HISTORY OF VERMONT. 253 



currency had failed, their revenues were ex- 

 hausted, their armies were dissatisfied and un- 

 paid, the debts they had contracted were un- 

 funded, the public creditors were every where 

 full of complaints against their proceedings, and 

 they had no resources to answer the demands 

 that were perpetually made upon them. Few 

 of the states paid much regard to their resolu- 

 tions, and it was now fully evident that their 

 powers were inadequate to the public business 

 of the United States, and that the articles of un- 

 ion and confederation were essentially defective. 

 Without power to relieve themselves under 

 these embarrassments, the Congress was daily 

 sinking into a state of insignificance and con- 

 tempt ; and the public affairs of the union were 

 constantly becoming more and more embarrass- 

 ed with weakness, disorder, the want of wisdom, 

 credit and power. 



In such a state of things, an admission into 

 the confederacy of the states, ceased to be an 

 object of any importance, or even desire. Ver- 

 mont was happy in being free from the load of 

 debt, which lay upon the United States ; and 

 was not perplexed by the constant calls of Con- 

 gress, to raise the necessary sums of money. 

 The legislature had acquired wisdom and ex- 

 perience in governing the people, from the dif- 

 ficulties in which they had been engaged^ It 

 had not been in their power to contract very 

 large debts, nor was it necessary or practicable 

 to impose heavy taxes upon the people. The 

 state had a large quantity of valuable lands to. 

 dispose of ; and purchasers and settlers were 

 constantly coming in front all the New England 



