290 Life of Count Rumford. 



But before finally committing himself even to a tem- 

 porary visit to the scenes and companions of his early 

 years, Count Rumford, with that deliberate and cau- 

 tious wisdom of providing conveniences and safeguards 

 for his plans which was habitual with him, determined 

 to have all seeming difficulties and embarrassments re- 

 moved or disposed of. He was still a proscribed and 

 outlawed exile, alike by the laws of Massachusetts and 

 of New Hampshire ; and the general government had 

 no power to remove these disabilities, even had it 

 sought to do so. His return and residence here could 

 only have been by sufferance, but his eminence attained 

 abroad would be expected to secure him immunity 

 from slight or insult. The inhabitants of Woburn, 

 not to be behind the State or any of its municipalities, 

 had voted in town meeting, May 12, 1783, "that the 

 absentees and conspirators, or refugees, ought never 

 to be suffered to return, but be excluded from having 

 lot or portion among us." Nor could he legally, as 

 an alien, hold real estate within our territory. As we 

 have already seen, he had previously inquired of his 

 friend Baldwin whether he might safely venture to 

 return, and whether " party spirit " was at all abated. 

 He would have found at work here at that time a 

 party spirit of the most intense and virulent character, 

 though it concerned other issues than those in which he 

 had been involved. 



The same local legislation which outlawed him had 

 also deprived him of all property rights and claims on 

 this soil. His references to such claims as still valid 

 must be interpreted accordingly. The patriotic posi- 

 tion which the members of his family and that of his 



* Sewall's History. 



