about the lands of the
settlers, kept up in one way and another for
many years, naturally led to denial of the
civil jurisdiction of New York for any pur-
pose. Except for this policy Of spoliation,
the jurisdiction of New York would have
been quietly submitted to- notwithstanding
the difference of blood and temper, training
and customs of the two peoples, and Vermont
would have had no name in history, nor eX-
istence as State.
This difference was considerably marked.
The settlers of the Grants were New Eng
landers of the then New England type, cher
| ishing the democratic idens, and imbued
with the spirit of resistance to aggressions
upon the liberties of individual or people,
which then peculiarly prevailed in New Eng
land, and to which that people had been
peculiarly schooled and trained for genera
lions 10y 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, accept as true, forgiyinG 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 anon them at any
time,-and those few, either con .erted to bet
ter ways by the rough Iii pline of the
s'twigs of the Wilderness" else finding
more congenial home in C:..IIda. 1t was
not so along the Hudson, moi 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 n method which will ever
create subordination, and counterpoise In
some measure the general leveling spirit,
that so much prevails in some of his AlaJes-
| .y's Governments an nristocratlc 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
| 1871 by a 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 hack 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 perpleNity of his affairs,
wrote to the British Minister in London ;
The New Hampshire Grants, in particular,
| n county unpeopled in the last war, now
aboun,ls in the most active and rebelious
race of the continent, and hangs like gath
ering storm on my left.
Twenty days after the Declaration of In
dependence ut Philadelphia, there assembled
at the Inn of Cephas Kent in Dorset, dele
gates from thirty one towns of 1.-THE Grants,
who entered into solemn covenant between
themselves by formal signatures, recon-
mending that such declaration be subscribed
'by all the friends of America IN the dis
trict," wherein they declare: ave do volun-
tarily and solemnly engage under all the ties
held sacred amongst mankind, at the risk OF
4 aA. Il hrrn
United American States against the hostile
attempts of the British fleets and armies,
until the present unhappy controversy be-
tween the two countries shall he settled :;
and at later convention, held by adjourn
ment at the same place in September, 1t was
| unanimously resolved ''to take suitable
measures, rs soon AZ may be, to declare the
New Hampshire Grants u separate district.
This convention was adjourned to meet al
Westminster, October ~, l776, and was again
adjourned to meet at the same place january
Is, lI77, and then and there it was unani
mously proclaimed and publicly declared
THAT the district of territory comprehend
ing and usually known 10y the name and de
scription of the New Hampshire Grants, o
right ought to be, and is hereby declared for
ever hereafter to be considered, as II free and
independent jurisdiction or State, by tn,
name of New Connecticut"
And later at Windsor, on the ID day o
july, l777, the representatives OF the free
| men of said District assembled III convention
and framed n constitution for the S'de q
Vermont. This constitution opens with {
| preamble reciting in forcible language thu
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 op
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 settlers
of the New Hampshire Grants. This pre-
amble was followed by 20 declaration of til,
Rights of the Inhabitants of the State o
Vermont" and plan or frame of govern
ment.
1t was while the draft of this constitution
was under consideration, that the alarming
news reached the convention of the evacul
ton by our troops of Ticonderoga, and then
disastrous retreat through Hubbardton, thus
leaving all our western border open to the
rayages of Burgoyne with his Hesslans and
savages. 1t is reported, that the trst I'M
pulse OF the convention was to separate AM
look TO tho protection of their families al
home. when ~ severe thunderstorm came
on and gave them time to reflect; and sc
| they STAYED till their work WIS finished. The
thunder storm was blessed providence :
II voice from the skies proclaiminS to the
convention duty higher even than the per
| sonal protection of family and home. And
SO Vermont received her christening and be-
came State, though, for II time after, under
| the anomalous administration of II Council
of Safety and, until March /, 1871, fourteen
wears, existed rs an independent sovereignty,
| with all the attributes and functions OF SOW
ereignty, when she was admitted as an equal
member of the Federal Union. In the mean
time, the American Revolution had been
closed in declared peace. The confedera-
ton of the United States had been formed
and dissolved, and the United States Consti-
tuition had made of the United States gov
eminent. In this construction of confedera-
ton and constitution Vermont had.not been
allowed to take part, but during all these
| fourteen wears she had stood apart among
her mountains in stern independently, de
| Tending herself against States contending for
her lands and life, disowned 10y Congress-
| and having for wears OH her borders the com
mon enemy to fight with the weapons and
the finesse of war. III all this she did her
work brayely and well and We do well to-
day by COMMUNICATING these hbors "i the
fathers hundred years ago
This constitution OF l777 was more than
declaration of independence and frame OF
government 1t was charter of human
| liberty also. Thus the "Declaration Of the
| Rights of the Inhabitants of the State of
| Vermont" starts oil with the broader DECLARE
| ton, THAT all men are born equally tree and
| mdependeut and have certain natural, m
| lerent and inllicnalle rights amongst
which are the enjoying and defending life
and liberty acquiring, possessing and pro
tecting property, and pursuing and obtaining
| happiness and safety" "Ihitfore, ut is to
| this tho logic leads mo male person, born
| IN this country or brought from over the sen,
ought to be holden by the law to serve any
person as II servant, shave or apprentice, after
he arrives to the age at twenty-onr years,
nor female, in like manner, after she arrives
to the age OF eighteen years, unless they are
bound by their own consent. after they ar
rive to such an age.
M. al tina constitution received