The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-08-17
MR.. BATCHELDER's ADDRESS
Continued from first page)

lndue Chilli ludt tuSy were nut Ill
the province of New Hampshire, but
in the province of New York, and
claimed that province extended to the
Connecticut river. and that these
grants which Governor Wentworth
had made were entirely null and void,
and that the settlers had no right to
the lands whatever.
The settlers stoutly resisted this
claim. They had begun to clear their
lands, build their log houses and
barns; and so rapidly had they come,
some of the towns were beginning to
be quite thickly settled; and they
earnestly contended against the claim
of Governor Golden, as also did Gov
ernor Wentworth. But New York
was firm in its claim, and threatened,
II the settlers did not acknowledge its
jurisdiction and pay them for their
lands, they would be driven off and
the lands granted to its own people.
The settlers were in trouble and
SO in 1854 they appealed to King
George III to protect them in their
rights.
The king decided that the west
bank OF the Connecticut river was the
boundary line between the two prov
inces, so that all these one hundred
and thirty towns were in the prov
ince of New York; but he did not de-
eide that the governor of that prov
ince could regrant the settlers lands
to others and soon after directed that
he should not do so.
The settlers acknowledged the au
thority of the king to make the Con-
necticut river the boundary line for
this was before the Revolution, and
the murmurings of the people before
that conflict could then scarcely be
heard. But while they were ready to
yield to the order of the king, and &C
knowledge their lands, by virtue OF
IL, to be within the province OF New
York, they resolutely refused to sur
render them or acknowledge the val
idity of any OF the New York grants;
claiming that neither the kings order
or law or justice required them TO do
so.
But the governor of New York did
grant the lands of some of the set
tiers to various people in that colony
land attempted to put them in poss-
ession of the same,
One of his efforts was TO take the
lands of James Breckenridge, far
mer, who resided in the west part OF
Bennington near the Henry Bridge"
against whom judgment had been
obtained at Albany, for the possess
ion OF his farm. For this purpose he
sent the sheriff OF Albany county with
three hundred or more armed men
to Bennington. The settlers had no.
tice OF his coming, and what he was
coming for, and, arming themselves,
they gathered to resist him.
Among the settlers thus gathered,
was Seth Warner, who lived near
neighbor to Mr. Breckenridge and
who had already begun to take an
active part in behalf OF the settlers
When the sheriff reached the
bridge, which was located just above
where the present Henry bridge
now Is, he saw the settlers on the
other side OF the river, armed and
ready to resist its passage
At the head OF his force, he pro
claimed that he had come with auth
ority TO dispossess Mr. Breckenridge
OF his farm, and take possession OF
the same and In the name OF the king
commanded them to lay down their
arms and surrender the lands TO him.
Like the Spartans OF old, the embat-
tied farmer replied, Come and take
them. He did not come but went
back to Albany.-Mr. Breckenridge
kept his land; and the governor OF
New York then knew what Ethan AL
len had before told him at Albany
that THE Gods of the valleys were
not the Gods OF the hills"
AS the historian has well said, here
at this bridge, on the 18th day OF July
1771, was born the future state OF
Vermont. And this determined resis'
lance OF the farmers OF Bennington
TO the sheriff OF Albany who came, as
he proclaimed in the name OF the kine
may not inaptly be said to be the pre-
lude of the great struggle which foui
years later was to involve all the col
onies In the American Revolution.
This act OF resistance TO the auth
ority OF New York. and the resolve
OF the men OF Bennington in town
meeting assembled. to resist all ef
forts to dispossess them OF theil
lands, united the settlers OF nearly
all the towns for like purpose.
But how was this to be done. They
had no governments, no courts, nc
chief executive. The decree OF the
king In 1894 had deprived New Hamp
shire of any authority over these
towns, which had come TO be known
as New Hampshire Grants and wen
by that name. The order OF the kint
had indeed made the territory OF the
grants part OF the province OF New
York, and the settlers were not yet
ready to deny his authority, as latel
they did. But they did refuse to sub
init to the authority OF New York sc
long as II claimed the right to take
their lands from them.
They were willing at this time &c
be under It's jurisdiction, since the
king had 80 decided, provided they
could be secure in the possession oil
their lands. but without this they
would resent TO the last; and this
they resolved to do though New Yorl
finally offered to let them keep OF
payment OF small sum and giyint
them by new charters.
This offer had no effect upon then
whatever. The lands were theirs
theirs by right. and TO give one penny
to New York for them would be
tribute which they would not pay fol
lit would be an act OF submission;
yielding Of what belonged TO then
OF right; Il would be submitting to ar
bitrary power which they would no
do.
The same spirit animated then
that did the party, who threw the tei
into Boston Harbor, because the,
would not consent to be taxed with