184. isTATURAL AND CIVJL 



fed to trust in pt'ovldencc, and defend thetti- 



selves.* There were but eight towns frolti 

 Vermont, whicli V/cre represented in this con- 

 vention ; and some of them declined to act iti 

 tnakiii!^ any overtures to New Hampshire, to 

 extend their jurii;diction over the state of Ver- 

 tnont. But the proceedings of the convention, 

 served to discover to the whole body of the 

 people, what had been the views of the leading 

 men,' in proposing the Union of the sixteen to^^ns 

 from New Hampshire : It was no\'(y manifest, 

 that their whole aim, had been to form a gov- 

 ernment, the center and seat of which, should 

 be upon Connecticut river; This would be ef- 

 fected, either by connecting a considerable part 

 of New Hampshire, with Vermont ,- or by 

 breaking up the government of Vermont, and 

 connecting the whole of it, with New Hamp- 

 shire ; The one or the other of these measures, 

 they were earnest to effect ; and cither of them 

 would probably have formed a state; the me- 

 tropolis of which, must have been upon the riv- 

 er which divides the two states. To get rid of 

 a connexion, which had occasioned so much 

 trouble and danger, the assembly of Vermont, 

 on Fcbruarv 12, 1779,- voted to dissolve the 

 union, which had subsisted between them, and 

 the towns in New Hampshire ; and immediately 

 communicated their resolves to that govern- 

 ment.f Encouraged by these divisions, the as- 

 sembly of New Hampshire was persuaded by 

 some of her leading members, to claim the 

 whole tract of country, which belonged to her 



* AHen's Vindication, p. 32. 5,5. 

 ■' I779> Jt-'np 24. 



