The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-10-28

answer is simple.
The inhabitants of the Grants had
no organized government, no laws UNI
der which they could organize one, or
elect their rulers Under the order OF
the King before referred to, made in
1854 they were no longer part of the
Province OF New Hampshire or under
he protection. BY that same order
the Grants we're made a part OF the
colony of New Yor. and had the rul-
ers of that colony allowed the settlers
c fthe Grants to hold thcir lands under
the New Hampshire charters. they
would have, not willingly but as
loyal subjects of the King, yielded TO
his decree and acknowledged the pol
itical jurisdiction of the coony of New
York eve them
And when the King by subsequent
orders directed in no uncertain terms
that the New York rulers should NOT
take the lands from the settlers on
The New Hampshire Grants or inter
fere with them in their enjoyment or
grant any lands on the disputed terri
tory they felt that they had right,
beth morally and legally, to defend
heir possessions against the efforts of
| New York to take them, for the New
Workers disobeyed the orders of the
King every time they attempted it,
And SO instead Of clganizing at this
time a government, each town organ
lied itself as it lawfully might under
it's New Hampshire charter, and when.
rs incident thereto, under the circum-
or a1n q
Safety" for the purpose of protecting
its inhabitants and their property
against the New York g,abbers." as
hey were called, they were stll act
ing within their rights And if men
delegated by these towns gathered
from time to time and formed "Coun-
I'll of Safety" it was only for the same
purpose, and not Illegal or disloyal
to The king, fer while thus protecting
their homes they were by the same
acts preventing the Workers from do
ing what the king had forbidden them
10 do. But had they formed an indie.
pendent government Of heir own
framed a code # laws, elected rulers
md officers to enforce them, and es.
tablished courts Of Justice. 1t would
have been not only against their best
interest but disloyal to their king
who had during these years. by his
stern orders, protecting them in their
possessions, been their best, their Only
friend
II may be asserted without fear of
contradiction that the first act of dis
loyalty of the people of the New Hamp
shire Grants was, when Ethan Allen
on the 10Th day If May 1875, with
his Green Mountain Boys captu ed
The far-famcd fortress Of Ticoaderoga
md the echo OF whose cannon tina
evening fired in token Of tho event
49, used the ardor OF the colonies and
Is the first real notice to the world
hat the War 81 the Revolution had
eo~la.
Until after the fight al Lexington
April 10, 1775. the colonies had no.
been quite ready to break in open re
bellicn with The oMther Country. The
asst word had not bee" vol
hat engagement aroused them all and
especially New England and many felt
that the hour had struck
Among them six patriotic citizen,
Of Hartford. Connecticut, were firmly
imbued with this idea, and we'll know
ne how important the fcrt ss OF ri
conderoga would be to the. colonies. il
'aptured should hostilites be com
mcuced, they privately sent trusted
ms ssengers to the New Hampshire
Grants to enlist Ethan Allen and his
Green Mountain Boys in the enter
prise. Allen needed no persuasion. He
commenced at once to notify the Green
Mountain Boys in the different towns
on the west side of the mountains.
On the Bird. Of May. some men from
connecticut and Massachusetts, joined
nm at Bennington, and ii was agreed
that Cast,eton' 20 miles from Ticonder
)ga should be the final place of meet
ng before attacking the fort
Allen proceeded north; the men