The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-11

the Indignation Of our fOrebears when
their representative in Congress was
arrested tried. convicted, fined and
imprisoned for violating the hateful
SeditiOn Act. We can sympathize
with the spirit which induced them to
re-elect Matthew Lyon while he was
still serving his term in prison. We
can recall with satisfaction and pride |
the eagerness with which one thous
and citizens contributed one dollar
each to pay the fine imposed rather
than accept proifers of money from
all parts OF the country We can rev
el in the picture of that long line of
sleighs stretching along the great OF
ter all the way from Vergennes 20
Middlebury as an escort for the releas
ed patriot All this and all else that
they could do within the law TO show
their resentment they did, but no
more Not a step fell over the line
marked by John Robinson in his let
ter to the Pilgrims.
On the contrary, when Kentucky
and Virginia adopted the famous res
olutions drawn by Jefferson and Mad
ison asking the "co-states' TO unite I'm
suppressing unconstitutional action OF
the general government all Of the
states north of the Potomac based
their refusal upon their approval of
the act itself No. not ALL All but
one Vermont fatty denied the COM
pact theory OF government, saying in
substance:
I'VE have greater cause for com
plant than any other Our official
representative has been humiliated
and wrongiully punished. We as
state have been insulted, We have
shown our opinion OF the law. but it is
the law and we obey Nor do we con-
slider that the states have any right
TO attempt to annul a statute duly
enacted by Congress. The people
alone, through their chosen represent
tatives, are empowered to uphold or
repeal"
Here again was made manifest
clear conception of the principles un-
DERIVING our dual government here
again was indicated a marvellous fore
sight of problems which were bound
to arise and did arise. only-to be de-
termined by the arbirament Of the
sword. How fitting II was that, three
years later, when a Congress had been
elected to repeal the obnoxious stat
ute and the choice Of president de-
volved upon the House of Representa-
tiyes, Vermont was enabled TO make
that repeal certain by casting the one
deciding vote that sent Thomas JEFF
ferson TO the White House instead Of
Aaron Burr
If this permitted. instances of the
sagacity of the elder statesmen of
Vermont might be adduced almost
without number. But it is not neces-
sary. We know that she has never
faltered. but has invariably led the
march Of progress, enlightenment.
Christianity and peace among men.
And when she married the union she
married it for all time and when the
great crisis came she gave freely
more sons in proportion than any
other state Almost a 1.-THE OF all her
people
Pitiable indeed, must be the spirit
of one not proud to own such com
monwealth as his mother state. Seat
ed high among the beautiful hills she
still keeps alight the torch of liberty
under the law. True as steel to the
union she mas proven True may she
ever be. But it is not without a thrill
of exultation that We realize that the
flag under which we sit tonight is her
Gag. the flag of the free and indepen'
dent republic of Vermont, adopted by
the same convention that abolished
slavery, the first flag made in all the
world that guaranteed universal free
dom the flag that was maintained for
thirteen long years against odds that
might have dismayed the heroes OF
sparta. the flag untarnished, its blue
and gold as pure as the cleaning snow
which now rest lovingly upon the yer,
dant hills, the fruitful meadows ana
tbo little churchyards about which
there cluster memories so precious ana
So sacred that like the storied Zion
to the Hebrew singer Of old, her very
dust to us is dear.