Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-11-27
THE MAKING OF VERMONT.
The Striking Address by Judge w ndeli
p. Stafford Monday Night Under the
Auspices Of the Woman's Club.

Judge Wendell p. Stafford of ST. Johns
bury fulfilled Monday evening his promise
to give an address in Brattleboro under
the auspices of the Womans club. 1t
was not favorable evening. the stores
being open and the ground being covered
vita snow. which had been falling "A large
part OF the day. nevertheless the an
nouncemcnt that Judge Stafford was to
speak attracted "A large number to the
Congregational church. where the address
was given. Judge Stafford. who is one
of the younger members of the Vermont
supreme court. is not seeking a reputa-
ton as a distinguished orator yet 1t is
coming to him rapidly. His words are
full of flashing fire and living truth His
subject Monday evening was. The Max
ing OF Vermont" on which he spoke Il
full hour 1t was historical. yet many
of the facts he told were known to com
paratiVcY few and all of them We're
clothed in way 20 make them OF thrilling
interest ana to inspire the audience with
admiration for the plucky little state.
The following gives one but "A meagre
conception of the excellent address:
Tine quarrel between New York and
the New Hampshire grants was not a
mere question of boundary; it was not
merely great lawsuit concerning law;
it was not merely resistance to unjust
and arbitrary acts that threatened ruin
estimate the struggle You cannot even
understand it until YOU see in il Crap
pie between aristucracY and democracy.
between the Crown and the Common
wealth The principles and practices of
government that marked the sway of
Golden and Clinton came down through
tho school of kingly prerogative to
George III. from Charles L. while the
strength of Allen and Warner. of Fay and
Chittenden, was drawn from the ideas
that settled Plymouth and trumphed at
Naseby and held up the hands of the
Long Parliament,-ideas that prompted
the pen of Milton, the tongue of Vane.
the hear, of Hampden. the sword of
Cromwell, and finally brought the head of
the first Stuart to the block, Vermont
was peopled from Rhode Island Massa-
chusetts. and Connecticut. The key fact
Is not that they took their charter
through Benning Wentworth from the
King, but that they claimed the rights
~ freemen through a long line of heroic
fathers from the King of kings.
''rhe effect of the Albany decision was
to annul every grant under New Hamp-
shire. With the settlers their all was at
stake They had bought the land and
paid for it; they had gone into the wilder
ness and built their homes they had
sweat to clear the ground, and all they
had in the world was invested in the
soil, If the judgment was to stand and
be enforced they were beggars and out
casts upon the face of the earth. They
resolved to appeal-to bring the case be-
fore the King himself, and in the mean
time to defend their homes. 1t was an
audacous stand; il was throwing their
gage into the face of government itself;
but II was that or ruin. Then began to
be shown forth those qualities, courage,
endurance, sagacity. sef-control, which
through seven dangerous and desperate
years were slowly to mould a hundred
people and scattered settlements into
single, bold, united and independent peo-
pie"