88 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part II. 



PARTIES DISTINCTLY FORMED. 



MR. TICHENOR ELECTED GOVERNOR. 



me then as a father, as a friend, and as a 

 Jover of this people, and as one, whose 

 voice cannot be much longer heard here, 

 to instruct you, in all your appointments, 

 to have regard to none but those who 

 maintain a good moral character — men of 

 integrity, and distinguished for wisdom 

 and abilities ; in doing this, you will en- 

 courage virtue, which is the glory of a 

 nation, and discountenance and discour- 

 age vice and profaneness, which are a re- 

 proach to any people."* 



Section II. 



Legislative proceedings in Vermont from 



the year l/D? to 18J2. 



The pojiularity of governor Chittenden 

 and the certainty of his re-election, had 

 hitherto prevented any serious efforts be- 

 ing made to bring forward other candi- 

 dates for that office. But, by his resignation 

 and death, the political jiarties in Vermont 

 were relieved from the restraints of his 

 influence, and new motives were laid be- 

 fore them to arouse their activit}' and ex- 

 ertions. The two great parties had al- 

 ready adopted the terms federal and re- 

 jmhlican as the mottos of their respective 

 standards, and from this period no means 

 were left unemployed which were suj)- 

 posed to be calculated to increase their 

 respective influence and numbers. 



The republican party were believed to 

 favor the principles of the French revolu- 

 tion, and to be desirous of rendering the 

 government of the Union more democratic, 

 while the federalists were accused of par- 

 tiality to Great Britain and of a wish to 

 make the government of the United States 

 more independent of the people and mon- 

 archical in its princijtles. The great mass 

 of both these political parties undoubted- 

 ly had the good of their country at heart 

 and differed but little in their views of 

 the proper means of promoting it. But, 

 by the influence and arts of designing pol- 

 iticians and demagogues these slight dif- 

 ferences were, in tiaie, so magnified and 

 distorted as to produce the most violent an- 

 imosities among friends and neighbors. 



At the meeting of the Vermont assem- 

 bly in October, 1797, it was found that 

 no governor had been elected by the peo- 

 ple, but that Isaac Tichenor, then chief- 

 justice of the state had received the lar- 

 gest number of votes. The choice then 

 devolving upon the general assembly, 

 Mr. tichenor was elected by a large maj- 

 ority. He entered upon the duties of his 

 office bv making a speech to the legisla- 



* Journal of the Gen. Assembly for 1796. p. 28. 



ture, and thus introducing into Vermont 

 the custom of the other states. In his 

 speech he applauded the state and federal 

 constitutions, fully approved of the meas- 

 ures of Washington's administration, and 

 eA|)ressed his entire confidence in the 

 abilities and integrity of Mr. Adams, who 

 was then President of the United States. 

 The sentiments of the speech were deci- 

 dedly the sentiments of the federal party. 



To this speech the legislature returned 

 a respectful answer in which they say 

 " we are not disposed to call in question 

 the wisdom or integrity of those, who 

 have been concerned in the administra- 

 tion of the general government, nor to 

 withhold contidence where it ought to be 

 inspired; but give supj)ort and energy to 

 every measure, which, in our opinion, will 

 secure,or promote the national prosperity." 

 The two |)olitictil parties Mere distinctly 

 formed, but they iiad not yet reached 

 that state of insolence and acrimony, 

 which they were afterwards to exhibit, 

 and in the transaction of the public busi- 

 ness, the public good was yet obviously 

 l)aramount to the promotion of party in- 

 fluence and power. 



In October, I7il8, the legislature met 

 at Vergennes. Mr. Tichenor was re-elect- 

 ed governor by a large majority. The 

 country was now much agitated on ac- 

 count of the insolent and lawless proceed- 

 incrsofthe French — their refusal to receive 

 American ambassadors and their demand 

 of tribute under the name of a loan ; 

 and the governor, in his sjieech, express- 

 ed the strongest disapprobation of their 

 policy and proceedings. The house re- 

 turned an answer, imbued with the same 

 spirit of hostility to the French ; and both 

 were in the highest tone of what was 

 called federalism. 



Early in the session a committee was 

 appointed to draw up an address to the 

 President of the United States, which 

 was soon after adopted by a vote of 3'eas, 

 120, and nays, 23. In this address the 

 principles and proceedings of the French 

 were treated with much asperity. It ex- 

 pressed the entire confidence of the legis- 

 lature in the president, and the fullest 

 approbation of the measures of his ad- 

 ministration, and declared the willing- 

 ness of Vermont to take up arms, if ne- 

 cessary, for the defence of the country 

 against the rapacity of the French. To 

 this address, Mr. Adams afterwards re- 

 turned a very polite and respectful an- 

 swer, in which he complimented the 

 people of Vermont for their patriotism 

 and virtue, and expressed the high satis- 

 faction derived from the assurance of 

 their approbation. 



