Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/273

 DELAWARE COUNTY. 249 confiscation of their property. The Adaquaintance patent was the only one confiscated in the county. This much I have premised in relation to the origin of the early grants, but the immediate consequences which grew out of this mistaken policy, demand a more particular notice. In relation to the validity of these titles ; I find in the XXXVI. section of the first constitution of the State, which was ratified at Kingston, April 20th, 1775, the following declaration : — " And be it further ordained, that all grants of land, within this State^ made by the King of Grreat Britain, or persons acting under his authority, after the fourteenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, shall be null and void ; but nothing in this constitution con- tained shall be construed to afiect any grants of land, within this State made by the authority of the said King, or his pre- decessors, or to annul any charters, or bodies politic by him, or them, or any of them, made prior to that day." And in 1822, when the present constitution was adopted, this same clause was incorporated with all its original force. So far, then, as our present system of legislation has had aught to do with grants made under the colonial dispensation, it has been but to ratify and confirm them under a restricted and modified form — in which the principle of confiscation was not recognized. The closing scenes of the revolutionary struggle, were succeeded by bright prospects of future prosperity. Its favor- able termination could have been attained but by the aid of a higher Power, and in that circumstance gleamed in the dim future the guaranty of our prospective prosperity. But the condition of the country was sadly prostrated. A long and momentous struggle had exhausted the resources of the com- munity — that social and moral degradation ever the accompani- ments of war — the financial crises, the partial bankruptcy of the State, by their refusal to redeem the national currency to the amount of several millions, produced a powerful reaction,