Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-03


the wilderness were tho picked and
chosen spirits of those frcedom.lcvinE
governors found them hard to- marriage.
No wonder Burgoync proclaimed them
the most active and robo!lious race on
the continent. Largc-limb,d. broad
chestcl. the best blood of England 3ound-
ing in their veins. the wind of tho free
mountains breathing in thoir lungs.
RunnvmeIe and the commonwealth
woven into every fibre of brain and heart
what had they to do with the petty dos
pots of Il tory colony.-thc p,iful crea-
lures and hangcrs-on upon royalty:
They took liberty for their mistrt - and
worshippcd her with unbounded dcvo-
ton.
TIRE NEW YORK TROUBLE.
When Ann story came tc Salisbury the
New York trouble had been active for II
dozen years Ten years before. the kings
had fixed the line Between New York and
New Hampshire at the Come cticut
river. At the same time he had Icolar-
81 that grants previously issued by the
New Hampshire governor and settled in
good faith by his subjects should be
held good. Year after year. New York
had trod,lon the mandate under foot.
declared the New Hampshire charters
null and void and kept on granting tho
same lands to others. Five years before.
The test case had been tried mt Albany ard
n judgment rendered that made every
claimant under New Hampshire a tres
passcr and "A vagahond. When the deci-
sion was announced .Allcnhad startled the
confident lard jobhcrs with his nlystcr-
ions oracle THE Gods Of the Valleys are
not tho Gods Of tho Hills" and. sunmcu
and winter since. he had been lahorins
To make its meaning plain to their dark
cncd understandings. For five restless
and vigilant years the Green Mountain
Eoys had been holding Of the writs of
possession. sending home the foreign
surveyors with the great beech seal"
upon their backs and teaching the New
York officers by painful and repeated
process to know and recognize tho limits
of their bailiwick. Prudence, saracity.
and self-control had grown up e. match
their splendid courage, their unbcnding
resolution. Year by year. through COM
mittoe and convention the bonds Of union
had been knitted between town ana town
until the time had almost come when a
hundred fearful and scattered settlements
were to be welded into n single bold.
united and independent people.
1t was at such "a time. in such COM
munty, that Ann Story's lot WAS cast.
She was Il woman, and her woman $
heart was safer guide to justice than
any that beat under the ermnc at Al
bany. She had n masculine understand
ing and she took in the Whole breadth
and scope of tho controversy. she was
wise and self-contained. and the secrets
Of the council were safe in her ears. She
was brave and strong. ard what her
mind approved her arm did not trcmbl,
TO execute. She gave herself heart and
soul to the great cause Of the peopl,
against their tyrants.
WHAT THE CONTROVERSY MEANT
1t is not easy to understand today
precisely what that controversy meant
We must try to stand where they did
We look upon our sisterhood OF States
to-day. resting On the same broad prln-
ciplcs of free government bound t"scthe,
and bulwarked by the same great con.
stltutipn, and we ask, what did it matte,
whether "A little tract Of ten thousanc
square miles should fall within thu
| bounds of ono or another? But in theil
| day it was not so. The colonies dfferot
dcly. New England was indeed pretty
much all alkc.--Puritan In religion
| democratic IN government. prnsrcssiVc il
spirit. choosing her own officers doni
her own business in town meeting. jea
| lous Of Interference from over the sea
| chatting under restraint ard ready to cas-
of the lShtost weight Of oppression
New York was Just the Opposite
| churchy in religion. aristocratic III GOV
crnnicnt. Tory in politics. stunblin,
block throughout the Revolution. Th
people had small voice ir affairs of State
Local officers we're appointed by tn
governor. and he. OF course, by the crown
A few strong families securing cnorm
Gus grants of lands and pilfcring from
| the public purse without shame--almos
| with conccalnicnt-ruled the colony. .
| course / do not mean that the common
| people of New York were 10 diiferen
from the common people OF New Eng
land, Their heart was IN the Revolution
| their heart was with the VermOnter
when Vermont was contending with thci
government at home. But they wcr
not in control. | speak Of the men VIII
held the reins Of power and Of the forr
of institutions which enabled them