The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-02-21
THE RANGERS
OR,
THE TORY'S DAUGHTER.
~ JUDGE u. y. THOMPSON
VOLUME Ii.
CHAPTER |.

Yvc owe no allegiance, we bow to no throne,
n,r ruler t. law. and the law is our own:
INV leaders themselves are our own fellow
men,
Who can handle the sword, the scythe or tn,
pen
Vermont was ushered into politica
oyistence midst storm and tempest
We sneak both metaphorically and lit
araIy: fer it is curious historical
fart thar her constitution, the result
If the first regular movement even
made hy her people towards an indie
rondent evil government, was adopted
Turing the darkest period of the re-
rolution, at an hour of connection and
alarm, wen the tempest of war was
actually bursting over her borders and
threatening the entire subversion.
And. as # to make the even more
remarkable, the adoption took place
amidst memorable thunder storm,
but for the happening of which, at
that particular juncture, as will soon
appear, that important political meas
ure must have been postponed to a
future period, too, when the measure.
rrobabiy. would have been defeated.
and the blessings of an Independent
government forever lost, owing to the
discussions. which, as soon as the
common danger was over, New York,
and New Hampshire combined to scat
fer among the people. The whole his
,orv of the settlement and organiza.
non Of the state, indeed, exhibits a
striking anomaly, when viewed with
that of any other state in the Union
She may emphatically be called the
offspring of war and controversy. The
long and fierce dispute for her territory
between the colonies above named had
shown her soil with dragon teeth,
which at length sprang up in a crop
Of hardy, determined, and liberty low
Ing men, who, instead of joining either
Of the contending parties, soon re-
solved to take stand for themselves.
against BOTH And that stand, when
taken, they maintained with a spirit
and success. to which, considering the
dscouragements, difficulties, and dan
GERS they were constantly compelled
10 encounter, history furnishes but
few parallels. But although every step
Of her progress, from the telling of the
first tree in her dark wilderness to her
final reception into the sisterhood of |
the states, was marked by the severest
trials. Vet the summer of 1S77-the |
reri0d to which the remainder of our |
tale refers-was, for her, far the most
ebony ard portentOus. And still it |
was period in which she filled the
brightest page of her history, and, at
The same time. did more than in any
other year towards insuring her subse
4urnt happy destiny
In the beginning of this eventful
year, the people of Vermont, by their
delegates in formal convention assem-
| Det, had declared themselves indie
| pendent
. Independent of all save the mercies of Cod"
as the poet who has furnished us the
| heading Of this chapter, and who has
50 strikirgly embodied the feelings of
those he describes, has significantly
expressed it. And having taken meas
ares for publishing their declaration
10 The world, the convention closed
their proceedings by appointing com
mltlee selected as combining the most
happily an acquaintance with form
and precedent with knowledge of the
ways and wants of the people, to draft
constitution to be submitted to "a
pew convention, which the people
we're invited to call for that purpose.
In response to that call, new conven-
ION assembled at Windsor, in the
month Of July following, and proceed
3D. with that diligence and scrupu. l
ouS regard TO the employment of their
line for which the early public bodies I
ms gtgtn or p1ta1 70 tnlya IN, | [
consideration the important instru- t
ent now submitted to them as a :
proper basis on which to erect the
uperstructure Of a civil government, /
llted to the genius and necessities of
Industrious and frugal people-a I
eopIe who. though keenly jealous of y :
PER- Individual rights, and exceeding .
iestye under all foreign authority, II
a. yet declared their willingness, =
ID even their wish, TO receive ard II
ey system of legal restraints, if U
'oald be one of their own imposing. y
lye days, from rising to setting II
III ms convention employed the best y
vtgles OF their practical and enlight II
~ minds IN discussing and amend L
lne document before them, their -
Qs for the present, if not for
et had we'll nigh been LOST, for, CO
after they bad assembled, on the 81
III DAY of their session, and while tn
we're intently listening to the q,
uIg OF the instrument for the last of
before taking a final vote on its ye
PuQn, their proceedings were sud tn
brought to stand by the IN
lllng news, loudly proclaimed by sic
ta.o, who appeared on his foam i,a
sIT ~ horse before their open door, in,
lliiCcon,deroga, the supposed i'm tn
s.d6Ie barrier of frontier defence, fol
'SiIen, and our scattered troops p pr'
lI%in1g IN every direction before Co
4dole British army, that was pu
II4s' unopposed, along the wes- s rre
goIder of the state, fanked by as
us OF merciless savages, from az
FEARFUL iruptions not dwelling r mi
-al sue OF the mountains would oui
a{ be spared the
az 5 !lleiilgence, SO unexpected and adj
"uDe. too nearly concerned the col
e.Is ol the convention, not only nal
'uIo'F' hut AS men, to permit s s,i,
A.lfe exemption from the gen lii