New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-01
NE1V PUBLICATIONS.

nubliste ed, is intended 20 embrace o P'-
local history which has not been fully uea'ed W
snv previous writer. Trunbahs wen AHo""
,oIumes were the frs. to break ground III 'uis
field of research; they embody grea' aniou"' VI
-I..,,,. from the early records Of the State, as
-, q. from family papers, and personal radi.
g ,n, thew 90 not come down to the period OF
,be ReyolutioD; and from that date 'De Pie'e"'
,,,bor ha, been obliged TO trust to DIS own III
o,;,ies. rather than TO any general guld'. MS
undertaking extends from the first settle nent OF
the colony 10 the adoption of the present. consul
,u,;on and in this volume the narrative reaches
70 the capture Of Louisbarg 10 l74o. lheiucce
.,e stsos IN the settlement Of Connecticut, the
,Dferipgs Of the e0loDlsis IN their conh'cts WITH
the Indians and the development OF tine 2rlnci-
ME, Of poli.cal freedom, arc related in style OF
considerable animation, but damaged IN its effect
h, superfuity Of ambitious rhetoric.
In the two closing chapters Of the volume, a
number Of interesting details are given with re-
gard to the established religion Of the colony, and
the msnDeJs aud customs OF the early inhabitants
The original planters Of Come cticut were in
many cases persons Of distinguished lineage, and
not, as has been often supposed, the descend ants
Of the Enelish peasants whose fathers had been
the lowest subjects Of feudal tyranny. Many
Of ttem indeed, were poor; msns, when they
started for America, were in the humber walks
of life; but she bulk OF the lsDdholders, who de-
voted then selves to the cultivation Of the wilder
meas were men Of good family, aud large proper
ton Of them sprsDg from the landed gentry of
England. Still, they did not affect any great
venera,ioD for sristOcra.ic traditions The rage
for titles, which lie said to signaze the rnedern
Yankee, had not broken out at that day. Tie
prefix Of 4" Honorable, for instance, was entirely
uphpoTn in the colonial records until 1855, and
after that period for many years was apple only
TO the Governor, and teld0m to him. Inc term
Esquire was applied as title Of hOn)r no less
charity. For tine first centary after the emigra-
ton twas little used, and until 1865 was cOn6ned
almost exclusively to the Governor and Deputy
Governor. "GeDtlemsn," or as usually aoore-
waited Gent, was occasionally employed, but
soon discarded. The records sometimes show
such titles az the following, tue Honored Major
Tacott," 1.-The Worshipiul Captain John Allyn"
1.-The Worshipful aud much Hob0red John Win
ahrop." The word master" (Mr was not, by
any means, the universal handle to name but was
given erly to favored Individuals. Ii belonged to
clereymen, planters of goot family who were
members Of the General Court persons bred at
Unworthy, and those OF sufficient education to
mans &c The general affairs OF she colony, esther
ia civil or &C :letisstcsl office. Comparatively
few of the representatives from the several
towns, though old stsgers 10 the Legislature,
were hopored with the t.tle There were scores
of meD in honorable stations whO did not possess
the requisite qualifications TO be called Nc"
Young men, OF whstever rank, were seldom, il
ever, allowed to rejoice in the title. Toe ap-
pelaiiOn :" Sir was applied to young gentlemen
who were undergraduates in college. Thus,
con OF Governor Winthrop, Mr.. Sherman, or
Governor nest returning beme from Yale or
Cambridge, would he greeted by his old
comrades, as Sir Winthrop, Sir Sherman, or
Sir Treat. Goodman" was also term Of
ciyiiy, applied TO the better sort Of yeomen,
laborers, tenants, and other dependents above the
grade of servants, who owned a email estate, and
who sustained q good moral character. Military
titles were regarded as Of very high order, aad
abound in the early colonial records, from captain
to corporal usully taking precedence OF the or
binary modes of address. Prior TO 1854, the
Iiehest military office in the Colony was that Of
Captain, and, until 1862, the only Captain was
John Mason whose jurisdic ion extended through.
cut Connecticut Cspt. Mason, therefore-and
especially, In later years Major Mason, when be
mae Q his stated rounds to yisit the militia of the
different towns-was gszed at oy tie astonishei
urcbins of the settlement with saucec-liks eyes, as
man NOT % be approached put on the tlptoe Of
reverence.
The frat dwellings Of the colony we're mossly
constructed Of logs. Daring the bret winter N
Hartford, Wetbers6eld and Windsor, tse plant
ers had no better houses than the huss now used
by the golfers while tending their coal pits.
After the arrival of new corners, ia the valley
Of the Connecticut, better dwellings were
erected, and 10 all the old towns, a few frame
houses we're built for the weather citizens.
The dOmcils of the clergy were frequently not only
convenient, but elegsnt. The Governor, aud
some Of the rich magistrates aud gentlemen, often
INDUCED IN costly residences. A house, built in
164O, by the Rev. enry Wsitield, the founder
OF Guilford, 10 still standing, and is the oldest
house ia the United States, II ID constructed of
stone With solid massive walls, aud IL able 10
lSst for centuries more. TRe outer doors of the
Connecticut naDsion we're of double osken
plsnks made as solid ss iingle piece Of timber,
by hesgy nails driven inSo them at regular inter-