The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1851-11-13
For the Herald.
"REMINISCENCES.
Yours truly,

W. w SobuStftot
have often been made the subjec. of
ridicule and reptoach, in view Of their
ancient, intolerans and bigo,cd princi.
pies, as also for ii,cir moral code, de.
nominated Blue laws
But il should be recolIected. that
their ecclesiastical system Of govern.
men. wa. formed aud imposed on the
church, by the clerical influence Of the
mother country while colony, and un-
der the dicia,ions of n British hierarchy, .
which WAS soon abroeaied at the close /
of the revolution.
Those who have pcrused the history
Of New England, will find that the
character Of the frs, settlers were cmi.
ncn,ly distinguished for the picty OF
their lives, and the purity OF their NOR
ais.
They never taueh, their defendants
that the scriptures were cunnngly de.
yiscd fables. or ,ha, moral Obligations
existed only in the Imagination.
They were men Of peculiar s,crncss
in their religious and moral principles.
and regarded every species Of vice will,
adherence.
The State of Connecticut denomina.
ted ',hc land Of steady habits has con-
tinued since the first settlement, proven.
bal for their strict observance Of relig.
ious creeds and moral systems. and
their rigid observance Of the christian
sabbath, which was commenced at can
die Lighting on Saturday evening. at
which time all secular business was sus'
pended, and the sabbath commenced by
reading the scriptures, or some relig-
ious book, and resumed on Sunday morn
ing and continued through the day, ex-
ccpting tue hours devoted in the sane
tuary TO public worship. l well remem-
Der with what intensity ! watched the
setting sun, while it appeared TO lnger
in the western horizon, that might be
liberated from confinement within
doors, which was grihvious period o.
pcnance.
Imcrcly mention the sacred rcgar'
paid to Sunday in the olden times, II
: show the dcgcneracy Of morals, dnrinI
seventy or eighty years, by the inroa'
OF infiri,y and skepticism.
The FIRST settlers OF the town of L =
Oh, birth place Of the wrilcr,) wer
! Scotch and Irish emisran,s termed di:
Il sen;ers. or non -couformiSts, in prime
: pies; they were generally men Of stron
u intellects, but Of uncultivated manner
: and OF q rough exterior.
" They, however, were possessed 4
q some considerable wealth, and cons
y qucn.ly of some influence in the maj
l. agement Of the towns transactions
= business, and were the principa! agent
in the erection of the FIRST mceiir
'e house, (of which mention was made
N a former article in the lIerald.)
l. As an illustration Of the character
% those Scotch settlers ; perhaps the 10
L. lowing anecdo,e. which ! often hea
when boy repeated by ear w'ness'
Is who vouched for the truth, thereof,
'e follows:
ID The evening previous to raising Il
a aforesaid meeting house, there was
n gathering OF the people to make arrani
D. menls for the occasion.
~ Before separations in the evening
Ie was proposed 10 close with prayer,
II Accordingly bruhcr Craia was non
&C. na,ed TO lead in the sacred devotion
I'm Bot one Of the Leading members, nam
fe Jenny Mack Nall, arose and object
le 10 the nominations, by observing Il
We Deacon Cram must 10. pray, rs he "
- no, frecho'der.
re- Says o,i Jenny. Cram docs