The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1904-04-14

4
Published 10 fall. rhere can be no doub,
70 10 their authenticity and are intensely
Interesting 10 every student CT the early
history Of the staie. Tue first convention
was held 10 Arlington Dee mbef ooh l155,
and MAS merely preliminary for the pur.
pose Of ling CONVENTION 10 sc. upon
certain prop s,ionr, ard VAS signed by
seven prominent citz ms ~ committee. Al
far ~ known this was the Il .. sep taken
towards ofgAnlx ltion.
Among the questions to be acted upon at
the coming convention wa, one ITO ae II
the LAW OF New York shall hsye free cir
culstion where Ii doth not infringe on our
properties or Title on Lind or riots 80
called 10 defense Of the same.
Also $40 zee whether the convention will
consent TO associate with New York, or BY
themselves 10 the cause OF America"
This shows there was DO division ~ to dc
tending their titles TO the md against the
encroaehments Of New York or ~ to OPP
opposition to Great Britain, but there were
some who were willing to acknowledge the
authority Of New York, provided their
land titles we're duly Recognized.
The convention 81 called me. 1t the ion
Of Cephas Kent In Dorset, January 10th,
l776. At this mee.iag the question Of &C.
knowltdging the authority Of New York
WAS passed over and committee WAS sp-
pointed to present a petition to the Cont
mental Congress asking that the New
Hampshire Grants be rtc)gpizsd asa sep
arsle colony or government. At this con-
venlion only delegates from towns west Of
the mountains were present, but In subse-
quent col ventions the towns on the east
side sent representatives. The towns In
this county had the following number Of
delegates according to population: Pownal
1, Benni igton 5, Shsftsbury 4, Arlington 3,
Sunderland 2, Manchester 4. Dorset, q
Rupert 2,
The call for the sec md convention was
issued June 24.h l776, to hear the report OF
the committee cent with the petition to
Congress, also ITO know the milds Of the
convention, relative to their associating
with the province Of New Hampshire, and
10 ease th, was Of cited te, to zee whether
said convention will sgree to an associa-
ton mo. Iepugnant to that Ct the CONT
mental Congress) and subscribe thereto, to
do duty / 4 conjunction with the Con.inen-
tai troops only as members Of the dis
trict Of land which they inhsbIt
From the wording Of this call 1t IL evil
dent that the committee were informed Of
the failure OF their peii Ion TO Congress
and there was no longer any sentiment In
favor Of uniting with New York, and little
Y any In favor Of uniting with New Hamp-
shire. II was plain TO them that the senti-
ment Of the people was strongly In favor o
complete independence, though It was be-
tore the fam )us Declaration Of Indep en-
dence Of July 4.h at Philadelphia.
The convention met at Dorset July Gath
and wa, attended by so delegates, only two
coming from east OF the mountains. The
Committee to Congress repor,e that they
had presented the petition, that IL was
strongly opposed by thu members from
New York, aud tina. on the advice Of the
most II 4 icn,ial members II was withdrawn
Tor the reason that, IL pressed to vote,
Congress would have decided that the New
Hampshire Grants belonged to New York
they knew the people Of the Grants would
resent this and did wi,ely In withdra wing
The convention approved thls action and
voted against unitipg with New Hanp-
shire. They thea voted to clare their
Independence with only on dissenting vote,
that Of Thomas Bratan Of Clarendon.
This declaration was also adopted, and
.hould be learned by all the school child
zen In the state.
I'VE, the subscribers, Inhabitants u that |
District OF Land commonly called and
known by the name OIL the New Hampshire |
do voluntarily and s1lemnly engage
under all the ties held sacred among man.
kind, at the risk OF our lives and fortunes
TO defend by arms the United American
States against the hostile attempts Of the
British q cts aud armies, until the present
unhappy CONTROVERSY between the two
shall be settled"
The following names cf delegates were
igned to this declaration: Joseph Bowk r
Thomas Chittenden, Simeon Hstba way,
Clark, Joseph Bradley, Micah
Veal, william Gage, Reuben Harmon. J,hr
Aaniey, Seth Warner, william Marsh. Gid.
on ormsby, Stephen Royce, Amos ca IN,
RI Allen, Nehemiah How, Asa JJh
Brown Chamberlain, Abraham Jackson,
'amuel Wright, ,muel Benton, Jesse B.l
sp, Abraham 4 iderhilI, Il yhraIm Bs~il',
sben Allen, Berjsmin Hiekok, I.,i b Law
ence, Daniel Caiyer, ] i'm Barnup, J IN
.rong, Lemael Bradley, JJhn Gage. Jlhn
lott, Jonathan Roslee, John Fasesf,
aaron Psrsors, william Ward, j ames Bent.
y, Thomas Morgan, Heman Allen, Johr
Iarnum 2nd, Matthew Lyon, william Fitch
'sden Mallory, Jonas Fav, Martin Powell
,oger R,se, samuel Fletcher and josiah
lsa.
The Convention appointed vari US com
littees TO carry out crude system Of gov
rnmeni, for enrolling and ascring the mil. q
Ia and 4 red heavy peaalgies for refusing
appear when called out Ia ease Of dan
81. II Al., voted 10 consuuc, a III near c
,e reslderca Of Martin Powell In Manches-
r, 10 which 10 eSn1ae tories.
A1osher convention was held .. West r
lnst<r October s0sh i77s, and another at
IL ssme pace January Is b i71s and the
., 1t Windsor Jane Al i97z Al all
ese conventions important action WAS
ken but We have NOT space TO quote more. =,
airing this period whai Is roT Vermont
y 10 purpose aSd effect free and isdepss-