Chap. 4. 



CIVIL POLICY DURING THE REVOLUTION. 



57 



PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS. 



RESOLUTIONS RESPECTING VERMONT. 



thatjustice, the faith of government, the 

 . peace and safety of society would not per- 

 mit them to continue any longer passive 

 spectators of the violence committed on 

 their fellow citizens."* This letter and 

 sundry otlier papers relating to the dis- 

 putes were laid bei'ore Congress on the 

 2IJth of Ma}^ 1779, and were referred to a 

 committee of the whole; and on the first 

 day of June, Congress resolved " that a 

 committee be aj)pointed to repair to the 

 inhabitants of a certain district, known by 

 the name of the New Hampshire grnnts, 

 and inquire into tlie reasons why they re- 

 fuse to continue citizens of tlie respective 

 states, wiiicli have claimed jurisdiction 

 over the said district. And that they take 

 every prudent measure to promote an 

 amicable settlement ; and to prevent di- 

 visions and animosities, so prejudicial to 

 tiie United States." t 



While Congress was engaged in pass- 

 ing these resolutions, Allen marched with 

 an armed force and made prisoners of the 

 colonel and other officers who were acting 

 under the authority of New York. Com- 

 plaint was immediately made to Governor 

 Clinton, with an earnest request that he 

 would take speedy measures for Iheir re- 

 lief. Governor Clinton wrote again to 

 Congress on tlie 7th of June, stating wliat 

 had taken place, disapproving of the reso- 

 lutions of Congress before mentioned, and 

 requesting that the committee, appointed 

 to repair to the New Hampshire grants, 

 might postpone their visit till alter the 

 next meeting of the New York legisla- 

 ture. June l6tli, Congress resolved that 

 the officers captured by Allen should be 

 liberated, and that the committee above 

 mentioned be directed to inquire into the 

 circumstances of that transaction. + 



Of the five commissioners appointed to 

 repair to Vermont, two only attended — 

 Dr. Witherspoon and Rlr. Atlee. These 

 gentlemen repaired to Bennington in 

 June, had several conferences with the 

 friends of Vermont, and, also, with oth- 

 ers, who were in the interest of New 

 York. It seems to have been the aim of 

 these commissioners to effect a reconcil- 

 iation between the parties ; but it appears 

 from the report, which they made to Con- 

 gress on the Kjlh of July, tliat they did 

 not succeed in accomplishing the object 

 of their mission. Four parties were now 

 claiming the same tract of country, and 

 each of these pnrties had applied to Con- 

 gress fir a decision of the controversy. 

 Under such circumstances, Conjrress could 

 not v\ell avoid taking up the matter ; and 

 among others, on the 24th of September, 



* William?' [li«torv. Vol. II. p. 187. 



t Slade-s Slate Papers, j). 108. X ll^W. p. 109. 



Ft. II. 8 



J 779, passed several resolutions, the sub- 

 stance of which was as follows : * 



Resolved, that it be earnestly recom- 

 mended, that New Hampshire, Massa- 

 chusetts and New York expressly author- 

 ize Congress to determine their disputes 

 relative to their respective boundaries — 

 and that on the first of February next, 

 Congress will proceed to settle and deter- 

 mine the same, according to equity. It 

 was, moreover, declared to be the duty of 

 those inhabitants of the New Hampshire 

 grants, who did not acknowledge the ju- 

 risdiction of either of the above named 

 states, to refrain from exercising any pow- 

 er over such of the inhabitants as did ac- 

 knowledge such jurisdiction, and it was 

 likewise recommended to the said states 

 to refrain, in the mean time, from execu- 

 ting their laws over such inhabitants as 

 did not acknowledge their respective ju- 

 risdictions. 



From the whole tenor of these resolu- 

 tions, it was evident that Congress wished 

 for the present to pacify the parties, with- 

 out coii'iing to any decision upon the mat- 

 ter in dispute ; and it was equally evident 

 that she would prefer sacrificing Vermont 

 as a separate jurisdiction, to a rupture 

 at this time with either of the states, 

 which laid claim to that territory. Nor 

 shall we be surprised at this partial and 

 evasive policy, when we consider that 

 the successful termination of the war for 

 inde[iendence, which was then undeci- 

 ded, and the fate of the colonies generally, 

 depended upon the integrity of their 

 union in the common cause. 



These resrvlntinns seem to have qu'eted 

 all parties but Vermont. New Hamp- 

 shire and New York complied with the 

 recommendations, and authorized Con- 

 gress to settle the dispute. Massachusetts 

 did not comply, and she probably nrg- 

 lected it for the purpose of reliev ng Con- 

 gress from the necessity of deciding the 

 matter at the time appointed, and of pre- 

 v nt ng the sacrifice of Vermont. A com- 

 pliance with these resolutions on the part 

 of Vermont, would have been to admit 

 the existence of four se[)flrate jurisdictions 

 al, the snme time in the snmo territory, 

 and in a territory too, the inhahitnnts of 

 which hnd declnred themselves to be free 

 and indej)endent, and hnd assumed the 

 powersof government and exercised them 

 in all cases and in every part of the terri- 

 tory. No alternative, therefore, remniued 

 to Vermont. She had taken a decisive 

 stand— declared her independence — form- 

 ed a constitution — enacted laws, and es- 

 tablished courts of justice, and now noth- 



* For these KcsoluUuiis see Sladc's State Papersj 

 page JIQ. 



