To embarrass this business still further, Massachusetts put in her claims to a part of Vermont, and urged her plea upon the ground of unsettled lines. To distract the state of Vermont yet further, Governor Clinton (of New-York) urged his friends, in Vermont, by letter, July 1778, to resist the assumed government of Vermont in all military draughts, and raising taxes, &c. and even to enter into mutual combinations to support such resistance. Governor Clinton, at the same time, pressed Congress to decide the claims of New-York upon Vermont, and confirm her original jurisdiction, and urged the necessity of a speedy division, to prevent the violence of the parties from precipitating themselves into a civil war.

To add to the divisions and perplexities of this distracted state, the county of Cumberland, in the south-east section of Vermont, associated with the state of New-York, to oppose the government of Vermont; raised a body of militia, and the officers received commissions from Gov. Clinton, 1779. Vermont took the alarm at this procedure, and impowered Colonel Eathan Allen, to raise a body of militia, and suppress this combination; this led to an appeal to Governor Clinton, on the part of the insurgents, and he assured them of his support with the whole militia of the state, and urged them to firmness; but recommended prudence. Alarmed for the peace and safety of the state, Governor Clinton again wrote to Congress, May 18th, and pressed that honourable body to interpose, and prevent a civil war, by bringing the cotroversy to a speedy decision.

Colonel Allen, firm to his purpose, and prompt in execution, marched into the county of Cumberland, and made the insurgent colonel and his officers prisoners, and put them into confinement. Alarmed at this procedure, Governor Clinton again wrote to Congress, June 7th, stating the whole transaction. Congress resolved that the prisoners ought to be immediately set at liberty, and at the

same time, appointed five commissioners, with instructions. to repair to Vermont, inquire into the causes of the controversy, and settle, if possible, the dispute, and report to Congress. Two of the commissioners repaired to Vermont, and held a conference with the parties at Bennington, and on their return, made their report to Congress ; but no accommodation was effected. Congress now saw themselves involved in this controversy, and on the 24th of September, 1779, passed the following resolutions.

Resolved unanimously, That it is hereby most earnestly recommended, to the states of New-Hampshire, NewYork and Massachusetts-Bay, forthwith to pass laws, expressly authorising Congress, to hear and determine all disputes between them, relative to their respective boundaries.

"Resolved unanimously, That Congress will on the first day of February next, proceed without delay, and hear and examine into the disputes and differences, relative to the jurisdiction aforesaid, between the said three states respectively, or such of them as shall pass the laws beforementioned, on the one part, and the people of the aforesaid district, who claimed to be a separate jurisdiction, on the other; and after a full and fair hearing, will determine the same according to equity.

"Resolved unanimously, That it is the duty of the people of the district aforesaid, who deny the jurisdiction of all the aforesaid states, to abstain in the mean time, from exercising any authority over any of the inhabitants of the district, who profess themselves to be citizens of, or to owe allegiance to any or either of the said states; but that none of the towns, either on the east or west side of Connecticut River, be considered as included in said district, except such as have hitherto actually joined in denying the jurisdiction of either of the aforesaid states, and have assumed a separate jurisdiction, which they call Vermont. And

further, that in the opinion of Congress, the three states aforesaid, ought in the mean time, to suspend executing any laws, over any of the inhabitants of said district, except such of them as shall profess allegiance to, and confess the jurisdiction of the same respectively.

"Resolved unanimously, That in the opinion of Congress, no unappropriated lands, or estates, which are, or may be adjudged forfeited, or confiscated, lying in said district ought, until the final decision of Congress on the premises, to be granted or sold."

These Resolves are truly characteristic of the wisdom, firmness, integrity, and disinterested patriotism of that Congress, who, under God, held in their hands the destinies of United America. New-Hampshire and New-York, met the resolves of Congress with the acts therein recommended; but Massachusetts withheld the acts on her part, as her claims were altogether collateral, and her policy that of holding a balance between the contending states, and ast far as possible, of securing the independence of Vermont. Vermont withheld her compliance from necessity, to secure her own internal union and peace; she had become a well organized state, under a regular constitution, with a regular code of laws, courts of justice, and powers of government. Vermont was firm, and true to herself; she rejected the recommendations of Congress; persevered in resisting the intrigues and jurisdictional encroachments of New-York, and persevered in a firm and steady support of her free and independent rights. The governor and council published an appeal to the world, in which they shewed the causes why they declined to comply with the resolves. of Congress, declared their independence of the thirteen United States and of Congress, until they should be allowed a representation in that honourable body; they renewed their declaration, "that they were ready, as they ever had been, to bear their full proportion of the burthens

and expences of the war with Great-Britain; but declared their determination never to submit their dearest rights to the arbitrament of an ex-parte tribunal." As Vermont, as well as Massachusetts, had rejected the recommendations of Congress, the subject was not resumed on the 1st of February, 1780, and on the 1st of March, it was by Congress postponed ; and again on the 2d of June, Congress passed a resolution that highly censured the conduct of Vermont, as endangering the peace and welfare of the United States, and on the 9th of June, they postponed all: further consideration of the subject, until the 2nd Tuesday of September next.

These resolves of Congress called forth another appeal to the public, from the governor of Vermont, in which he declared the resolution of the state of Vermont, to maintain and defend her own unalienable rights and independence, and that if Congress did not acknowledge her independent rights, she felt herself at liberty to offer or accept terms of neutrality with Great-Britain, and to commence an immediate cessation of hostilities, without consulting any other man, or body of men: that it was no longer the intention of Vermont to maintain and defend an important frontier, for the benefit of the United States, for the ungrateful reward of being enslaved by them; but before Vermont could consent to take this step, she once more tendered her services, and offered a union with the United States of America, under Congress, as the legal representative body. Congress resumed the consideration of the subject in September; New-York and New-Hampshire renewed their claims; the agents of Vermont were present; but not acknowledged. They however requested, and obtainedpermission of Congress, to be present whenever the sovereignty, and independence of Vermont should be under discussion before that honourable body. Congress again resumed the subject, on the 11th of September, and the

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agents of Vermont were duly notified, and attended accordingly. When the right of jurisdiction came into consideration, and Congress appeared ready to hear, and to act on that important point, without admitting Vermont as a party, the agents felt it their duty to protest against the whole procedure, and on the 22d of September, they declared that they could no longer sit as idle spectators, without betraying the trust reposed in them, and doing violence to their own feelings. They remonstrated against such an exparte hearing, and declared that if the subject should be thus pursued, that they were ready to appeal to God and the world, who must be answerable for the conse. quences? Congress took the hearing of the parties into their serious, and deliberate consideration, and on the 27th, resolved- "That the further consideration of the subject should be postponed."

Vermont felt the high ground on which she stood, and was firmly determined to maintain it; she raised the standard of neutrality, and under this standard, she well knew that if she could not compel her enemies to acknowledge her independent sovereignty, that she could find tection against their united efforts to coerce her.

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In January 1781, the old plan was renewed, of annexing the western part of New-Hampshire to Vermont, and a convention was called to meet at Charlestown, which convened accordingly on the 16th, and appointed a committee *to confer with the government of Vermont, upon the terms of a union with that state. This committee, agreeable to their appointment, laid the doings of the convention before the assembly of Vermont, at their session at Windsor, on the 10th of February, and made their application in due form. The assembly received the application of the committee, and resolved, on the 14th of February, that “In order to quiet the present disturbances on the two sides of the river, (Connecticut,) and the better to enable the in