The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-04

they became, OF the powers Of making. admin
isterinR and executing the laws, they showed
equal intolerance in this country with their
Preabyterian brethren who had cmigrated TO
the Northern Government II no capital execu-
tons took place here. az did in New England.
twas not owing 10 the moderation OF the Church.
or spirit OF the Legislature. az may DO inferred
from the law itself. but 10 historical circum-
stances which have not been handed down TO
u.s." The truth obviously Ia that us regards the
duty OF federation, and n right conception OF the
functions Of government. we may ALL North ana
South, boast ourselves to be wiser than our
fathers Unluckily. the early laws OF New Eng
land have got specially bad name, and we fear
the strenuous efforts Of Mr.. Trumbull will not
avail to shake it of.
II would be objectionable 10 leave tho mis-
conceived and slandcrcd Blue Laws OF Con
ncctcut without gancng at some provisions
which evincc wisdom and humanity lar in adj
VANCE OF their own age. Here, for example. Is
an ordinance against cru lily TO animals which
probably had neither precedent nor parallel in
tho seventeenth century 1t is ordered" by
the General Court Of Connecticut in 1860 " that
no men shall exercise any cruelty or tyranny
toward any brute creatures which are usually
kept for the use of man." And what contempo-
rary legislation may command more sincere re-
spect than the following preamble and statute:
"Forasmuch as the good education Of children
IL Of singular bchoof and benefit 10 any com
monwcath IL is ordered by this court that the
sectmen Of every town shall have n vigant
eye over their brethren and noighhors 10 see that
none of them shall euifer 50 much bnrharsm in
any of their families as not 10 ondoaNor to teach
by themselves or others their children and ap-
prcntices so much learning "a 10 enable them
perfectly to read the English tongue" We may
add that this injunction was supplemented. be-
fore tho colony was seventeen years old. by
measures looking 30 the maintenance Of public
schools in every township.
But tho browning glory Of the Connecticut
Blue Laws which all their c<travaganrcs. real
and pretended. have not wholly obscurcd. is the
political principle of universal suffrage and
representative government embodied In the
Constitution o. 1889. This. tho first organic
instrument written out in the new world. M a
complete frame Of civil oder. supplied the type
and the model for the constitutions OF all our
states, and Of tho Republic itself, a.
they exist at tho present day. And II
WAS no other than Mr.. Calhoun who dc.
clared In the Senate Of the United States that
it was owing mainly 10 two States the most
abused Of the whole Union-to Connecticut and
New Jcrsey-that We have as n nation tho bcs
Government instead 81 the worst and most in
tolerant on earth. Who are the men Of thu
States to whom we are indebted for this adm
rable Government l will namo them" h
said. -" their names ought 10 be engraved OF
brass and live forever. They were Chief Justice
Ellsworth. Roger ShrNnan. and judge Pattcr
son OF New jersey. To the cooncss and sa
gacity Of these three men. aided by few othcr
not SO prominent. we owe tle present Constitu
| tionn