100 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part II 



PLAN OF EDUCATION. 



ORIGIN OF ANTI-MASONRY. 



provided that there should be an appraisal 

 of real estate once in five years and that 

 it should be set in the list at the rate of 

 four per cent for buildings and village lots, 

 and six per cent for other real estate, on 

 its appraised value, and to this the rates 

 of personal property are calculated to 

 correspond. 



Mr Van Ness having signified his wish 

 no longer to receive the suffrages of his fel- 

 low citizens, Mr. Butler was, in 1826, 

 elected governor of the state. In his 

 speech he called the attention of the as- 

 sembly to the subject of lotteries and the 

 sale of lottery tickets in this state ; in 

 consideration of which, an act was passed, 

 prohibiting the sale of lottery tickets 

 without a licence under the penalty of a 

 heavy fine. Mr. Butler was again elec- 

 ted governor in 1827. He now invited 

 the attention of the legislature to the 

 existing laws on the subject of education, 

 and recommended the appointment, in 

 each town or county, of conmiissioners 

 for the examination of teachers and for 

 the general superintendence of schools. 

 In consequence of these suggestions, a gen- 

 eral plan of education was adopted, design- 

 ed for the improvement of schools, and 

 for producing uniformity in the methods 

 of instruction. It provided that a super- 

 intending committee should be appointed 

 annually in each town, and that no teach- 

 ers should be employed in the public 

 schools, who had not been examined by 

 said committee, and who had not received 

 from them a certificate of their qualifica- 

 tions for teaching. It also provided for 

 the appointment of five school commis- 

 sioners, whose business it should be to 

 have a general supervision of the business 

 of education in the state, procure and cir- 

 culate information on the subject, recom- 

 mend suitable books to be used in schools, 

 ascertain if any alteration in the law be 

 necessary, and make an annual report to 

 the legislature. 



In 1828, Mr. Crafts was elected gover- 

 nor. In his speech he congratulated his 

 fellow citizens upon the unrivalled pros- 

 perity of the countr\' — declared their ad- 

 vance in population and resources to be 

 unprecedented in the history of man — 

 and the means of happiness within their 

 power to be more abundant than ever fell 

 to the lot of any other people. The leg- 

 islature this year- passed a resolution re- 

 quiring their senators and representatives 

 in Congress to use all justifiable means 

 to procure the passage of an act granting 

 pensions to all American citizens, with- 

 out regard to their present circumstan- 

 ces, who served during the war of the 

 revolution. 



In 1829, Mr. Crafts was again chosen 

 governor by the votes of the freemen. 

 Among the subjects which came before 

 the assembly was a resolution of the leg- 

 islature of South Corolina, declaring that 

 Congress had no constitutional power to 

 lay duties on imports lor the encourage- 

 ment of domestic'manufactures, or for in- 

 ternal improvements ; and also communi- 

 cations from Georgia, Virginia and Missou- 

 ri, sanctioning the same principles. The 

 legislature disposed of this matter by re- 

 solving that they would not concur with 

 the South Carolina resolution. 



As already observed, on the return of 

 peace in 1815, party spirit rapidly subsi- 

 ded, and for several years a remarkable 

 unanimity of sentiment with regard to 

 men and measures prevailed. Alter the 

 election of Mr. Adams to the presidency, 

 in 182.J, an organized o])position was 

 formed to his administration hy the friends 

 of the rival candidates, who succeeded in 

 182!', in elevating General Jackson to 

 that office, in opposition to the incumbent. 

 These two great divisions of the people 

 were founded chiefly in a preference of 

 particular men, and not in a difference of 

 political principles. The abduction of 

 William Morgan, in 182G, for divulging 

 the secrets of masonry, gave rise to an- 

 other party, founded in opposition to the 

 principles of masonry, and which is hence 

 called the anti-masonic party. And think- 

 ing it to be the most effectual way to put 

 down an institution which they believed 

 to be dangerous to the community, they 

 made it a part of their political creed that 

 no adhering mason should receive their 

 support for office. This party was not 

 distinctly organized in Vermont till the 

 year 1829. 



The year 1830 was distinguished for an 

 unusual quantity of rain, and the month 

 of July, of this 3'car, for one of the most 

 general and destructive freshets ever 

 known in the state. By this freshet many 

 lives were lost, and property, consist- 

 ing of mills, bridges, buildings and crops, 

 was destroyed, almost beyond calcula- 

 tion.* 



When the legislature came together in 

 October, it was found that three candi- 

 dates for governor had been supported, 

 and that no election had been made by the' 

 people. Mr. Crafts, the national repub- 

 lican and masonic candidate, received 

 13,486 votes ; Mr. Palmer, the anti-ma- 

 sonic candidate, had 10,925, and Mr. 

 Meech, the administration candidate, had 

 6,285. The choice devolving upon the 



* Some account, of this Ireshet may lje seen in part 

 first, Chap. 1., and in part third, article iNew Ha- 



