HISTORY OF VERMONT. 263 



These vi»lences were unfavorable to the set- 

 tlement of the country ; they tended to keep 

 the minds of the people, in a state of irritation ; 

 and had an ill effect on the state of society. 

 But it is worthy of remark, how extremely un- 

 willing the people of America were, to proceed 

 . to war with one another. In their highest state 

 of provocation and resentment, they abhorred 

 the idea of killing and slaughtering each other. 

 Unused to the practices of rebellion, murder 

 and assassination, when they were exasperated 

 with the highest sense of injuries, they had no 

 intei.tion or idea of kindling a civil war in their 

 country, of destroying those who opposed them, 

 or of staining the American system of freedom, 

 with blood and slaughter. So far from this, that 

 amidst a violent opposition to one another, they 

 were all agreed, that the war should be carried 

 on with unceasing vigor against Great Britain ; 

 but that no other war should be permitted to 

 exist in the country. 



But although all parties had cautiously avoi- 

 ded enkindling a civil war in their country, they 

 had been hurried into great mistakes and errors. 

 The people of Vermont had no idea of opposing 

 the government of New York, until the gover- 

 nor and council of that province had proceeded 

 to make new grants of their lands, which they 

 had bought under the royal grants, and subdued 

 by extreme labor and hardship. To relinquish 

 all tlieir property, to reduce themselves and fam- 

 ilies to a state of beggary, and submit to have 

 all the profit of the labor and sufferings of their 

 whole lives wantonly taken from them, and 

 ^\'^'^ii to others ; there ita* ^* ia^'^.-.^g. 



