New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-29
JOURNEYS ABOUND HOME,
Tr1F CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY
tFRou OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
Nppru ANTON AUGUST,

IA
~, ond that Northampton and vicinity fairly
,epresent the whole section, / came hther ana
suent several days, learning what l could oil inc
origin and life of the people ut the commencement
that these things might be connected with Wha'
could be seen Of the living and Of the present much
xvos new for excepting q visit TO MATTHIAS vineyard
had never been in New-England before.
The valley of the Connecticut is about loo
miles long. and it is from one mile to I'VE lnlIes
wide. The SOIL Is sandy ana ieithe; the gIeainIn
mart for a limited period In the Spring; Is amualy
ayerflowed and for miles one passes men helus VIII
ont A halitaton. Large portions are deNotc9 10
grass which, for more than 200 years nave ylelded
Tot Ter from two tuns to the acre but corn pOta-
toes and the small grams, are moderately grown
TIL main crop Is tobacco. ana heaft. the amour ~
MIA nted in the whole valley estimated at 2o.WO
aeres Five and 10acTe fields of tins crop are com
mon: heard of sOme of 20 and 80 acres, and one 0l
60 acres. think that such large helds OF ,ooGGSo
never were grown in Missouri. Kentucky, or VII
glnla in the happy days That are gone 49,. .h
The Connecticut River Is beautiful stream, uie
water is clear the bed is of gravel or rock anu u
seems about the Size of the Illinois or the CumDer,
land but it's nav cation is interrupted ny llils az"
boats do not ascend much above lar 1iou III vot@r
powcrS btained On the rOute, alter ieaNlIE 49,
Haven and reaching the valley 1t seemed a. nesl'e
of inhabitants as the unsettled prairles o. 1ois @
frequent villages must be excepted anu On AZ
Springfield we found town OF great actINltg, ~
length the scenery on either Iiailu DcCo { m one Of
ons. ON one side is Mount TOm as rugged Us Que Vi
The hlleghanies and the other is MOUNT iloSoho,
Passing the river between these the NalleS oPcnS
wider than in any other part OF IT'S c0uise, aII uoI
,-ronpd not much elevated above the general leNei
stands Northampton with population ofabout l0oV.
In the wear 1853 a small colony OF yeonahry rom rom
Tngland camc TO Springfield, II miles below, to ma
homes i'm the New World As tins was loO years altel
Columbus discovered America, II Will be seen now
little progress had been made. Only u years before
nd he PILGRIMS stepped upon Plymouth Rock
Should such continent he discovered ana 0I"ueu ~
the world now, not ten wears would eiapse before u
would he explored with astonishing enterprise ana
rapaeity. ~, - II &,,i. o,oss
tbouuh by no means rich. and they were accustomed
10 rural labOrs 1t is generally understood that the
vcnmen were the younger sons OF the nOrhtyi theS
possessed small holdings of land IN lee simple ana
there is no doubt that when they lett England huch
of her best blood was drawn away. They came at
tle timc Cromwell was in full power, not rs eHlles,
but enterprsing Adventures, who were chaIlneu
viii inc prospect of independence, and with the no
erty they would possess III religious MATTERS, where
none should disagree with them N2t hhalg oCa ,,o
ties to sut az Springfield, they united WIN some
Others from Connecticut making III All - heaoS OF
families. and went mp to the WHO meadows WheIs
they laid ont the town of Northampton, as remote
from other settlements as those now beginning IN
Minnesota. Colorado and Montana. Inc lahu was
occupied by the Indians who raised corn and to
haeco and perhaps beaus, and il destitute of
trees as II is now; indeed this whole valley must De
called New-Engand pralI1e, tract OF ABOUT illne
miles In extent was bought Of the sayages, for such
they proved themselves 10 be, and payment was sad
10 have been liberal but IL did not exceed go How
over, the whole Island of New-1oIk was Dohght loi
f22 or a cent an acre
With few exceptions the dwellings were fixed IN
the town and each bead of a family was to have %
acres and three acres, in addition for son. Such
"a were worth fl0O to have 20 acres ms state
Iuent is found in the town records under date OF
Jan 2 1862. and il Is called confirmation OF the
original contract. The land, so allotted. was IN TWO
parts one. OF from TO q acres, IN the town, the
remainder was meadow land from one n'lle 10 tnree
miles distant They seemed TO have money IN those
DAYS, for payments were made IN farm produce the
price OF wheat being fixed at 36 per bushel, peas at
81 and corn at 81 All matters relating to the pubic
welfare were regulated by the town council For III
stance town bull was provided, and gTst,nhli was
built, which for a time ground free OF toll w nat we
understand by democracy was uuhioWi loi III =;
committee was appointed to seat the people ~
meeting according TO age estate anu iepnato.n.
