The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-03-04

have been celebrated in song and story.
Allen undertook to defend the settlers
before the courts at Albany, but their
deeds to their lands were set aside by
the judges and verdicts against them
were readily obtained. Allen was
urged to go home and persuade his
Green Mountain friends to make the
best terms they could with their new
landlords. Might" the Workers
said to him, Gotten prevails against
right" "The gods of the valleys are
not the gods of the hills" was Aliens
mysterious answer, and, when asked to
explain his meaning, the questioner
was told that if he would come to Ben
nington the sense would be made clear"
Every act of injustice and oppres-
sion, every attempt to dispossess set
tiers of their lands, only intensified
their opposition and when the War of
the Revolution broke out the Vermonters
were openly defying the power of New
York. AT Ticonderoga, Hubbardton
and Bennington, the Green Mountain
Boys exhibited their devotion to the
cause of the colonies, but when Yer
mont asked of the continental con-
gress recognition of her independence
her petition was refused. Difference
to New York was more powerful at
Philadelphia in the case of Vermont
than sense of right aud justice. Allen
and his cOmpatriots foresaw that the
triumph of the national cause meant
for Vermont the sacrifice of her indie
pendence, her absorption by New York.
They could hope for nothing from con-
gress. Their only reliance was upon
themselves. Accordingly, in 1777, the
settlers of Vermont declared their in
dependence and established govern
ment. The leaders coquetted with
Canada to save their territory from in
vasion from that quarter. In charac-
teristic letter to congress in 17Sl, Allen
maintained his attachment to the cause
| Vi us COuullO anu SuSluluNu JliC LIZ III
of Vermont to secure cessation of hos
tilities with the British, provided the
United States persisted in denying
her application for union with them.
He expressed his resolution to defend
the independence of Vermont, as con-
gress was defending that of the United
States, and, rather than fail, he would
"retire Nth the hardy Green Mountain
Boys into the deSoIdte cauerns of the
mountains and rage toar Nth human no-
ture at large"
The bold spirit of the Vermonters
made them friends in congress. New
Hampshire again set up her claims to
this territory, and Massachusetts, came
to the front as third claimant. The
latter claim was apparently strategic.
Congress, embarrassed by these con-
Aicting demands, had plausible excuse
for delaying action in the case of the
opportunities of New York. Under the
circumstances, congress could not af.
ford to jeopardize the success of the
war for independence by offending New
York by acknowledging The independ-
ence of Vermont, and the counter
claims of New Hampshire and Massa-
chusetts afforded preteXt for delay.
There was evidently an understanding
between New Hampshire and New
York for the partition of Vermont
along the line of the mountain range.
Massachusetts interference prevented
the consent of congress to this arrange
ment and averted civil war, for Aliens
bold phrase contained no idle threat.
So congress temporized till peace was
declared, and the Vermonters main
tanned their defiant resistance to New
York. During the period of the con-
federation, released from anxiety along
her northern borders, Vermont's desire
but with the adoption of the federal
constitution in 1888, her people en-
forced their right and claim to admis-
sion as free and Independent state.
New Hampshire and Massachusetts re-
linquished their claims; Vermont on
her part dissolved the union she had
formed with the towns of New Hamp-
shire along the Connecticut river, and
finally New York consented to the in
dependence of the state on condition
that the latter should make no claim to
New York territory along the borders
where the towns had fraternized with
Vermont and had sent representatives
to her councils. February 10, 1901,
the national house of representatives
passed the bill for the admission of the
state on the 4th of the following
March. February IA the bill passed
the senate and on the 18th it re-
ceived the signature of President Wash
on1aI th;a IL Ia