Chap. 



ADMISSION L\TO THE UNION. 



73 



DIFFICULTIES AVITH N.H. AND \. Y. 



WASIII.^GTON's letter to CHITTENDEN. 



During these proceedings, new difficul- 

 ties were opening to Verinout in her east- 

 ern and western unions. A conimunica- 

 tion was received by Governor Chitten- 

 den from one of the slierifts in the eastern 

 union, informing him that the government 

 of New Hampshire, were about taking co- 

 ercive measures to bring those citizens of 

 that state, wlio had joined Vermont, again 

 under their haws and authority. Tlie gov- 

 ernor, on the 14th of December, directed 

 General Paine, then lieutenant governor 

 of the state, to call out the militia on the 

 east side of the mountains, for the assis- 

 tance of the sheriffs and the defenc<! of tlie 

 citizens; and, if armed force should be 

 employed by New Hampshire, that he 

 should repel it by the same. Mr. Paine 

 forwarded a copy of this order to the coun- 

 cil of New Hampshire, and informed them, 

 that, if hostilities were commenced, he 

 should execute his orders, and tliat New 

 Hampshire must be accountable for the 

 consequences. With these communica- 

 tions, commissioners were also sent to 

 New Hampshire, to endeavor to accom- 

 modate matters, and prevent the effusion 

 of blood. 



On the other hand, the military force 

 was called out in New York, to prevent 

 Vermont from e.xecuting her laws over 

 the inhabitants of her western union, and 

 to aid the sheriff of New York in appre- 

 hending several persons in the territory 

 who had rendered themselves particularly 

 obnoxious to the government of that state. 

 This force was commanded by General 

 Gansevoort, who, being informed that 

 Colonel W'albridge was advancing with 

 a large body of troops from the Grants, 

 wrote to him on the 18th of December, to 

 be informed of the object of his movement. 

 Walbridge replied that it was to protect 

 the inhabitants, who, in consequence of 

 the union, professed allegiance to the 

 state of Vermont; that he wished con- 

 ciliatory measures might be adopted, but, 

 if those persons who professed to be citi- 

 zens of Vermont should be imprisoned 

 and their properly destroyed, he would 

 not be accountable for the consequences. 

 Affairs seemed now to have reached an 

 alarming crisis, and all parties trembled 

 at the ])rospect of a civil war. Happy 

 was it that liostilities were not commenc- 

 ed before the parties had taken time to 

 reflect upon the consequences of such a 

 measure ; for when they looked at the 

 momentous struggle in which their coun- 

 try was engaged, every philanthropist 

 was fully convinced that no differences 

 between the states should, on any ac- 

 count, be pi-rmitted to endanger the cause 

 of American liberty and independence. 

 Pr. II. 10 



Fortunately, about this time, Governor 

 Cliittenden received a repl}'^ to his com- 

 munication of the 14lh of November, from 

 General Washington, which was obvi- 

 ously dictated by his paternal solicitude 

 for the good of his country, and for a hap- 

 py termination of the troubles in relation 

 to Vermont. This letter is dated January 

 1st, 1762, and from it we extract the fol- 

 lowing paragraph : 



"It is not my business, nor do I think 

 it necessary, now to discuss the origin of 

 the right of a number of inhabitants, to 

 that tract of country, formerly distinguish- 

 ed by the name of the New Hampshire 

 grants, and now by that of Vermont. I 

 will take it for granted that their right 

 was good, because Congress, by their re- 

 solve of the 7th of August, imply it; and 

 by thatof the2flthare willing fully to con- 

 firm it, provided the new state is confined 

 to certain described bounds. It appears 

 therefore to me, that the dispute of boun- 

 dary, is the only one that exists ; and, 

 thai being removed, all other difficulties 

 would be removed also, and the matter 

 terminate to the satisfaction of all parties. 

 You iiave nothing to do, but to withdraw 

 your jurisdiction to the confines of your 

 own limits, and obtain an acknowledg- 

 ment of independence and sovereignty 

 under the resolve of the 20th of August, 

 for so much territory as does not interfere 

 with the ancient established bounds of 

 New Hampshire, New York and Massa- 

 chusetts. In my private opinion, while 

 it behooves the delegates to do ample jus- 

 tice to a people, sufficiently respectable 

 by their numbi'rs, and entitled, by other 

 claims, to be admitted into the confedera- 

 tion, it becomes them also, to attend to 

 the interests of their constituents, and 

 see, that under the appearance of justice 

 to one, they do not materially injure the 

 others. I am apt to think this is tlie pre- 

 vailing opinion of Congress." * 



Being endeared to all the friends of lib- 

 erty by his integrity and virtue, and by 

 his disinterested exertions and sacrifices 

 for the good of his country, such a com- 

 munication from General V/ashington 

 might reasonably be expected to exert a. 

 I)ov.-erful influence upon the jninds of the 

 h:'ading men in Vermont, and the evcmt 

 showed that it did. At the next meeting 

 of the legislature, which was held at Ben- 

 nington, this letter was laid before them. 

 It served to open their eyes to the former 

 errors of government, and, knowing it to 

 have come from a man, who had only the 

 interests of his tchole country at heart, his 

 advice was received with the greatest 



* 'iVilliaiJis' History, vol. II; page 935, 



