Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-08-13
What Is Patriotism: and What the
Type of Vermont Patriotism =?

atty to whatever organization or terri
torial division a man chooses to be loyal
to. If he confesses allegiance to his
country, and stands by his country that
is patriotism. If he owns. allegiance to
his State, and stands by that, he is
patriot even though his State is in re-
bellion against the country of which it
forms part. BY parity of reasoning IL
a man chooses to consider his city his
patria country he may refuse to regard
the State laws; obey only the city ordin-
ances. and pay only the city taxes, and
still be a patriot And so on down till
simple devotion to a mans farm or
domicie is form of patriotism In sup
port OF this singular position the out
look cites an incorrect reference to a
part of the early history of Vermont, as
follows
What constitutes patriotism?
In Harpers Magazine for August
there is an article by Mayo w. Hazeltne
on "rhe Republic of Vermont" In this
| is dcscribod the plucky stand taken by
the Green Mountain Boys in defence of
their homes They had settled in what
| is now Vermont under the authority of
| royal grants given to New Hampshire.
|
land belonged to New York. The con-
troversy tina, resulted between New
| Hampshire and New York was of vital
Importance to these settlers; for If New
York. representing the authority of the
| British government should gain posses
sion of this territory, they would he dis
| possessed and their families impoVerish
ed When the War for Independence
broke out. they had, perhaps. as the
! author says. stronger reasons than any
other American colonists for rebellion
against the British crown" for If the
colonies should he defeated, the British
troops would enforce the decision of the
crown and Dust these men from their
| farms. Therefore they had at stake not
only the political liberties which were
threatened by Pariament's assumption
of right to tax the colonies but also
a title to tho homes which they had
| created in the Wilderness" Here is a
concrete example Of patriotism in its
rudimentary form the instructive i'm
pulse to protect tho family.
The Outlook thus gets patriotism down
to synonym for instinct, or in its
own phrase. nstinctive impulse"'-a
rather pitiful degradation of the noble
virtue of patriotism,
But in quoting Mr.. Hazeltinc, the Out
look does not cite a very accurate au-
| thority If the editor of that paper will
refer to Gov Inland Halls very accurate
Early History of Vermont, he will learn
that up to 17Gi. the territory which he
| came Vermont had been uniformly
recognized by the Kings government as
belonging to New Hampshire: and that
though in that year New York procured
q royal order fixing the Connecticut river
as the eastern boundary of the province
of New York, that order was in effect
reversed by later order, issued In 1861,
forbiddlng the New York governor to
grant any more lands within the terri
tory of the New Hampshire grants, now
Vermont. The settlers resisted New
! Yorl's attempts to dspossoss them of
their lands: but fear of losing the titles
to their farms was not the motive which
led them to formally pledge themselves,
as they did, upon the first organization
uf their INDEPENDENT commonwealth to
furnish more than five thousand hardy
soldiers" to the continental army Their
motive was expressed in their declara
ton. 1t was for the defence of Ameri-
can liberty" For this they stood ready
to fight, and did fight, throughout the
War of the Revolution
The stronger reasons than other col
onists had for rebellion against the
crown" imagined by Mr.. Hazeltinc, did
not exist. The Green Mountain Boys had
less reasons for rebellion than the other
colonists. for the Continental Congress re-
gardcd their territory as part of New
York. and the British were willing &c
recognize Vermont as separate colony
if they would take the side of the crown
General Haldimand, governor Of Canada
and commander of the British army il
North America, in his negotiations witt
Governor Chittenden, Ira Allen and the
Vermont leaders, looking towards wha
he hoped would be the detachment o
Vermont from the American cause, eX
pressly agreed that the New Hampshire
titles to the Vermont lands should b
recognized and confirmed, against tn
: New York titles The proclamation which
Il Haldimand agreed to issue to the Yer
ume | of the Collections of the Vernon
- Historical Society, a copy of it havin
- been preserved among Governor Chitten
~ denis papers 1t contains these passages
" Il embrace this mode as the most pub
lie of declaring to the people of Vernon
- that upon their offectually reunitir
! themselves a government under tn
4, crown of Great Britain they shall be cor
6 sidered by the same IS an Independent
IS province and shall enjoy every preroga
tive and immunity, etc, etc.
;e and in order to remove the injuries sal
m to have been exercised against them h
r the New York government in obtainin
Ne grants of land which had in consequent
rs of grants from New Hampshire bee
as cultivated by the labour and industry
he the inhabitants of the Green Mountain
It, | hereby further promise that until sue
&c time as his Maiesty's pleasure shall |
d, signned to me dor which have alread
ed made application to confirm to the PEI
pie Of Vermont their acquisition OF te
of ritcry together with their landed pro-
n erty as granted under New Hampshire
i'd The kind of "rudimentary patriotism
m which the Outlook ascribes to the We
he monters, being care for the titles to the
he farms, would have led them to side wi
FL the British. Their patriotism was of
IN very different quality. For the 'defen
n of American Liberty they rsked pro
in erty and sacrificed life and endure
at l,Lt thaU