The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-09-27
EARLY VERMONT PAPERS
correspondehee Relating 70 Trouble
on the Canadian Border.

in items of historical Importance.
Among such Is the series OF letters
passing between Governor Thomas
Chittenden Of this State, the Cover
nor OF Quebec and the United States
Government in 1871 and in the next
few years thereafter. as a result Of
seizure Of Vermont property and Yer
monters by British captain. The
letters are self-explanatory.
Under date of June 16, 1892, Gov
ernor Chittenden writes to the Pres |
Iident Of the United States as follows
THE unprovoked insult lately Of |
fered to this and these United States |
by the commanding Office of a Brit |
ish garrison within the Jurisdiction OF
the United States is so fragrant a
breach OF the laws of Nations and the |
late treaty with Great Britain that |
feel myself under obligations to give
you the earliest information of it, / |
have enclosed sundry affidavits to
which | refer you for the particulars.
lnclosed also is my letter to the Gov
ernor Of Canada. AS soon as receive
an answer | shall without loss of time
communicate 1t to you together with
such other circumstances as may here
after come to my knowledge"
To Levi Allen, under date OF June
Governor Chittenden delivers his let
ter to the Governor of Canada and
orders him to proceed to Quebec with.
out delay. In his letter to Governor
Clarke at Quebec he says, "a British
captain with an armed force leaving
his port and penetrating eight or nine
miles within the acknowledged juris- |
diction of Vermont, and then impris- |
oning an executive officer of this Gov. |
eminent in the execution of his Office |
and by force of arms Withholding from |
him property taken into custody by a |
civil process for satisfying a just de-
mand of debt, conveying the officer |
and two Of his adjunts under guard |
TO ST. John and there OBTAINING them /
In a common guardhouse, all this in
a time of perfect tranquility between |
the two governments has an appear
ance both novel and extraordinary but |
as novel and extraordinary as this |
may be, these are transactions that |
have taken place by DR. Chaambault, |
captain at Point au Fair within a few |
days past. feel myself obliged to re
quest from Your Excelency an expla- |
nation of this unprecedented conduct |
and unprovQked insult upon the gov
eminent ofSVermont or at least to
know whether 1t has been done with
Your Excellency's knowledge. direct |
ion or under your appreciation"
To which Governor Clark replied:
Your letter sent by Mr.. Levi Allen,
did not reach my hand until the 30th
OF that month. Your representations
leading to questions beyond the
sphere OF my Trust and being unac
companied with the Proofs to be ex
pected with Complaints of that kind
| can only give command for the Inyes.
tigation to be obtained here on Sub
ject OF such Importance to the Peace
| of the Border.
IF the Result shall be Report at. |
fecting Points that belong to National |
Discussion the information collected
will go from me into such Channels
as may bring the Report receive
with the Documents for its Vertifica-
ton under the Consideration of the
Sovereignty | serve"
That Governor Chittenden was not
satisfied with this reply Is evident
| from his letter Of July 16 to General
Washington in which he says, BE
fore this time / conclude you have
received my Letter of the 10th OF June
inclosing sundry afiidayits concerning
the abuse lately offered this and the
United States by the officers and Sol
diers stationed at Point au Fair to-
gether with Copy OF my Letter to
Lieut.. Gov Clarke. | enclose Gov.
Clarke's answer and ] shall make no
comment upon the eQuiyocal and
evasiye manner in which II is writ.
ten" He goes on to request that Gen
eral Washington shall advise him as
to his most prudent course in the
matter and whether he has performed
his duty"
Under date OF May, 1894, Royal Cor
bine OF Alburgh, in the northern part
OF Vermont writes Governor Chitten-
den of the repeated insults offered
there by the British and remarks that
they are so glarlng as TO make In.
dignant anyone OF Republican blood"
Being in the mercantile line IL is nee
essary for him, he writes Ito pass up
and down Lake Champlain." and he is
subject to daily abuse. is not suffered
to pass southwark to Isle La Motto be-
cause they allege he is on British
ground and neither am | allowed to
pass to st. John although within their
lines. l am deprived of advantages
which every citizen OF the United
States should enjoy"
On May 18th OF the same year. John
Jay OF the United States, envoy to
London writes that at an informal
conversation IL was concurred that
lduring the present negotiations and
until the conclusion of II, all things
ought TO remain as at present, that
both parties should continue to hold
their possessions and that encroach.
ments be done away with and alt hos.
tile measures cease and properties
and prisoners seized be restored by
} both governments.
II. Knox, Of the War Department
under date OF October z, transmits
this message to Governor Chlttenden
and urges that the "statu quo be OBJ.
served
Under date OF July 3, at Philadel
phia, Thomas Jefferson writes Gov
: Chittenden that the papers have been
laid before the president OF the United
: States and 81 further solicit from
= your Excellency information as TO the
factsand while am authorized to as.
sure you that the government Is pro
: ceedlng sincerely and steadily to OBJ
r tain by way of negotiations relin.
Quishment Of our territory held by the
D.ttt.A ~, ~ tho uouAa lima IN nraua