Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-01-24
6eleft AlisfeIIal,p.
THE CHARTER OAK; ;.ar
A Historical Scene in Hartford,

The fame of the celebrated g Charter Oak"
has travelled fal and wide, but the particulars Of
the interesting historic reminiscence which has
made that fame enduring as the memories Of the
past, may not be familiar to the minds of all our
readers. We love to cherish the memory and
recount the deeds of those worthy founders and
defenders Of our civil and religious inrtitutions,
which are the glory oI our land, and which form
so valuable portion ofourrich Inheritance We
cupy the following from Bacon's Historical Dis
courses:
"On the 3lst Of October, 1857, the General
Assembly of the colony being in session al Hart
ford, Sir Edmund Andross appeared at the head
of a company of regular soldiers, and demanded
heir chlrter, declaring the government underit
to be dissolved. The Governor at that time IVES
Robert Treat, of MIfori,* who had with great
bravery and ability commanded the forces of the
colony in the war with Philip. He replied to
the demand Of Andross; he represented the la
bors, and sufftripgs, and the expense, by which
the colonsts adacqnred and planted the coun-
try, and the blood and treasure by which they
had defended it; he spoke of the pain with which
they must surrender privileges, so dearly bought
and so long enjoyed. Evening stole over the
Assembly, while the debate was prolonged. The
invaluable charter invaluable to them in their
weakness and inability to assert their inalien-
able Liberties was brought in and laid on the
table, soon to be formally surrendered. A null
titude of the people had assembled, and were
behodng with Stern coun,enances, that sad
spectacle, the extinction Of their liberty. Sud-
denly the lights are extinguished; there is no
confusion, no rnsh Of the multitude, no uproar--
but when. after moment of darkness, the can
dies are lighted again. the charter has vanished
No discovery coull be made Of it, or ofthe hands
by which it was carried awayt Andross una
bic to clutch the precious document, was oblig-
ed to content himself with The simple suppress
sion of the free government and declaration
that the colony was annexed to Massachusetts.
His procedure was formally entered in the rec
ords, and PINS" was written at the bottom
Then Connecticut came under the same rule
with New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Plym-
ouih Randolph, in one of his letters boasted'
that Andross aud his council were as arbitrary
.- abe great Turk 6 isyesyis.ng ~ss done or
md all who saw The paralysis of industry and
and the gloom that settled dowrpdp
on SO many villages, felt that when the wicked
beareih rule the people mournr
But in April, 1859, two years and a half after
the arrival Of Andross, the intelligence came to
Boston, that William, the Prince of Orange, had
landed IN England to restore the ancient Iiber-
ties of the people. Immediately, without wait
ing to know the SUCCESS of the enterprise, the
people of Boston and the vicinity rose in arms,
seized the Royal governor and his secretary, and
put them in prison, and called their old govern
or and his council TO resume the gOvernment.---
On the 9th of May, a, the usuul time of the gen
eral election at Hartford, the charter came forth
from its conc laDncnt in the old oak before the
Wyllys house; and the free government Of Con.
necticut was re-establishcd as before the inter-
rupton."
sThe fact is creditable to the old New Haven
colony that it gave to Connecticut two Govern
ors in succession, of the death of Governor
Winthrop. The two we're Cows. Leete and
Treat
The charter was carried away and concealed
by Capt. WaAsworth, of Hartford. After the
revolution in England, and the succession of
William and Mary, as the charter ofConnecti-
cut had never beeen formally surrendered, and
as no judgment had been given in any court Of
law against it, it was still valid and while Mas
sachusetts was obliged to obtain a new charter
with limited privileges, Connecticut has ever en-
Inyed twrh the sole interruption of nineteen
months under Andtoss) thepowers of self govern.
mcnt. as perfectly AS ut this moment.
Trumbull, |. 355-375. Dr.. Trumbull's ac-
count of the usurpation of Andross, is one Of the
abest passages in his two volumcs.-.M y Or
gan.