Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-03-04
THE VERMONT CONSTITUTION.
Some interesting Facts Concerning the
Famous Document Which Was Framed
at Windsor In 1777.

II was the first written constitution to
formally prohibit human slavery.
Through the influence Of Or. Thomas |
Young. distinguished citizen Of Phila-
delphia. and greatly interested In the
struggles OF the Green Mountain boys.
our constitution followed in many re-
spects that Of Pennsylvania, which in /
turn followed 50 FAR was practical |
the principles In the great charter grant /
ed by King Charles To William Penn I
in l6Sl
The Bill Of Rights. now part Of the /.
constitution. should be committed to Z
memory by every Nermontcr Its lit /
crary style is unsurpassed by that Of /
any like document in the English lam
guarge. II far more clearly expresses the /
natural and inherent rights Of men than
does the Declaration Of Independence /
For instance the latter holds that all
men are created equal mot free and
squad which is not strictly true, but
Vermonts great Bill of Rights declares
in its opening sentence that all men
are born equally free and independent
This strikes the nail exactly on the head.
The convention, which declared the in
dependence OF Vermont met at Windsor
in what IL now called the old Constitu-
ton House, stu standing, on the first
Wednesday of June, III. when a com
mittee was appointed to make draft
OF a Constition and then the convention
adjourned to meet again at Windsor on
July End following, when the draft OF
constitution was presented and read,
! and while IT was being considered news
! came that TiConderoga, supposed to be
! impregnable had been evacuated by the
! American garrison, thus leaving the
! frontiers OF the state exposed TO the
| ravaGes of the British troops and a
/ horde of savages In this awful crisis
! the convention was for leaving Windsor
! with work unfinished. but fortunately for
] 20 a thunder mi
! on which rendered their leaving lmpos-
sible. and so the convention finished its
! consideration OF the constitution which
! II then adopted, and after appointing a
| council of safety to act until the gov
eminent could be organized under the
! constitution. the convention adjourned.
The constitution OF Vermont framed
| at Windsor in I'M has peculiar
| distinction in this; that It was never
| submitted to the people for ratification.
! Historians have advanced various reasons
! for this omission. principal among which
| II that the convention distrusted the
| people and feared that its work, If sub
| mitted to them, would be rejected The
| writer does not believe this however. for
| when II is considered that at the time
| In question, the common law of England
! was the law OF Vermont and that the
| will of the people OF England as ex-
| pressed through the acts of the House
| of Commons according to precedent and
| tradition, finally became a part of the
| English constitution so this convention
| of ours representing the people, evidently
| held that under the common law 1t was
| clothed, in this respect, with powers like
| unto those then and now conceded to
| the commons, and so any act of this
| character, duly passed, would become
of itself a part Of and In fact the con-
| stitution. Therefore we hold that this
| convention acted wisely and legally and
not through ignorance or distrust as
| is so often said.