Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-01-19
b the ordinary in
settlement and ad-
( the other States,
irring events

thus making tho euffry history of Vermont
wholly unlike that OF any other State and
ling it with passages Of valor and wisdom,
which not only appeal TO the pride OF Yer
monters but challenge the admiration of the
general reader.
1t is certainly a singular fact that up to
about 1850, when our grandfathors settled in
Vermont with the exception OF q few fami-
lies which had moved into Windham county
after 1924, the whole territory was uninhab-
ited From time immemorial it seems to
have bern set apart q kind OF martial
arena dedicated 30 hostile expeditions and
enterprises. The aboriginal tribes, even,
did not occupy it, They looked upon it as
neutral ground. 1t was constantly traversed
by Indian tribes in their hostile expeditions
against each other aud must have been tho
theatre of the most appalling Indian conflicts,
and had come to be regarded as is tho brief
space between contending armies-danger-
Gus ground. Such, in briof, was the coudi-
! tion of the territory Of Vermont in aborig-
inal times and much the same state of things
was continued during the colonial period.
| No set of men had then been found brave
enough to undertake the work Of wrestling
from natures grasp her
Rugged Hill sides and Mountain Slopes.
on this continent was settled by Wolfe and
Montcalm before the walls of Quebsc, and
the territory OF Vermont was relieved from
the dire influence OF war and promptly oc-
cupied by a set Of brave, hardy pioneers
who carved for themeelves homo out Of the
mountain wilderness and there set up in
peace, at last, their household gods. Sud
denly, however, this territory which no one
! In the centuries back, not even the Indian
tribes had dared to own, SO excited the Gu
pidity of the surrounding colonies that it
was claimed in part by New Hampshire aud
Massachusetts and wholly by New York.
And If this region so long left to the wild
antics of war would not without strife be
subject to civilization, these claims, oil
know, were resisted with epiric by tho brave
men whose flresides were at stake, and re
suited in a stirring border war which lasted
26 years and ended only with the admission
OF Vermont into the Union in 1901. Surely
this was a romantic beginning, but it is
only small part OF the whole story. The
people OF Vermont, finding themselves in
armed conflict with New York and encom-
passed on all sides, even by Canada on the
north. with subtle and graSping policies OF
statecraft, after first potitionlng Congress
for relief and being advised by resolution
of that body to submit to the jurisdiction
OF New York, just 20 days after the declar-
alton OF Independence from Great
Britain, on tue 2ith day Of July,
1716, met in convention ut Dorset
and at an adjourned meeting in the follow
ing January, 1l5 years ago to-day, do
ciared their territory or State to be
forever thereafter free aud inde-
pendent jurisdiction, thus standing out
independent Of all surroundings; OF king,
,fr ia
and especially OF New York heedfnl only
OF the laws which thsy themselves skoult
mako for their own government and Of
Their Allegiance TO the Eternal one
who rules with the armies Of the HEAVIER
aud the inhabitant, of earth.
Tell me, what people in history, so few il
numbers, ever before took such a DARN
step as this ? But they did not rest on their
declaration. They came out early 10 years
before the federal constitution was adopte
and six months before the Old articles o!
confederation were agree to, with a writ
ten constitution, which, with slight changes
ia the organic law Of Vermont to-day and
model OF its kind The very first section OF
this instrument contains this language:
"No male person, born in th country, ol
brought from over sea, shall ba holden by
law to serve any person AS a servant, slave
or apprentice after he arrives at tina age of
81 years; nor female in like manner after
she arrive. at tho aye o! IS ers, unies!
they are bcuud by thsir own consent attsr
thep arrive al such ege or bound by law fo
the payment Of debts, damages, fines cost
or the like"
Fix in your minds that it was in III
, til t the Green Mountain Boys first put into
their organic law this prohibit OF slav-
tune tolerated the institution. Fix also il
! your minds that it was not only tho frs
3 constitutional provision of the kind on th
continent, but the first ever put forth by
any peopie any whore on the face OF tbs
. globe; and tel me, is it any wonder tina
t Vermonters point with pride to
Tht Grand Passage in Their History
Hardly less noticeable also, was tina
other provision in that remarkable consti
e tuition, looking to the perfect freedom o
3 conscience in religious matters and demand
ing the complete separation OF church an
{ State, as the surest way to preserve th
= liberty of both. This is more noticeabl
e because it was a clean departure, made by
r New England men, from every custom anC
4 tradition OF New England, in every colon,
Il OF which the State seemed to be but th,
t handmald of the church. The founders O
n this li;tls State among the mountains wer
r reaching for the very highest notes in tn
/ anthem OF liberty, and were not conten
y with declaring the freedom of tho body
= alone; but they said, mans spiritual natur
C nature and his conscience shall bs set FIRE
J. also.
= But | must not dwell longer on thss
great initial acts OF Vermont's Statehood
g except to say, that on the day OF the adop
!, ton OF her constitution, July 3, l7i7, a
Q Windsor, and while it was being read para
J. graph by paragraph for tho last time
!, courier arrived in hot haste from the ives
If side with intelligence of the retreat fror
10 Ticondsroga OF the American troops befor
Il Burgoyne's army OF Hessians and Indians
|, coming down from the north on both side
- OF the lake. Here was indeed an awful crisi
10 ons beyond the control OF constitutions O
lie conventions and for which
70 IheOnly Cure was Ba7 onets and Ballet
The conflict which followed 10 known
= history as the battle of Bsnning ton, whic
,e was tue first streak OF light in the Cont
le mental struggle. Thr only thing have