kiSTORY OF VERMONT. S23 



him an account of the transactions with the ene- 

 my ; and assigned the reason, " Vermont, drove 

 to desperation, by the injustice of those who 

 should have been her friends, was obhged to a- 

 dopt policy in the room of power ;" and with 

 regard to the last resolution of Congress, he as- 

 cribed them to their true cause, not the influ- 

 ence of their friends, but the power of their 

 enemies ; " Lord George Germain's letter 

 wrought on Congress, and procured that from 

 them, which the public virtue of this people 

 could not obtain.'* 



While these transactions were taking place, 

 new scenes of diifficulty, and of danger, were 

 opening in the eastern and western unions. The 

 sheriff of one of the counties of New Hampshire 

 which had joined with Vermont, wrote to Gov- 

 ernor Chittenden, that there was a high proba- 

 bility, that the government of New Hampshire 

 were about taking coercive measures, to com-. 

 pel the citizens who had joined with Vermont 

 to submit to the laws and authority of New 

 Hampshire. The governor, on December 14th^ 

 wrote to General Paine, at that time lieutenant 

 governor of the state, to call on the militia east 

 of the green mountains, and assist the sheriff in 

 the execution of the laws, and to defend the 

 citizens against any insult ; and if New Hamp- 

 shire should make an attack with an armed force, 

 to repel force by force. Mr. Paine sent a copy 

 of the orders which he had received, to the pre- 

 sident of New Hampshire, and \\rote that if 

 New Hampshire began hostilities, he should ex- 

 ecute the orders he had received, and did not 

 doubt but that the people would support him, 



