what propositions could be made more advantageous to the British, or more natural on the part of Vermont, than the proposition that Vermont should detach herself from the United States and become a British province. Accordingly this proposition was made and an armistice agreed on. How natural, then, was the declaration of Ira Allen, during his negotiation with the British at the Isle au Noix. The author says, that Allen freely declared, &c.; the word freely is evidently used to give to the transaction a darker shade; but he might have given the transaction a much darker shade, in his own view, had he said that Allen declared in the most positive manner, and it would also have been more correct. For Allen's object was to impress on the minds of the British negotiators the strongest conviction that the leading men in Vermont had fully determined to detach themselves from the United States, and join the British in the war of the revolution. And Allen was not a man to fail for want of a sufficient degree of assurance. These observations apply to all the declarations and transactions related in the extract; and, on the ground that it was all a game of dissembling to deceive the British, never was a more natural, artful and politic course pursued. But they met with the greatest difficulty in furnishing a satisfactory excuse to the British for their delay in bringing the business to a final conclusion. And this was indispensable; for the moment they were brought to this point, there must have been an end of the armistice. And the only excuse for delay which presented itself, was, that the people of Vermont were not prepared; that

time was required to bring them over to their views. A great length of time must have been required for this, for nothing can be more clear, than that the leading men in Vermont never made a single effort, even to abate the ardor of the people in the cause of their country. Nothing of the kind was suspected at the time; no writer since, has noticed the subject at all, nor has Mr. Stone himself even stated anything of the kind. On the contrary, it appears by his note at the close of the extract, that he considered that the body of the people of Vermont remained uncorrupted and steadfast in the cause of their country to the last. We have seen how sensitive the people were on the subject of a negotiation with the governor of Canada, and this as late as October, 1781. Certain it is, then, that if any efforts had been made to abate their ardor in the cause of their country, they had been singularly unsuccessful. But all who knew Governor Chittenden, knew that he never could have made an effort of the kind. True, he had a commanding influence with the people, but he had acquired that influence by his zeal in the cause of his country, and his unremitted exertions to establish the independence of the United States. And all have admitted that he was a man of great sagacity, and distinguished for his profound knowledge of human nature. And surely he had some knowledge of his own Green Mountain Boys. He knew well of what stuff they were made. Could he then ever have thought of making tories out of such materials? No. He never thought of making an effort of the kind. And it is believed, that in the year 1781, there was

scarcely a tory within the limits of Vermont. What tories there were in this territory at the commencement of the war of independence, separated themselves from the whigs in the year 1777, and joined the enemy, when they were in possession of a part of this state. I have dwelt longer on this part of the subject, because the reader will perceive that if I am correct in this, that the leading men of Vermont never made any effort to induce the people to abandon the cause of their country and join the British - the question which we have been discussing is conclusively and finally settled. For these leading men well knew that if, by their secret negotiations, they made Vermont a British province, without the concurrence of the people, they would negotiate themselves into perpetual exile-if fortunate enough to escape a more summary punishment.

Before coming to a conclusion, I cannot but state one fact which strikingly marks the character of our fathers.

It appears very clearly, that through the whole of their negotiation with the British, they made not a single profession of loyalty to the British crown, or of attachment to the British government, or uttered an expression of dislike to our free institutions. Such was the strength of their moral principles, and so fixed their habit of adhering to the truth, that they could not at once learn how to utter a palpable falsehood. On a full and impartial view of the whole subject, it appears that the reader will arrive at the following conclusions: That the British authorities in Canada proposed to the leading men in Vermont

a cessation of hostilities between the British forces and the people of Vermont, with a view to a negotiation by which Vermont should be detached from the United States, and become a British province. The leading men in Vermont being thus invited by the British to desert their country and join their enemies, felt themselves at liberty to accept of the proposals of the British for an armistice, and by means of deception to continue it so long as they should find it advantageous; that they played their game so adroitly, and deceived the British so completely, that they were enabled to continue the armistice by which our frontiers were secured against the assaults of the enemy, until the close of the war, to the great advantage of the United States as well as this state. Thus, the British, undertaking to tamper with the patriotic sons of the Green Mountains, found their match, and were so completely duped and deceived, that their enemies alone were benefited by the armistice. The actors on the part of Vermont will ever be admired and applauded for their wisdom and patriotism. And the character of Thomas Chittenden, Nathaniel Chipman and their compatriots, will pass down through succeeding ages, to the last generations of men, as fair and untarnished as they were during their lives, and, as I trust, they appeared when called to give an account to that Being who had been graciously pleased to crown with complete success all their noble and patriotic exertions in the cause of their country the cause of liberty and the rights of man.1

1 The reader will find some further evidence upon the subject discussed in this chapter, in a letter from Governor Chittenden to General Washington, in the Appendix, No. VII.

CHAPTER III.

Occasion and beneficial Operation of the Quieting Act — Mr. Chipman unsuccessful in his Farming and other Business-Resolution of the Legislature, by which certain Measures proposed for the Relief of the People calculated only to increase and prolong their Sufferings, were postponed and defeated Elected Assistant Judge of the Supreme Court.

WHEN the government was organized in this state, and justice began to be administered, it was soon found that a great portion of the settlers had purchased defective titles. A long time had elapsed between the granting of the lands by New Hampshire and the organization of government in this state, during the whole of which time there was no office in which deeds could be recorded; and there was no place to which the purchaser could resort to ascertain in whom was the legal title to the lands, which he proposed to purchase. And in New England, purchasers were not accustomed to receive the title deeds, so as to have in their hands evidence of the title. Consequently it was soon found, that a man so disposed, could sell lands as well without the expense of a purchase as with. A number of swindlers took advantage of this state of things, and made a business of selling lands without making a single purchase. Simeon Sears was one of these primitive swindlers.