HISTORY OF VERMONT. 289 



* stood among the people, and a high venera- 

 ' tion for religion, morahty, and the laws, gives 



* us the fullest assurance that ill founded jeal- 



* ousy of our rulers cannot exist, nor the ambi- 



* tious and designing find means to discourage 



* the upright magistrate. We can predict with 



* pleasure, the increase of well founded confi- 



* dence in the state and general governments, 



* built upon the firm basis of our happy consti- 

 ' tution."^ 



The business which is most apt to agitate, 

 and for which a popular assembly is the most 

 unfit, is the appointrrient of civil officers. When 

 this came before them, they did not replace 

 those who had been left out the preceding year ; 

 but proceeded with more moderation and cau- 

 tion, in making their discriminations and sacri- 

 fices. 



A serious difficulty had arisen with the gov- 

 ernment of Canada, respecting the case and 

 death of one John Gregg. This man had been 

 arrested within the limits of Canada, by some of 

 the citizens of Vermont ; and while in their 

 Gfustody had been drowned in lake Champlain. 

 Bills of indictment v/ere found againt those citi-, 

 zens, in the colonial court of king's bench of 

 criminal jurisdiction in Montreal ; and a demand 

 v;as made by the government of Canada, to have 

 them delivered up by the government of Ver- 

 miont; to be tried for the supposed murder.f 

 Fortunately for both countries, the spirit of 

 moderation and wisdom presided over the in- 

 quiries and discussions of their governors ; and 



• Journal for 1799. p. SS- 

 f Ibid. p. 4g. 



VOL, II M 9. 



