The New York herald., 1844-10-04


Colonization OF Connecticut.
The first settlements the Connecticut river
were effected by The Dutch 7; and the lmputatiOn
of the English settlers that the former were lntru
ders, seems TO be quite untounded In justice or
truth. The patent obtained from their own govern.
ment tor all lands they should discover, included
| the lands on the Connecticut river, which was
yet unknown 10 the English. They traded with
the Indians tor several years, and purchased from
| them tract OF land, which they erected a tort
and trading house at Hartford, before the English
had taken possession OF the country. Those who
came from Plymouth and Massachusetts, colonies,
and attempted TO drive the Dutch from their settle
ments, were not possessed Of the smallest title from
| the Plymouth Company. The prior claim OF the
Dutch will appear from the acc unit OF this trans
action, given by Governor Bradford In which he
relates how they eluded the vigilance Of the Datch
by craft and deceit, and the preence OF trading
with the natives, succeeded IN passing their settle
| ment, and sailed to about mile above them, on
| the Connecticut, where they made clearing,
| erected house, aDd fortified the place by pail
| sades. The writer continues; . The Dutch send
word home to the Monhatss Of what was done;
/ and in process OF time they send band OF about
| seventy men, IN warllke manner, with coIors ds-
played, to assault us; but seeing us strengthened,
and that 1t would cost blood, they come TO parey,
/ and return IN peace. And this was cur entrance
there. We did the Dutch no wrong, for We took
not foot ct any land they bought, bat went to the
| place above them, and bought that tract OF land
| which belonged to the indians we carried with US,
! and our friends, with whom the Luch had nothing
| to do''
| In 1854, a number Of the inhabitants of Cam
bridge, with the Rev Mr. Hooker at their head,
applied TO the general court OF Massachusetts Tor
permission TO remove to the banks OF the Connec-
ncu on the plea that the number OF emigrants old
| not allow them such choice OF lands as they de.
| sired. The court was divided on the subject, and
| It's consideration was postponed for time Seve-
raj OF the most active OF those engaged IN the en-
,erprise had proceeded tar in their preparations
tor removing, that they would not walt the coults
consent; and five OF them set out, aud proceeded
| to Pyquag, a beautiful spot on The Connecticut.
| few miles below Hartford, where they built huts
| and passed the winter. Tho general court again
/ assembled in May, 1885, ana granted permission 10
Hooker and his company 10 remove To Connecil-
| cut, they desired stlpuaiing, however, that
/ they should remain under The jurisdiction OF Mas
! sachuset,s. Active preparations for removal were
Immediately commenced, and srnal! parties We're
sent out In advance, not only from Cambridge, bat
| also from Dorchester and Waerton
| Colonization OF Providence and Rhode
Island.
The founders of Massachusetts having fed from
persecution account Of their religious opinions,
were chiefly anxious 10 secure TO themselves and
their descendants The unniolested enjoyment VI
these opinions IN the country where they had taken
refuge. For this purpose they deemed II important
| to require of all the members OF their community,
l conformity to their religious views, to u certain
extent; and this IN small state, such as they pro-
pssed to found, they considered not only practca-
ole, but absolutely essential 10 the continued exls-
tence OF the colony. The purtans had not learned
10 separate moral and religious from political ques-
tons, nor had the governors OF any other state or
sovereignty in the world, that period, learned TO
make this distinction. We must not be surprised,
therefore, to find that what considered hcresy,
by the rulers OF Massachusetts,, should be regarded
| as subverslve OF the very foundations Of society,
and that in accordance with these views, II should
receive from them precisely the same sort Of ire at
ment which at the same period dissent from the
established religion OF the state was receiving from
i enlightened
| rope
| The impracticability Of maintaining uniformi-
| ty OF religious opinion even in small community,
most favOrably situated for the purpose, soon be-
came apparent Among the emlgrants OF 1880 was
Roger Williams, puritan minister who ofiiclated
| tor some time AZ pastor In New Plymouth; but
subsequently obtained leave to resign his functions
at that place, and in 1853 was appointed minister
OF Salem. His unfinchng assertion of the rights
| Of conscience, and the new views which he de-
| veloped OF the nature OF religious liberty, had
early attracted the attention OF the leading men of
the colony. and excited the hostility of great por-
| tion OF the people Indeed there was much in his
doctrine to awaken the prejudices and excite the
alarm OF those who had adopted the exclusive
theory of Winthrop and his adherents.
He maintained. that it was not lawful for an
unregenerats man to pray, nor for Christians to
join in family prayer with those whom they judged
anregenerats: that it was not lawful to take an
oath Of allegiance, which he had declined himself
| to take, and advised his congregation equally to
reject that King Charles had unustly usurped the
power OF dlsposng OF the territory OF the Indians,
and hence the colonial patent was utterly Invalid
that the civil magistrate had right to restrain or
direct the conscences OF men and that any thing
short Of unlimited federation for all relgo sys.
| TENS was detestablc persecution.
These opinions, aud others of a kindred nature,
| enforced with an incorporating zeal, soon occa-
STONED his separation from his pastoral charge. A
| few admirers clung to him IN his retirement and
| whH he denounced the use ef the cross on the
| British flag, the fiery and enthusiastic Endcott cut
the Poplsh emblem, as he styled il, from the national
standard; nor dd the censure OF this act by the
provincial authorities convince the military trained
| bands Of Williams error. With them the leaders
were obliged TO csmpromise. While measures
were in agitation fer bringing Williams to Judi-
| cisl reckoning, Cotton and other ministers propos
ed a conference with him, OF the iruitlessness Of
"You are deceived in that man, II you think he
will condescend TO learn OF any of you" Subse"
qucnt events showed that these two men, the most
distinguished in the colony, regarded each ether
with mutual respect throughout the whole contro-
| versy. The conference was Intellectual and sem
| tence OF banishment was pronounced against Will
hams This sentence was so unpopular In Salem,
that large proportion OF the inhabitants prepared
10 follow him into exile when an earnest remon-
| stance from Cotton and the other ministers Of
Boston, hardly induced them to rellnqulsh their
purpose. Alarmed at this movement, h's enemies
determined to send him to England but he evaded
| the warrant issued for his apprehension, and ma
king his escape in the midst OF winter, sought
shelter among the recessss Of the forest. HIS suf.
erlngS snOulu never De IOTROttcH Dy Tie HlenOs ot
| religious liberty. For more than three months he
was houseless wanderer in the woods Q635) II
was well for him that his phanthropic sprlt had
previously led him TO cultivate the friendship OF the
Indians From MassasoIt and Canonicus he re-
ceived cordial welcome and he was ever after
| their advocate and friend.
HIS FIRST attempt at a settlement was At Seckonk,
| where he procured land from O,amaqun the chief
| sachem Of Pokansket, and began 10 build Bat
private letter from Governor Winthrop brought him
nisrm:tlon that this place was within the jursdlc-
| 10 the neighborhood OF Nsrrsgansett Bay. His
| friends, Mlantonomoh and Csnonicus, assured him