Chap. 4, 



CIVIL POLICY DURING THE REVOLUTION. 



53 



VIEWS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND NEW YORK. 



ALLEN S ADDRESS. 



Previous to the adjournment of tlie 

 convention, it had been ordered that the 

 first election under the constitution should 

 take place in December, 1777 ; and that 

 the representatives then elected, should 

 meet at Bennington in January following. 

 Public attention was, however, so much 

 engrossed by the advance of the enemy 

 under Burgoyne, that the constitution 

 was not printed in season to have the 

 election take place at the time appointed. 

 The convention was, therefore, again 

 called togetlier at Windsor by the coun- 

 cil of safety, on tlie 24th of December, 

 where they revised the constitution, and 

 postponed the day of election to the first 

 Tuesday of March, I77H, and the meeting 

 of the assembly to the second Thursday 

 of the same month. 



The manner in which these proceed- 

 ings of Vermont were viewed by New 

 Hampshire and New York, is obvious 

 from the style of their communications 

 during this period. In answer to the ap- 

 plication of the council of safety of Ver- 

 mont for assistance, Mr. Weare, president 

 of the council of New Hampshire, ad- 

 dressed Vermont as a free and sovereign, 

 but new state, and in such terms as to 

 leave no doubt but that New Hampshire 

 willingly acknowledged her indepen- 

 dence. But not so with New York. The 

 proceedings of Vermont, it is true, had 

 changed her policy, but had by no means 

 reconciled her to a relinquishment of her 

 jurisdiction over the Grants. In his proc- 

 lamation addressed to the inhabitants of 

 the Grants, February 23d, 1778,* the 

 Governor of New York, after confirming 

 tlieir titles to their lands in particular 

 cases, and making several concessions in 

 their favor, expressly declares, that that 

 government " will vigorously ma intain its 

 rightful supremacy over the persons and 

 property of those disaffected subjects." 



The overtures in the proclamation of 

 Governor Clinton, from wliich the above 

 extract is taken, have a semblance of fair- 

 ness which might have misled a people 

 less discerning, and less jealous of their 

 rights than tliey to whom they were ad- 

 dressed. But tlie people of Vermont had 

 been too long accustomed to a thorough 

 investigation of every point in the con- 

 troversy not to perceive that these over- 

 tures held out no prospect of substantial 

 relief. They perceived at once that New 

 York was now endeavoring to etfect that 

 by policy, which she had heretofore vain- 

 ly attempted by force. They had ever 

 acted upon the conviction that the claims 

 of New York were groundless ; and, hav- 



* See Slade'a Vt. State Papers, page 82. 



ing now declared their independence and 

 adopted a constitution, they were by no 

 means to be cajoled into an acknowledor- 

 ment of the "supremacy" of that state. 

 An answer to this proclamation was af- 

 terwards published by Ethan Allen, in 

 which he points out its sophistry, shows 

 that its overtures " are all romantic, de- 

 signed only to deceive woods people," 

 and he exhorts his fellow citizens to 

 maintain inviolate the supremacy of the 

 legislative authority of the independent 

 state of Vermont, as the only means of 

 security to their persons and property ; 

 and he closes with the following bold and 

 energetic address to the people of Ver- 

 mont : 



"You have experienced every species 

 of oppression, which the old government 

 of New York, with a Tryon at its head, 

 could invent and inflict; and it is mani- 

 fest that the new government are minded 

 to follow nearly in their steps. Happy is 

 it for you that you are fitted for the se- 

 verest trials ! You have been wonderfully 

 supported and carried through thus far in 

 3'our opposition to that government. For- 

 merly you had every thing to fear from 

 it, but now little ; for your public charac- 

 ter is established, and your cause known 

 to be just. In your early struggles with 

 that government, you acquired a reputa- 

 tion for bravery; this gave you a relish 

 for martial glory, and the British invasion 

 opened an ample field for its display, and 

 you have gone on conquering and to con- 

 quer until TALL GRENADIERS are 

 dismayed and tremble at your approach. 

 Your frontier situation often obliged you 

 to be in arms and battles ; and by repeat- 

 ed marchings, scoutings and manly exer- 

 cises, your nerves have become strong to 

 strike the mortal blow. What enemy 

 to the state ot Vermont — or JS'cjv York 

 land-monopolizer, shall be able to stand 

 before you in the day of your fierce an- 

 ger."* 



Section III. 



Controversy trith Kew Hampshire in 1778 

 and 1779 — Legislative proceedings of 

 Vermont. 



After the royal decision of the contro- 

 versy between New Hampshire and New 

 York, in favor of the latter, in 1764, New 

 Hampshire had made no attempt to con- 

 tinue her jurisdiction over the disputed 



*TI]e work from wliicli tin's extract is taken, is 

 entitled 'An At\imailversory Address to the inliab« 

 itfints of the State of Vermont, with Remarks on a 

 Proclamation, under the hand of liis Escellency, 

 George Clinton, Esq. Governor of the State of New 



