Volume II Part 24 (1/2)

To prove that I am not too severe upon the Americans in the above remarks, let me refer to their own printed doc.u.ments.

The reader must be informed that the Canadian rebels, with their American auxiliaries, made incursions into our territory near the boundary-line, burnt the houses, took away the cattle, and left dest.i.tute those parties who were considered as loyal and well affected, or, in fact, those who refused to arm and join the rebels. When pursued by the militia, or other forces, the rebel parties hastened over the boundary-line, where they were secure under the American protection.

This system of protection naturally irritated the loyal Canadians, who threatened to cross the boundary and attack the Americans in return. It was, however, only a _threat_, never being put in execution; but upon the strength of this threat, application was made to the Governor in the State of Vermont, requesting that the arms in the American a.r.s.enals might be supplied to the citizens for their protection. The Governor very properly refused, and issued a proclamation warning the citizens of Vermont not to interfere. This offended the _majority_, who forthwith called a meeting at St Albans, the results of which were ordered to be printed and circulated. I have a copy of these reports and resolutions, from which I shall now give some extracts. Let it be observed that these are not the resolutions of a few lawless and undisciplined people, bordering on the lakes, as the sympathisers are stated to have been.

The t.i.tle of Honorable denotes that the parties are either Members of the State or Federal Governments; and, indeed, the parties whose names appear on the committee, are all of the first respectability in the State.

”_Meeting of the Freemen at St Albans_.

”Agreeable to a notice circulated throughout the county, about forty-eight hours previous to the meeting, two thousand of the freemen from the different towns in the county a.s.sembled to take into consideration a recent proclamation of the Governor, and an extraordinary letter accompanying the same, and also to express their sentiments on Canadian affairs, especially such as have recently transpired in the neighbourhood of lat.i.tude forty-five degrees.

”Jeptha Bradley, Esquire, of St Albans, was called to the chair, and, agreeable to a resolve of the meeting, appointed the _Hon_. SS Brown, _Hon_. Timothy Foster, and GW Kendall, Esquire, a committee to nominate officers.

”The following gentlemen were nominated and appointed:--

”_Hon_. Austin Fuller, of Enosburgh, _President_.

”_Vice Presidents_.”

+=======================+============+ Colonel SB Hazeltine, Bakersfield.

+-----------------------+------------+ HON. Horace Eaton, Enosburgh.

+-----------------------+------------+ Doctor IS Webster, Berks.h.i.+re.

+-----------------------+------------+ William Green, Esquire,Sheldon.

+-----------------------+------------+ Martin Wires, Esquire, Cambridge.

+-----------------------+------------+ HON. Timothy Foster, Swanton.

_Secretaries_.

+===============+========+ JJ Beardsley, Sheldon.

+---------------+--------+ Zoroaster Fisk,Swanton.

”The following gentlemen were appointed a committee to prepare a report and resolutions for the meeting:--”

+========================+===========+ Henry Adams, Esquire, St Albans.

+------------------------+-----------+ NL Whittemore, Esquire, Swanton.

+------------------------+-----------+ RA Shattuck, Esquire, Sheldon.

+------------------------+-----------+ Bradley Barlow, Esquire,Fairfield.

+------------------------+-----------+ IB Bowdish, Esquire, Swanton.

”The letter of certain citizens of Burlington, and the proclamation of his Excellency, Silas H. Jennison, were then read by the Secretary, JJ Beardsley, Esquire After the reading of the letter and the proclamation the meeting was addressed by several gentlemen, in an eloquent and impressive manner, and their remarks severally called forth great applause.

”The committee, on resolutions by Henry Adams, Esquire, chairman, then presented the following report and resolutions, which were _unanimously adopted_.”

After having in the report stated that threats have been made, they then attack the legality of the Governor's proclamation and conduct, as follows:--