m 



HISTORY OF VERMONT. 225 



^ All parties seem to have been seriously a- 

 jarmed, at these prospects of a civil ^yar : And 

 happily for themselves, they had all of them, 

 jtnore moderation and wisdom, than to proceed 

 to hostilities. Reflecting on the war with Great 

 Britain, in which their country was so deeply en- 

 gaged,they seem to have been fully convinced that 

 no difference arnong the states, ought to be suf- 

 fered to produce aw'ar among themselves. 



A controvt,Tsy so full of mischief and danger 

 to the Uiiited States, gave much concern to the 

 commander in ghief of the American army. 

 Aware of the extremes to which all parties were 

 tending, on January 1st, 1782, he returned aii 

 answer to governor Chittenden's letter, in which 

 were these expressions ; " It is not my business, 

 iieither do I think it necessary now, to. discuss 

 the origin of the right of a number of inhabi- 

 tants to that tract of country, formerly distin- 

 guished by the name of the New Hampshire 

 grants^ and nOw known by that of Vermont. I 

 will take it for granted that their right was good^ 

 because Congress, by their resolve of the 7tli 

 of August, imply it ; and by that of the 2l3t, 

 arc willing fully to confirm it, provided the new 

 state is confined to certain described bounds. 

 It appears therefore^ to me,, that the dispute of 

 boundary, is the only one that exists, and that 

 being removed, all other difficulties would be 

 removed also, arjd the matter terminated to the 

 satisfaction of all parties. You have nothing to 

 do but withdraw your jurisdiction to the con- 

 fines of your own limits, and obtain an acknowl- 

 edgement of independence and sovereignty, un- 

 der the resolve of the 21st of August, for so 

 VOL. II D 2 



