Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-06-02
THE VERMONT PH05NIx BRATTLEBORO FRIDAY 1898

a free and independent people, unueE Tree
government of their own; adopting sys-
TEN of legal procedure and clothing their
courts with power to enforce its DEGREES.
In June, 1870, the formation of Cumber-
land county under the king and the hold
ing of the kings court at Chester were de-
clared by the settlers to be a sham, and &C
cordingly they interfered and prevented
the transaction of business. On the 14th
| of March, 1915, the first blood of the Rev
| olution was shed upon our soil in dispensing
| the kings court at Westminster In arrest
! ing the kings sheriff and his posse the people
/ in the Connecticut valley were aided by
! the settlers both north and west, who had
retired further back upon the sides and in
| the valleys Of the Green mountains,
/ Those who thus volunteered were then
named the Green Mountain boys. Can
any historian give me a name that repro
sents a class of men of more brains, or
nerve, or courage than that name-house-
hold words-"Green Mountain boysY'
The stOrming of Marie's Heights, in
which so many Vermonters participates;
carrying the confederate rifle pits at Lees
Mills and Hazel Run, amidst the roar OF
musketry and the thunder of cannon-not
exceeded in dash and daring and brave
fighting in the whole war of the Rebellion
! -s0OWtu lnhl lIt NERVE, lllt utbblCi buC
brave manhood of the Green Mountain
boys had been handed down from genera
ton to generation.
The day of the adoption of the consti-
tuition of Vermont, which made her an in
dependent nation mot colony, but ma
tion), Ticonderoga was captured by the
British, and the advance of Gen. Burgoyne
made 1t apparent that this young and in
FAINT nation must again be the frontier, and
again subjected to the hardship, havoc and
ruin of contending armies.
New York was vet claiming the whole
territory of Vermont, Massachusetts, Bay
a part of 1t, Great Britain with her armies
and fleets was threatening humiliation,
while the inhabitants of the territory COW
! cred by Vermont maintained that their pur-
chase of the New Hampshire grants was
valid; and that their meagre homes that
/, had broken the wilderness were vested in
them in fee; that the territory was theirs
for they had bought it. They sent defiance
to the sheriffs of New York, they scorned
? the claim of Massachusetts,, and swore out
their freedom from British rule. They
confscated the lands and property of the
Tories and with the proceeds thereof
= mainly paid the expenses of this little gov
= eminent. Congress did nothing to defend
: sion of the British army.
t While New York claimed the whole ter
+ ritory, as | have said and New Hamp
e shire and Massachusetts each a part o
: it, yet neither of these states did any
> thing to defend the homes of our father
I and mothers among these hills and noun
> tains against the attacks of a common en-
= envy.
}, Thus during the whole period of tn
Revolution this little nation of Vernon
{ successfully maintained her independents
} and defended the rights of her peOpl
II against the authorities of her border colo
/ MES; she participated in the capture o
C forts from the common enemy in the nam
of the great Jehovah and the Continenta
e Congress. She pettioned Congress to b
l admitted into the Union, but her petition
J." were denied; the efforts of her people 4
= maintain their government and enforc
the execution of its law was regarded b
u that body as highly derogatOry to the au
/ thOrity of the United States.
Ut 1t Is true that at times when Congress
IT threatened to interfere with our local gov
v eminent or police regulations without &C
y knowledging the existence of the state
without admitting it to a representation il
e that body, Gov. Chittenden blessed b
+ his memory in effect threatened to negoti
IS ate cessation of hostilties with Grea
u Britain, and did, through the Aliens AM
! Warmers and Bakers, correspond and ne
l. gotiate with the British general, Haldi
e mand, and through discussions, delays
IL pTocrastnaton, sagacity and good tactics
5 kept the English army on our borders il
l. such hope and anxiety as to the future con
a duct of Vermont that many homes wer
d preserved and many babes were rocked il
o cradles of security that would otherwis
n have persisted by the conflict of arms.
a Fellow citizens, am | not correct in say
a ing that over century ago there live
IL among these hills and mountains a race @
)r men and women, who in courage and feaI
20 less conduct were without superiOrs in tn
Id whole history of the world?
E. When the powers of this great govern
ment were subsequently defied and the fla
lie which represented it was trailed in til
y dust by a slave-holding confederacy, tn
Id descendants of these same heroes of mour
s tains and valleys, devoted to their home!
IS however meek and lowly, who with homo
L and pride caressed their parents, wit
re hearts full of love kissed their babes, ra
Id lied at the nations call and became soldier
l. without superors in the worlds history
w battles
re On the 10Th day of January, 1888, art
a Giles of peace were executed between Grei
Us Britain and the United States. And thu
ne our ancestors set the world new exampl
OF of founding civil institutions on the gres
t. and united principles of human freedol
ne and human intelligence. No vigor
ne youth or maturity of manhood can lead l
at to forget how this nation was Graded an
p has been defended.
w Vermont can boast of her sweet pa
ry lures and green hills, of her romant
or scenery, her freedom from illiteracy, pa
by perism and crime, of her women, fou
ed tains of purity and good morals, intelligeI
le- and industrious; she may boast OF III
he sons who have wrought such wunlerfl
re successes in the great West; of her state
he men in the halls of Congress; of the abil
ty and fidelity of her judiciary; but abo'
ms all these, let me say as citizen, new,
)t, having been a soldier, that she can boa
so of a record, veterans, that you and yol
ID comrades make for her and for yOurselve
to hardly equaled anywhere in history.
es The battle-fields of Bull Run, Frederick
ID,
he --------