HISTORY OF VERMONT. 265 



lands, and ejecting the settlers from the estates, 

 which they had honestly bought before of the 

 highest British authority ; and made valuable 

 by their labor, sufferings, and hardships. It is 

 true, the proceedings of New York were all a- 

 greeable to the forms of their laws : Instead of 

 being a justification of those proceedings, the 

 abuse and cruelty became greater from this cir- 

 cumstance ; for injustice, is most of all odious, 

 when it is calmly and deliberately done, under 

 the colors of law and government. Under 

 the royal governments, such proceedings 

 had not been altogether uncommon, nor was 

 it in the power of the people to prevent 

 them : Bat when the people had taken the pow- 

 ers of government into their own hands, these 

 errors certainly ought to have been corrected. 

 A perseverance in the same error, seems to 

 have rendered the claims of New York, disagree- 

 able to Congress; and in the event, united the 

 public opinion, in opposition to her claims^ and 

 in favor of those of Verm.ont. 



New Hampshire had just occasion for of- 

 fence at the proceedings of her citizens, in the se- 

 ceding towns ; and with the government of 

 Vermont, for receiving them into her confedera- 

 tion. But there was not, either s^nd policj^, 

 or any advantage, in extending her claim over 

 the whole territory : No colour of title, or any 

 pretence of I'ight, could be found for such a 

 claim ; and the design was perfectly understood. 

 • How far Congress was forced to adopt an e- 

 vasiye policy, by the circumstances of the war, 

 it may be diiiicult for those who were not in the 

 cabinet, to determine. Her great business un^ 



VOL, 11 I 2 



