The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-18


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
"Dy all the friends of America IN the dis
trict," wherein they declare: We do vol
UNFAIRLY aud 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 ar
mics. until the present Unhappy controversy
between the two countries shall be settled !"
and ut a later convention, held by adjourn
ment at the same place in September, It was
unanimously resolved to take. suitable
measures, as soon as may be, to declare the
New Hampshire Grants separate district.
This convention was adjourned tn meet ut
Westminster. October 80, 1776. and was again
adjourned to meet aG the same place January
Is, 17T7, and then and there It was uuanl-
mOusly proclaimed and publicly declared,
+" that the district of territory comprehend
ing and usually known by the name and de-
scriptiOn ct the New Hampshire Grants. OF
right ought to be, and is hereby declared for
ever hereafter to be considered, as free and
Independent Jurisdiction or State by the
name of New Connecticut"
And later at Windsor, on the ID dizzy of
July, 1T77, the representatives, of the free
men of said District assembled in convention
and framed q constitution for the State OF
Vermont. This constitution opens with a
preamble TecitinR in fOrcible Language the
reasons for the formation of a free and indie
pendent State" These recited reasons were,
tue right of the people by common consent
to change thelr government whenever it fails
TO secure the ends of gOveTnnelt, viz tue
security and protection of the community, as
such, and the natural right, Ui the indIviduals
who compose it; the expressions of the Brit
N government towards the colonies more
fully set forth in the declaration of Con-
gress;" and the worse Op! reSSions f New
York towards the settlers of the New ii mr.
shire Grants. This preamble was followed by
"a declaration of the Rights of the inhabi-
tants of the State of Vermont" and q plan OF
frame Of government.
1t was while the draft of this constitution
was under consideration, that the alarming
news relched tho convention of the eVacua-
ton by our troops of IicOnderOga, aud their
disastrous retreat through HubbardtOn. thus
leaving our western border open TO the
Tavages of BurgOyne with bis HesSians aud
saYages. 1t is reported, that the first I'M
pulse of the convention was to separate and
look to the protection of their families at
home, when "a severe thunderstorm came on
and gave them time to reflect !" and so they
stayed till their work was finished. The
thunder storm was q blessed providence =
a voice from the skies prOclaiming to the
convention duty higher even than the per;
sonal protection of family and home. And
so Vermont received her christening and be-
cane State though, for time after, under
the anomalous administration of o Council
of Safety, and, until March 4, 1891, fourteen
years, existed as an independent sovereign
BY, with all the attributes and functions of
sovereignty, when she was admitted rs an
equal member of the Federal Union. In the
meafitluie the American Revolution had
been closed in declared peace. The c0nfed-
GRAFTON of the United States had been form
ed and dissolved, and the United States con-
lanH la NJ h fnH
government. In this construction of cOnfed-
Grafton and consti tuition Vermont had not
been allowed to take part, but, during all
these fourteen years she had stood apart
among her mountains IN stern Independent
cy, .defendiCg herself against States con-
tending for her lands and life. dlsOwned by
Congress, and having for years on her SoId-
ers the common enemy to fight with the
weapons and the tinesse of war, In all this
she did her work hraYOly aud well; and we
do well to-day IN cOmmemorating these Ia
bors Of the fathers hundred years ago.
] his constitution of 1717 was more than
declaration of Independence and frame of
government. IL was a charter Of human
liberty also. Thus the Declaration of the
Rights of the Inhabitants of the State OF
Vermont starts off with the broader decla-
ration, that all men are born equally free
and independent, and have certain Datural.
inherent and Inalienable rights, amongst
which are the enjoying and defending life
and liberty acquiring. possessing and pro
toctlng property, and pursuing aud obtain
ing happiness and safety" Therefore, 1t Is
to this the logic leads-"no male person, born
in this country or brought from over the sea,
ought to be holden by the law to serve any
person as a servant, slave OF apprentice,
after he arrives to the age of twenty-One
years, unless they are bound by their own
consent, after they arrive to such an age"
This provision of the constitution received
judicial nterpTetatiOn-clear enough without
it-by the Supreme Court in 1902, that no
of this State can hold n slave and
that by becoming an inhabitant his slave
brought from another State becomes free.
Windsor VS., Jacob, 3 Tyler's Reports 1927
The bill OF sale in such case to be effective
must, according to the traditional ruling of
Judge Theophilus Harrington, bo under the
hand and seal of the Almighty. We give
our fathers credit that they did not distort
the logic of their broad declaration of hui
man rights or attempt to accommodate an
inhexible truth to the passion of power or
the Just of gain that they were ready to
award to oil men what they claimed for
themselves, and stamped the soil of Vermont
with the seal Of freedom for all, and forever.
Thus reviewing cursorlly the early history
Of this State, we may safely say, that none
has history more romantic in its incidents,
Or more illustriOus for the herOism and saga
city OF Its chief men: nor more marked for
the sturdy Independence and honesty of its
people, IOE lutu tutIRN, persistence VIII
ndOmitable to defend their rights aud rea- |
illness to accord like rights TO Others. If we |
If to-day have become spindling and weak, |
t is not the fault of the fathers. True, we |
nave not had their personal experience and |
training in the hardships of pioneer life, to |
each that practical sagacity which comes of |
necessity; nor yet that schooling of q whole |
)enple in civil rightsand law aud statesman |
,hip, which their long controversy with New |
York, New Hampshire, Great Britain and |
congress gave them, during the years OF that |
great awakening Of Thought which preceded,
accompanied and followed the American |
evolution, and made of pialn men shrewd |
thinkers and wise judges But they have
eft us their thoughts their spirit, their in
organizations, those little
lemOcracies where q the inhabitants, as
embled in common meeting, discuss and
lecide all matters of local government, dis
rlbute the offices of administration and jury
ervice, by which, and the official service
imposed upon those esteemed the tittest, the
'eOple are put TO school in the principles OF
government and kept in training for the du-
les of civil life, and made at one with the |
aw which they make and administer. They
AVE left us, too, the school house and the
Meeting house, and foundations for religious
eaching, for the grammar school and the
as well as cleared fields, roads,
ridges and mills-and we have entered into
heir labors.
~ 10 uhNobAOu Which, pltboto hpbn
whether the State in its subsequent devel-
pments has proved itself worthy its origin,
nd whether we of to-day deserve such an
estTy how faTthe spirit and the times Of a
hundred years ago have impressed them
elves upon the century, and made its hisfo-
y what it has been, aud the people what
hey are. In the way Of partial answer to
uch questionings. it may be truthfully said,
hat tue age has not passed beyond the inn
ulse which first set in notion the State and
Is institutions; that the temper aud spirit of
he fathers are yet traceable IN tie moral lin
aments of their pOsterity: that the princi-
lies upon which they founded the State lie
nder it to-day, undisturbed in place upon
he bedrock If truth. untouched by decay.
Thus, upon all questions Of human lib
rty, especially in the fierce conflicts wbIcbl
ave since been waged between the absolute
light and the expedient wrong between the
Doctrine Of human equality aud the wild fan
asy OF property in man. Vermont has ever
een true 20 her early declaration, and fixed
$ hermOuntains;-exh even an agrees
i've z. al for liberty and holy anger against