22^ [NATURAL AND CiViL 



much territory as does iiolf ititerfere with the 

 ancient established bounds of New York, New 

 Hampshire, and Massachusetts. In my private 

 Opinion, wliile it behoves the delegates to do 

 ample justice to a body of people sufficiently 

 respectable b}'^ their numbers, and entitled by 

 other claims to be admitted into that confede- 

 ration, it becomes them also to attend to the 

 interests of their constituents, and see, that un- 

 der the appearance of justice to one, they do not 

 materially injure the rights of others. I am apt 

 to think this is the prevailing opinion of Con- 

 gress.'* 



It is only among a free people, that wisdom 

 ^nd virtue can have their full effects. The for- 

 titude, the wisdom, the disinterestedness, with 

 which Washington had conducted the affairs of 

 the v/ar, through one continued scene of hard- 

 ship and danger, had given him an influence 

 over the minds of the people, which no man in 

 America, ever had before. It was not merely 

 because he had proved the successful defender 

 of his country, and the greatest general that had 

 ever appeared in America, but it was the stead- 

 iness of his integrity and virtue which gave him 

 such an influence over the minds of men : And 

 while the politicians were every where striving 

 for popularity and power, the most honoura- 

 ble and important of all distinctions, was reser- 

 ved for him ; a preeminence in the dominion 

 of reason, wisdom, and virtue. 



The assembly of Vermont met in February 

 at Bennington. The letter from the general 

 was laid before them, and it produced those ef- 

 fects which the crcneral seems to have intended : 



