Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1909-01-22
vERMoNT's DECLARATION OF INDIE
PENDENcE.

During this year OF anniversaries Of
interest to Vermont Il Is well to re-
call the fact that our state has a host
OF events in her history we'll worth
frequent recalling. For example, we
should note the fact that 1872 years ago
Vermont signalized her birth as com
monwealth by Issuing a declaration of
independence, and It is wen worth while
to consider a few important influences
leading up to that momentous action.
AS is usually the case in connection
with controversy involving a con-
siderable number Of people, the inhabi-
tants of early Vermont were not agreed
with reference to the merits Of the claims
Of New Hampshire and New York upon
what are known as the New Hampshire
Grants. The American Declaration Of In
dependence served to stili further I'M
settle the situation within this territory
which had long been disturbed by con-
hicts over rival claims to Jurisdiction,
and the question was what course to
pursue. Some Of the inhabitants favored
recognition Of the Jurisdiction of New
Hampshire, others argued in favor Of a
New York afiliation, while a third and
more resolute class championed an in
dependent course.
To settle the question the towns were
asked to appoint delegates to a conven-
OF this gathering, representing thirty-five
towns, It was definitely decided less than
month after the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence in 1776, that the fathers Of Yer
mont would not associate with or submit
to the provincial government of New
York" At an adjourned meeting on
September % Of the same year II was re-
solved ITO take suitable measures, as
soon as may be, to declare the New
Hampshire Grants free and separate
district"
The declaration that followed is fire.
quently referred to as having been
made on January Is, TIT, and the gem
eral convention at its adjourned meet
ing at Windsor, beginning June of the
same year, at which the name of New
Connecticut was dropped and the name
Vermont alone adopted, says in the
preamble of the resolution in question,
Whereas, this convention did at their
session in Westminster, this 18th day of
January last, among other things declare
49,. the New Hampshire Grants to be
free and Independent state" etc.
This statement evidently refers to the
date of the opening of the session in
question. The records of the general
conventions meeting at Westminster,
state under date of January Is, 1777, that
the convention opened according to ad-
journment," and the closing entry is that
it was voted to adjourn this convention
to eight O'Clock tomorrow morning at this
place"
Under date of Thursday at eight o'clock,
or January 16, the entry shows that the
convention opened according to adjourn
ment and It was voted that Lieut..
Leonard Spaulding, Mr.. Ebenezer Hois-
ington and Major Thomas Moredock be
committee to examine into the numbers
that have voted for the district of the
New Hampshire Grants to be separate
state from New York, and how many are
known against it."
The record of the day continues by
showing that according to the report of
the committee more than three-fourths
of the people in Cumberland and Glou-
cester counties, that have acted, are for
new state; the rest we view as neuters."
The convention then adjourned for one
hour, and upon reassembling the con-
vention voted that the district Of land
commonly called and known by the name
of the New Hampshire Grants be a
new and separate state and for the
future conduct themselves as SUCH"
1t was also voted on January Is that
Nathan Clark. Esq, Mr. Ebenezer
Hoisington, Capt. John Burnham, Mr.
Jacob Burton and Col Thomas Chitten-
den be committee to prepare q draught
for declaration for a new and separate
state and report to this convention as
soon as may be-. The convention then
ing morning.
The convention reassembled according
to adjournment on Friday morning, which
was January II, 1777, and adopted a
formal declaration of independence, which
contained the following stirring an
nouncement:
This convention, whose members are
duly chosen by the free voice of their
constituents, in the several towns on the
New Hampshire Grants, in public meeting
assembled in our own names, and in be-
half of our constituents, do hereby pro-
claim and publicly declare, that the dis
trict of territory comprehending, and
usually known as the New Hampshire
Grants, of right ought to be, and is here
by declared forever hereafter to be a free
and Independent jurisdiction, or state; to
be forever hereafter called, known and
distinguished by the name of New Con-
necticut, alias Vermont
Even at that. early date and under
unfavorable conditions existing the YER
monters' spirit of loyalty to the common
cause of the American colonists was pro-
nounced, as demonstrated by the fact
that in addition to continual warfare,
waged against the British by the settlers
Of this region the convention formulated
a declaration and petition to Congress
in which among other things the dele
gates declared their attachment to the
interests of the American colonists as
whole and expressed their willingness to
contribute their full proportion toward
maintaining the war with Great Britain.
Owing to the bitterness of New York
and New Hampshire growing out of the
territorial controversy and their further
attempts to establish jurisdiction as we'll
as to other Influences, 1T was not until
1871 that Vermont was admitted to the
Union.
During the period between vermont's
declaration of independence and her adj
mission to the Union the Green Mountain
boys passed through some of the most
remarkable and unique experiences re-
corded in American history, maintaining
a real republic with its own postal sys-
tenn and exercising various other func-
tions of an absolutely Independent gov
eminent.
Perhaps the exhibition of unselfsh pa
triotism and loyalty shown by the Green
Mountain state during this period could
not better be summed up than to quote a
passage from the tribute paid recently
to the late Senator Proctor and to Yer
mont by Congressman Samuel w. Nc
Call of Massachusetts,, who said among
other things:
Il was able to understand him better
because / had been much in the state,
the ideal little commonwealth which he
represented here. Upon a landscape OF
unsurpassed beauty there dwell in Yer
mont a people Of heroic mould. Her
population is made up perhaps in larger
proportion Of the old revolutionary stock
of men who were identified with the first
settlement Of this country and who fought
the war which established our independ-
anna than that ~ any ofhar qfafa of fha