Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-03-05
VOL. XXXVI.
- HACu,,in 3

lle terms OF admission, provided congress
should see fit to recognize Vermont as an
independent state. On the 18th of August
a conference took place between this COM
mittee, and the delegates from Vermont.
On the 2Oth the committee, having dill
gently questioned the Vermont rcpresen-
tatives relative to the extent, population,
and resources Of the state, as also the
views and wishes of the people, made
their report to congress; whereupon that
body (August 20, 17SD adopted the fol-
lowing resolution:
ReSolred, That it be an indispensable
preliminary to the recognition of the indie
pendence of the people inhabiting the ter
rltory called Vermont, and their admission
into the Federal Union, that they explic-
lilly relinquish all demands of lands, or
| Jurisdiction on the east side of the Connec-
ticut, or the west side of its original state
line"
"Vermont and New York both" says
Mr.. Thompson, "were dissatisfied with
this esolution-Fermont because it re-
quired rs a condition of her admission
into the Union, that she should dissolve
the agreeable connections she had Just
formed, and ALLEVIATE one half of her pres
ent territory, resources and Importance
New York because it recognized the
claim against which she had so long and
so earnestly contended-actualiy allowing
Vermont to have something left which
she could call her own"
The foregoing resolutions, it is true,
held out faint prospect Of an admission
into the Federal Union with her original
territory: yet, having lost much of her
confidence in the assurances of congress,
and having now consolidated her unions
ut home very much to her own satisfaction,
Vermont felt herself in condition to
demand something better than the relin.
quishment of one-half of her territory and
population, to secure the independence of
the other half Hence after delberating,
and debating on the subject for several
days, the assembly, on the 10th of Octo-
ber, voted that they could not comply with
the foregoing resolution of congress-
In the meantime, in consequence of the
mutually bclligerent attitude of Vermont
and New York, and the unhappily increas.
ing bitterness obtaining between these two
communities, Affairs seemed rapidly to be
reaching an alarming crisis; and all par
ties were beginning to tremble at the
prospect Of a civil, in the midst of their
Revolutionary war IA calamity that must
have proved fatal to the cause of American
liberty and independence. Fortunately,
Just at this .uncture Governor Chittenden
| received letter from General Washing
ton, dictated by his plternal solicit
tude for the good of his country, and
for happy termination of the troubles in
relation to Vermont, kindly counseling
the state of Vermont TO withdraw her
jurisdiction to the confines of her own
limits, AMI then seek, and obtain, rs he
was morally certain she then would, u
recognition Of her Independence an SOW
ereignty at the hands of congreSs.t
| Endeared, rs he was, to all the friends
Of liberty by his integrity and virtue, and
by his disintere3ted eXertionS and sacrifices
for the good Of his country, such COM
munication from General Washington
might hc reasonably expected to exert u
powerful influence upon the minds of the
Ieading men of Vermont; and the event
showed that it did. At the next meeting
of the legislature, which was held at Ben
ningtOn, this letter WAS laid before that
body, knowing that it cIme from Il man
who had the interests Of the aOt0Ie cOun-
try ut heart, and from one, moreover,
whose assurances must be based upon Il
wide and statesmtn-like comprehension o
| facts, his advice was rec eivcd with the
greatest Difference, AMI after mature de-
liberation upon the subject, the assembly,
February %, 1882, resolved to comply with
the preliminary required by th3 resolution
of congress of August %, and relinquish
all claims to jurisdiction beyond the
bounds therein mentioned.
Having thus complied with the require.
ments of congress, Vermont now confident
ly expected an immediate recognition of hel
independence, and IN Il lmission in.o the
Federal Unions and with it termination o
the disagreeable controversy with New
York. Accordingly the Legislature pro-
ceeded to choose four agents, Jonas FAY,
Moses Robinson, Paul Spooner and Isaac
Tichenor to arrange the terms Of II lmis-
sion, and then take their seats in congress as
representatives Of Vermont. On the 3lst
of March, 1882, these proceedings of the
state of Vermont, by which that state had
fully complied with the requirement of the
resolution of the 10Th of August, were
officially laid before congress. Congress
now again took up the subject, and referred
it TO II committee of five, who, on the 18th
of April, reported "Fhtt in the opinion o.
the committee, Vermont hrd fully complied
with the resolution Of the 20Lh of August
asipreliminary to the recognition of her
sovereignty and independence, AMI almis-
sion into the Federal Union; and that the
conditional promise of such recognition
They declared that compliance would destroy tn,
foundation OF the harmony winch then subsisted In
the state, and be violation of the solemn COMPACT
entered nt2 Dy e 3Gtic les OF union and confedera