Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1890-01-16
THE OBLIGATORY ADDRESS,
An Eloquent and Interesting Survey OF
Earlier Times and Persons.

An Eloquent and Interesting Survey of
Earlier Times and Persons.
tee, and Friends
am proud to be called Green Mountain Yam.
kee. Graded among her rocks and pines Ver-
mont has herself Graded more sturdy citizens to
| the square rod than any other state in the Union
She holds unique place in the history of the
country Though a little one in the American
s1sterhood, she has been as much desired by her
nelghbors as was the unfortunate Poland. In
| the days her early maidenhood she was claimed
by no less than three persistent suitOrs who in
the ardor of their attachment and rivalship, put
her to no little inconvenience. The geographical
knowledge of the English sovereigns and their
ministers concerning the colonial lands was in
about rs chaotic a state as was that of a certain
college student who bounded Massachusetts on
the north by the British empire and consequent.
~ the charters which bore the royal seal were
often not little indefinite to boundaries.
| Massachusetts and Connecticut, it seems held
their rights and privileges under the crown by a
| charter which extended their western line to the
South sea or the Pacific ocean, but notwithstand-
| ing this Charles III granted to his brother, the
| Duke of York, tract of land called New York
which was to be bounded on the east by the Con.
| ncctlcut river. And so when the New Yorker
started out charter in hand, to find the Connec-
tlcIt, he of course ran against the Massachusetts
and Connecticut colOnists, who with their char
tiers were out in quest of the Pacific. After
much parleying and not a little Indignation at his
majesty's geographical blnders, the three gran
tees compromised upon line running 20 miles
east of the Hudson.
Meanwhile, New Hampshire with her eyes upon
the star OF empire was ambitious to project her
lines into the west as far as possible, and without
possessing any legitimate grants took it for grant
Gu titt ner sunset pouhuary shouiu lie as far
| west as that of Massachusetts or Connecticut,
and Benning Wentworth becoming governor of
the province, forthwith began to issue patents for
| townships beyond the green mountains. The
multiplication of these grants and the establish
ment of the town of Bennington under New
| Hampshire authority speedily aroused the avas.
| AI4A,eInAr declared
! NcM.3 Hampshire was s,isfasina q what Did MOI,
belong to her; Al lands north q MASSACHUSETTS,
and west of the Connecticut he claimed for him
self Wentworth paid little heed to his claim
end end 81 m to ssgs o 9e a9d bS ssfre the
| l39 townships. sturdy band of enterprising
| yeomen had come into the grants from all direc-
alarmed at what seemed to be the growth of a ii
| val power within her borders, New York ap-
pealed to the crown and the crown Immediately
put its thumb and finger upon New Hampshire's
western aspirations and nipped them in the bud.
1t said "Beyond the Connecticut you shall not go.
| What is on the other side is of New York" This
was in 1864, and all parties said, ''The king hath
| spoken let it be- 1t made little difference
to the grantees in the disputed lands whether
| they were amendable to New Hampshire New
York so long as they held their grants in peace;
but peace was not vOuchSafed for them. Certain
astute dignitaries of New York who were learned
i'll the law cast q covetOus eye upon the fertile
| acres of the New Hampshire grants and with the
dictum ''iuriSClictiOn is possession proposed to
dispossess the farmers of their lands and homes.
The occupants might hold their lands if they
would take out new patents and fee the lawyers,
otherwise they must go. Naturally there were
indications of thunder storm among the Green
Mountains and the rumbings thereof were borne
to the ears of the governor of New York, but he
did not heed them. The Vaccinations of the
land spectators deepencd. Settlers were sum
| mOned to appear with their claims before the
governor and council. They said owe will not
60" Then" said the government, 'your lands
are forfeited" eve shall see," said they, and
forthwith despatched one of their number to Law
their wrongs before the king. His majesty IA
vored them and forbade the issuing of any more
patents in the New Hampshire grants until his
intentions should be furthermade known. Butas
| nothing was said about the grants already issued
| the New Workers assumed the right to enforce
| them. This involved several ejectments which at
once aroused the hot Indignation OF the pioneers
| and called to the front man who had already
shown the marks of leadership.
Born in Connecticut February l3, 1879, Ethan
| Allen with four younger brothers emigrated to
Vermont about 1853, and settled plain farmer
| in the township of Bennington. A man of parts
he soon made himself felt and it needed but the
occasion which we have already alluded to to
make a champion of him. He had certain auali-
ties of character which made it dangerous for a
New York constable to serve writ of ejectment
when he was around. Taking up the cause of
the oppressed settlers he went to Albany in their
behalf in 1170 and after presenting their claims
with but poor success he told some of the gentle
men there who counseled submission that 'sthe
gods of the valleys not the gods of the hills
"What mean you, sir?" said the kings attorney.
| "Come up to Bennington and you shall see" was
| the acOnic reply.
talneers grew desperate, and at last took matters
into their own hands. When the sheriff and his
posse appeared they were seized and subjected
TO disciplinary process which the Green Noun
tain boys were pleased to call ''chastisement with
| the twigs of the Wilderness Ethan Allen be
ing the instigator of this and kindred indignites
against the kings deputies ard being the ring
leader Of The letters, his eNcellency the governor
of New York launched upon him a formidable
proclamation declaring that the man who would
apprehend him should receive reward of 20
pounds. This was followed by another procla-
nation and an offer of 100 pounds. Allen, not to
| be outdone in this mode of warfare, offered a
ward of five pounds to the person who would de
liver the obnoxious attorney general into the Gus
tody of the Green Mountain boys. They had in
pickle for him some twigs of the wilderness.
This war of proclamatiOns was battle without
blood but it stirred up not a little bad blood on
both sides. Allen thought it hard that he should
/ be branded as Il felon for defending his home,
and the governor came to the conclusion that the
Green Mountain grantees Were a set of incorrigi-
\ bleS. With that blindness which seemed to be a
congenital defect of Toryism in America he failed
\ to see that there was nothing more obnoxious to
native colonist than feeling of coercion. AL
j len and his friends would brook no menace of
/ their rights. \ luckless surveyor who was run
/ ming out lands for some New York claimants was
seized, court martialed and condemned to pun
lshment. Parties who had taken saw mill from
/ the injured gentlemen were driven out and the
mill restored TO its first owner. A Justice of the
+ peace acting under GOV. Tyron tied to a tree
and chastlsed with the twigs of the wilderness to
7 the number of 200 stripes. contumiuous doe
tor who had the hartIhood to side with the New
YORK claimants and who proposed 10 defend him
sell with sword and pistols, was captured, taken
TO Bennington tavern, tied ON a chair and drawn
W on sign post to u height of - feet where for
two hours he was Obliged to sit face to face with
with wide extended iaws was grinning terror
toward the state OF New York
The price ON Aliens head made it somewhat
dangerous for him to venture far alone, aud once
ar twice he came near being captured but his wits
/ saved him Meanwhile the break between the