suffer death without the benefit of clergy.

September 25, 1776 there was a convention held at Dorset, at which thirty-five towns were represented, ten from the east and twenty-five from the west side of the mountains. At this convention, a resolution was passed without a dissenting vote, "to take suitable measures, as soon as may be, to declare the New Hampshire Grants, a FREE AND INDEPENDENT DISTRICT."

This convention was adjourned from time to time, until July 2, 1777, at Windsor, when a constitution was adopted, an election ordered, a regiment of soldiers organized and a council of safety elected to manage the affairs of the new Republic, until the Government should become operative under the Constitution.

From December 10, 1775 to July 2, 1777 six conventions were held, three on the east side and three upon the west side of the "Green Mountains."

The first General Assembly of the young Republic, was held at Windsor, March 12, 1778, and from that time. until March 4, 1791, thirteen years, when Vermont was admitted into the Union, its General Assembly, had met twenty-eight times, fourteen on the east side and fourteen upon the west side of the "Green Mountains," usually alternating between the sides of the state.

During this time, the Governors were taken from the west side, and the Lieutenant Governors, from the east side.

At the October 1790 session of the Legislature, held at Castleton, an Act was passed; providing; "that Alden Spooner of Windsor should be State Printer, that year, and that thereafterwards, Haswell & Russell of Bennington, and Mr. Spooner, should alternate as State Printers."

The territory comprising the new Republic was practically a wilderness, a range of high mountains reaching its entire length, covered with heavy forests; its entire territory made up of

mountain and valley, clear mountain streams running down to Lake Champlain and the Hudson River on the west side; and to Lake Memphremagog and the Connecticut River on the east side of the range. Nearly all buildings were made of logs while the greater part of everything the settlers needed, whether for food or clothing, had to be there produced. A foreign country to the north was at war with the Republic of America; to the west a hostile province endeavoured to deprive them of the homes, they had bought so dearly.

Every settler, strove to defend not only his own home, but also the home of every other settler, and at all times, whether night or day his neighbor's necessity was his own.

Is it any wonder, thot under these circumstances, the "Mountain Rule" was established, stronger than law,

and as long as the descendants of the "Green Mountain Boys" inhabit Vermont, will prevail?

At Vermont's first General Assembly held at Windsor March 17, 1778, the state was divided into two counties, Bennington on the west, and Cumberland on the east side of the mountain, making the dividing line the height of land; but this division proving unsatisfactory, at the session of the Legislature held at Bennington, February 11, 1779, an act was passed providing for a survey of the line between the counties, as follows: "Commencing at a point in the south line of the Province of Quebec, fifty miles east of the center of the deepest channel of Lake Champlain; extending south to the northeast corner of the town of Worcester, and along the east line of Worcester, Middlesex and Berlin, to the south east corner of the latter town; thence in a straight line to the northwest corner of Tunbridge, and on the west line of Tunbridge to the southwest corner of that town; thence in a straight line to the northwest corner of Barnard and Bridgewater; and the east line of Shrewsbury, to the southeast corner thereof; thence west to the northeast corner of Wallingford; thence south on the east lines of Wallingford, Mount Tabor, Peru, Winhall and Stratton to the southeast corner of the latter town, and west on the south line of Stratton to the northwest corner of Somerset, to the southwest corner thereof; thence east to the northwest corner of Wilmington and Whitingham to the north line of Massachusetts." See See map A.)

The Legislature at its March session holden at Rutland, 1797, divided the state into eleven counties, Addison, Bennington, Chittenden, Franklin and Rutland, on the west side, and Caledonia, Essex, Orleans, Orange Windham and Windsor on the east side of the "Green Mountains." In 1802, Grand Isle was carved out; in 1814, Washington, and in 1835, Lamoille, making fourteen counties, seven on the west side and seven on the east side, the

mountain range being substantially the line dividing these counties, with the exception of the last organized; Lamoille. This County is divided by the mountain range. (See map B.)

