HISTORY OF VERMONT. 471 



ing both an American and an European origin, 

 it was not to be expected but that from the one 

 or the other of these sources, it would be ahnost 

 perpetual ; and while it continued the evils that 

 were connected with its moral, literary, physical, 

 agricultural and political effects, could not be 

 avoided. In Europe, when their monarchs were 

 engaged in such contests, which ever party 

 gained an increase of territory, all the sovereigns 

 obtained an increase of wealth, of power, of de- 

 pendents, of influence and authority. It was 

 evidently their advantage to have war as fre- 

 quent and constant, as the finances and circum- 

 stances of their kingdoms would admit. In the 

 colonies all was the reverse. The system of 

 war served here to inflame and imbitter the 

 minds of men, to keep them unacquainted with 

 the arts and sciences, to retard the population, 

 and prevent the settlement of the country ; and 

 to keep the colonies in a hurtful and disgrace- 

 ful dependence on and subjection to European 

 kings and nations. And it was not till they re- 

 jected this degrading submission and depen- 

 dence, that they arose to their proper rank and 

 station among the nations and powers of the 

 world. 