this very time the majority must nave peeh weak
and poor for they had schools. nor did they nave
till six years afterward kehglOus I4leIasloh WV
unknown not only then, but for more th9h in year
aud with reference to the outward world they wer
exclusive for if one kept stranger in his house h
was fined l0i q week which, rs stated, was 10 pre-
vent uprOar and charge The penalty for engaging
In horse racing was 2iG If woman, not IN higl
authorities, reprimanded aud fined. These an
other things are to be gathered from the tow
records which at first seem 10 have been kept WIT
great exaCtness, including births marriages AM
deaths Ii is noticeable, however, that only IN
births deaths and marriages IN first families ar
Notwithstanding the existence of an sristocracy
the evidence OF which will be found in every New
England town, and which prevailed To greater
extent than in any other part OF the country. excep
in the Southern States every person engaged IN farm
labor with his own hands ana IN this rTSpect az
were upon level. The minister and the school and
teacher alike cultivated the soil Although could
find no reference TO slaves. servants are gnominl-
Ously mentioned. and il is evident that there was
small and degraded class, both with and without
families, who were not permitted to own land.
With these antI-democratic ideas, added 10 reli-
giOus intolerance, changes would be few. minister
once settled, as general rule settled for life.
and for than 10 years only three ministers Oc-
cupied the pulpit. the last of whom preached con-
tnuOusly for period of - years The only partlcu
Lar exception was that of jonathan Edwards who
bad the most solid aud yet brilliant mind that
America had then or perhaps has since produced.
lie was minister OF such power that q revival OF
religion took place, so sweeping and deep that il
thought the day of the millennium had certainly
come. But he taught some doctrines to which the
Church would not assent, for they wOuld think for
themselves, and as he would not yield he was DIS
missed. He went 10 kew-Jersey, where the same
success attended his preachng indeed his doctrines
deep-seated there to-day, but owing to the intel
Proselyte others nor get new ideas themselves At
last the Northampton people became proud that
Jonathan Edwards undertook to teach them what
they could not comprehend, ana they point with "a
pride which is mingled with shame. 20 the mOnu-
ment erected to his memory not to bis dust for that
DiIgles with distant soil
When one considers that Northampton, most beau
tfully situated and long well improved is in the
midst of a highly fertile country, that il is the line
of travel between Boston,, Albany, and the great
West aud that the original inhabitants were Of a
periOr class. who surrounded themselves with
every comfort, II u surprising that causes which
olutIonzed other places were unfelt here For q
long tme the town stationary. and houses would
scarcely SELL however low they might be offered.
wealthy citizen told me that for several years he
found il impossible to rent neat cottage and
at last he permitted family 10 live IN it from wear
to year. free Of charge. No college, and school of
high order established; although water power
was abundant manufactures could make no progress
and for nearly go years Northampton the Sleepy
Hollow Of New-England. The reason for this slug
gishness must be looked for i'm the strength of the
convictions and instinct Of the people, that innO-
walton IN earthly Affairs would bring people of the
world, who would seek money more than salvation,
and who would care more Tor tine garments than for
clear conscienees
That part of their theology which gave vitality