Since Vermont was admitted into the Union, or for the past one hundred and twenty-five years, fifty different men have been elected Governor of Vermont, twenty-eight from the west side, and twenty two from the east side of the Mountain, and since 1861, or for the past fifty four years, twenty seven Governors have resided upon the west side and twenty seven upon the east side of the Mountain, for the past ninety years, twenty three of Vermont's Governors, have resided on the west side, and twenty on the east side of the mountains.

From 1791 to 1826, thirty four years, Vermont's Governors were elected from ehe west side and the Lieutenant Governors from the east side. Since 1826, of the forty three Lieutenant Governors elected, twenty three have resided on the west, and twenty on the east side. Since biennial elections have been established, the positions of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, have alternated between the sides of the mountains.

Since 1791, to the present time, there have been twenty eight different persons elected to the office of United States Senator, and one has been elected from the west side and the other from the east side, with but two exceptions.

The first exception was upon the death of Senator William Upham of Montpelier, when former Senator Samuel S. Phelps of Middlebury was appointed to fill the vacancy. The reason for the failure to observe the rule is explained by Hon. E. P. Walton in (Vol. 8, p. 4, Governor and Council) as follows, "according to the rule, always accepted from the admission of Vermont into the Union, some citizen of Eastern Vermont, should have received this appointment, but the nomination of a Whig as Judge of the Supreme Court, was pending before the Senate, with a

1

whippings, persecutions,. fines, imprisonments, for these pious, Biblereading, and energetic Puritans. Hence they came away for purely religious reasons, as persecutions would have ceased if they had been willing to conform. They were not and sacrificed to religious conviction "their father-land, and all associated with that sweet word" 2 for the wilderness of the sea voyage and the desolate shores of "New Canaan” as they called New England. They thus likened themselves to the Children of Israel following God's guidance to a promised land.

II.

3

THE PEOPLE COMPOSING THE COLONY OF NEW HAVEN

The two most prominent men in the New Haven enterprise were John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton." For fourteen years John Davenport had been a minister and had become celebrated. In 1633 he became Vicar of St. Stephen's, Coleman Street, London. Davenport was at this time a man of "great imagination, earnest in his piety, Calvanistic in his theology, possessing the full strength of manhood." 5 He was popular with the people and had risen to his place because of his ability, However, the King had heard of him as a Puritan, though he was not one at that time, but the persecutions imposed by Laud turned him into one and he became lax in compelling conformity in his church. This caused him to be censured and his resignation followed. In 1634 affairs became such that he feared for his personal safety and he fled in disguise to Holland. There he began his plans for a free religious community beyond the seas. In the summer of 1636 he returned to England in connection with the proposition of coming to "New Canaan."

Theophilus Eaton who had been one of Davenport's schoolmates and intimate friends at Coventry, was at this time a popular and rich London merchant. He had been Deputy Governor of the Fellowship of Eastern Merchants

1 Phillip Schaff p. 105.

2 Philip Schaff, p. 106.

3 Woodrow Wilson, Vol. I, p. 86.

4 Alexander Johnston, p. 83.

5 Edward E. Atwater, p. 28.

tand had spent three years in their in erests in the countries bordering onthe Baltic. 1

THE VOYAGE TO "NEW CANAAN"

For some two years these earnest non-conformists had been gathering about Davenport and Eaton, till, in 1637, direct preparations were made for the voyage. They projected more than one emigration. They planned to lay the foundations of a new state that should become powerful. Hence the merchants must turn all their property to cash, the full furnishings of homes be carefully selected from what they had, or new materials secured. There were two vessels, the Hector and her consort (name unknown). We may estimate the company as numbering about two hundred men, women and children. 2

In this company were men who had served the King by special commission. Men of wealth, ability and integrity. After calmly thinking during the years of persecution they had decided to follow the Bible implicitly as the direct, intelligible and authoritative communication from God. 4

5

We are told that the two ships did not hold all that wished to emnark and the others came some two years later in the first ship that sailed direct to New Haven. The King was ignorant of the names of the leaders of the party as their names were suppressed, and on the 12th of April, 1637, he granted the frequent and urgent petition of William Fernes, sailing master of the Hector, and the two ships took their way down the Thames, through the Channel to the open Atlantic bearing wealth from England, as the Israelites from Egypt, to the promised land.

