186 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



While these controversies had been cun'ied 

 on with New Hampshire, the debate with New 

 York had not at all snbsidcd. In a letter of 

 July 7th, 1778, Mr. Clinton, governor of New- 

 York, WTOte to one of his friends in Vermont^ 

 that he " would still as on a former occasion, 

 earnestly recommend a firm and prudent resist- 

 ance to the draughting of men, raising taxes^ 

 and the exercise of every act of government^ 

 under the ideal Vermont state ; and in such 

 towns, where our friends are sufficiently power- 

 ful for the purpose, I would advise the entering 

 into association, for the mutual defence of their 

 persons and estates against tiiis usurpation."* 

 Jn a letter of July eighth, he warmly urged Con.* 

 gress to come to some decision on their contro- 

 versy with Vermont ; blamed the inhabitants 

 for the violence of their proceedings, affirmed 

 that it would soon bring on a civil war, and that 

 all the grievances which the people of Vermont 

 had suffered, arose from the former government 

 of New York, and not from the present-f 



In 1779, the controversy with New York 

 bore a more hostile appearance. There were 

 several persons in the southeast part of the state, 

 then called the county of Cumberland by New- 

 York, who were attached to the authority of 

 that state, and opposed the government of Ver- 

 mont. To some of them, governor Clinton had 

 given commissions. They asserted that they 

 had a regiment, of about five hundred men ; 

 and that a committee of the county, was also 

 opposed to the authority of Vermont. The 



• Copy of a letter from goYcrnor Clinton, to Pclatiah Fitch, Esq. 

 i Attested copy. 



