Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-24

derness for ii is written of these carly |
immigrants by one of their number, that |
"Great numbers of the early settlers on the |
New Hampshire grants were OF the sect of
New Lights, or Separates, who fled from |
persecution in the New England States, |
and found an asylum hero where they en-
joyed their religious liberty" The relig.
lous liberty which they enjoyed in this |
their asylum they founded and established.
They stamped upon their earliest church
records their reputation of the doctrine of
State Interference with matters of religious
doctrine aud worship, aud made their plan
of organization as a church a charter of re-
ligious liberty. Thus in organizing "Tho
Church of Christ in Bennington" Dec. 3,
1862, the first church organization of the
Now Hampshire grants, 1t was agreed and
voted TO except, from their adoption OF the
Cambridge Platform, that part "in respect
OF using the civil law TO support the Cos
pei, and also that part sin respect of the
civil magistrates coercive power"
Though those irstimmigrant were most
~ farmers, not greatly conversant with
books, save the one book, yet coming from
the then most enlightened part OF America,
the heart Of New England, the home Of the
schoolhouse and the meeting house, and OF
those little town democracies, training
schools for the science of popular self-gov-
eminent, they were by no means rude, aud
had that practical education in the common
affairs ofliie which books cannot give. The
pany, soon followed, together with the law
yer, the physician, graduates of college and
men of culture, so that, 100 years ago, and
from the earliest controversy about tile
and jurisdiction of the New Hampshire
grants down to the final admission of the
State of Vermont to the union of the Unit
ed States, March 4, 1901, it may be fairly
doubted, whether these people were not as
intelligent as any community of equal
number then in New England. None were
shrewder and wiser in the diplomacy of
war than the leaders of these people, who,
when the infant State, unsupported by Con-
gress and deserted by the neighborng
States, was len alone to make such defence
as she could against Il powerful invasion
10y the common enemy gathering upon her
northern border, repealed the invasion aud
secured victory without conflict, dsarm-
ing the foe by the charm of words, aud by
the fHeSSe of war securing TO the common
cause the results of a successful campaign;
and none who ever displayed a keeuer
sagacity and skill of polite administration
and management than they who made "lhe
Grants" State; who maintained its in
| dependence as separate sovereignty for
| fourteen years, and then put it in place as
one of the United States OF America. Up
on plain grounds of common Justice, the
rebellion of the New Hampshire grants, so
far as it was a rebellion, and the forming of
an independent State, stand justified. The
berry, and the State was necessity as an
| instrument of resistance. 1t happened that
| when Sheriff Ten Eyck, on the 18th day of
| July l77l, with his posse of 5000 armed
men, including including many ofihe gentry of AL AL
ojn9to n w 80 noennssinm 10 1rncesS in
a;oc1 mont ~ ,,o icor,n nr Iomas Rreel,on.
rydga hn mo, tbera on Tho hor6ars If The
| Vn1Inonosan n r,thor;no Of no eoidiers Of
.,i' s',5 e. VI ,osileo D.
|
| this c,rn, nd tbair 7nrotootionN and +,
@ t,5 m ti;tT ~ ~,
| ~. rLnotor H. H. ,,o,rar 81 u,a o.~I,nt,,
VIZ soIved ror btn, ,bo nro,,e,jc riddie ri
Eibon Allan that ,,he gods Of Tho vallev
l..nan ,lien, tn"' l1 Ill., Tu v, I''o
'no,'id go ,n ponnirn,nn no ,,o,ninyy,
shonid Lo ,ooJo cIoar - 7, has hoen vol
onJ 81. sniJ S ,%nt ,anorpila ,,a,,,i, :
,ao ; po' " ,yhosa ,,ras
nnoa'araooS ~ ooaasin,, oI,,d vbo IN bis
~ 81 ,,r,i liz ~ ~ III sor,ion ,,as
Us S To- ~ -, IIn',i L., - -,
uuu9 nis sse 10 t, iee '.,an ~ n.9
pn,,t :, a., NJ. g.; e, n,, 10 ,arr, - :
Inn,o, p.aal,,nriaoa ,,,o, 'lnrr iLa Tn,ura
S,a,o 81 Vnrr,on,' ,rhioG s IT, -
,Iau,,.t, , ,an;In ,,rana, iad rs a. > ,
,,o,,tSona,,,optt - ,Ga f,anari ra.ni,,,o
| iaI IT, o';.i, 81 ,.or,i, ~ 81
acI1n,eu 'no nmu ai,'o ro ~ =
~ 81, 20 49, ,,iyi o,,G ,,iink ~,
a ruif han,,, H. nI,,,,Io,'oi
lous altSi ~, .nI as
oduS' VI ~ 80, "a nIho5 - pLat ~, ~
Tor t;n~eInors ~ New York we're wont
| 20 All .I,ta panninoton moi ), This non
~ ea.. sue I',, H. I'll 81 Tho sa,,Iars
years, naturally led 10 a denial OF the civil
Jurisdiction of New York for any purpose.
| EXCEPT for this policy of spoliation. The in
risdiction of New York would have been
| quietly submitted TO- Notwithstanding tho
| difference OF blood and temuer training
and customs of the two peopies and Ver-
mont would have had no name in historv
nor existence as a State. What was wrii.
ten of these settlers by an ACCOMPLISHED
loyal lady of the times, though said re.
proachfuily. we accent "a true rnroivinc
the reproach; They were "fierce republi7
cans. refusing to become tenants TO any
| one and insisting on owning the lands they
should occupy whose whole conyersatio1
was tainted with poliiics-Cromwellia mol
tiles who talked about slaves TO arbitrary
power and whose Indifference TO the moth
err country. and illiberal opiuions and man.
ners were extremely Offensive TO ali Ioval
subjects of the King" Few Tories among
them at any time2and those few either
| converted 10 better WAYS bv The rouoh dis
| ciplipe of the "twius of the wiIderness ,,
or else finding more coupenial homes in
Canada. In the war of The reyolution there
was no people more patriotic. none more
| united in sentiment Of hostility 10 The aD-
gressions of Great Britain, and determine
ton to defend the common liberties of the
| colonies and tn ochiava sanaratio, on5 In
dependence. than the peonIe of The New
HamDsbire grants. mona who occordino
TO their ability. did Drawer and moTe efFe,'7
tive service in actual war than Ihev NJ
conderoga, the Canadian border. Benuin1
ton and Saratoga tell the story Of their he
r,ism. They we're tho men az whom pur-
goyne, ia modification at his disaster of
Bennington, and consequent nernIexiIv Of
his affairs, wrote to The British Minister in
London: 1.-The New Hampshire grants in
particular. a county unpeonled in The last
|