Now for the first time they were free to serve God as they wished. As the shores of England faded away and they realized that they were beyond the power of proud King James and might worship God direct and openly without form or prayer book they sang psalms.

"They shook the depths of the desert gloom

1 Alexander Johnston, p. 84-Chas. W. Elliott, Vol. I, chap. 27. Also Edward E. Atwater, p. 39. 2 Edward E. Atwater, p. 47.

3 Benjamin Trumbull, Vol. I, p. 95.

4 Winsor, Vol. III, p. 226.

5 Edward E. Atwater, p. 53.

With their hymns of lofty cheer.

"Amidst the storm they sang, And the stars heard and the sea." 1

The passengers were sea-sick for a time but later overcame this and en

joyed the voyage. Sometimes the winds blew severely and the passengers spent the time in the cabin in fasting and prayer. When the winds abated they had services of thanksgiving.

"We constantly served God morning and evening, by reading and expounding a chapter, singing and prayer; and the Sabbath was solemnly kept by adding to the former, preaching twice, and catechising. Every night the ship master and the company of sailors used to set the eight and twelve o'clock watches by singing a psalm, and prayer that was not read out of a book." 2 the days and nights of the voyage till the 25th of June when the ship lay at anchor in Boston harbor and the weary voyagers went on shore.

THE WINTER IN BOSTON Davenport, Eaton and their followers received a most hearty welcome from Governor Winthrop and the people of Boston. Boston and the surrounding towns always welcomed Puritans, but the reputation of "the famous Mr. John Davenport" and the opulence of the merchants accompanying him gave to this company an unusual value, for this was the most wealthy of all the companies which came to New England. Because of its close corporation ideas on religion it was to become the poorest as we shall see. Every inducement was offered them to stay. "Charleston offered them largely, Newbury their whole town, the Court any place which was free." Davenport entered into the life of the people. By invitation he took part against the Antinomions in the great Snyod Debate, but he had with him a migrant parish depending upon him to find them a suitable place of settlement and he could not give all his time to subtle fancies in religion and their differences. He and his followers

had their convictions. It was not well to unsettle any. Davenport carefully examined every place offered him in Massachusetts. Many of his people being Londoners were bent on trade. Massachusetts had no suitable place for such a settlement left. 2

Matters were growing worse in England for free thinking men. It would soon be no better than Turkey or Rome, hence many of their friends would be sure to come soon and it seemed necessary to plan to have room to welcome them.

Davenport had ideas of his own, and the earthly paradise he sought was not quite Cotton's, or Hooker's, or Winthrop's. The unmolested enjoyment of civil and religious liberty was the sole object of the coming of the company. Not being able to find in Massachusetts sufficient room for themselves and the numerous friends, whom they expected to follow them, they began to look elsewhere. 1

The Pequod War was just closing and the victorious English had pursued the Pequots along the northern shores of Long Island Sound to the regions west of the Connecticut River. They had pursued by foot on land and by boat on the Sound. They tarried for a time at Pequod (now New London) and also at "Quellipiook." Captain Strughton stated in a letter to Governor Winthrop that Quinnipiack was superior to Pequod. In his letter from Pequod he says "For this place is scarce worthy of much cost.' On the other hand, Captain Underhill in reporting of that famous place called "Queenpiak," says, "It hath a fair river, fit for harboring of ships, and abounds with rich and goodly meadows.'

These men returned to Boston about the 26th of August and reported in person. Under the date of August 31st, Winthrop says in his Journal, —"Mr. Eaton and some others of Mr. Davenport's company went to view Quinnipiac with intent to begin a plantation there. They had many offers here, and at Plymouth, and they viewed many places, but none would content.""

2 Eggleston, Beginnings of a Nation, p. 343. 3 Chas. W. Elliott, U. S. Hist., Vol. I, chap. 27. 1 A. Holmes, p. 299.

2 John Winthrop, Vol. II, p. 237.