The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-12-13

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THE CLEVELAND HOMESTEAD.
was pupil of Thomas Harland, who came
hithcr from London in 1913. William Cleve-
land being at that time in his tWenty-third
year.
1t is about half mile beyond the Nor
wichtown green that Bean Hill may be said
to begin and the Iautic road is its main
street. Highways and byways struggle
Oft from it i'll Il quiet g0-aS-yOu-please lash
ion, accommodating themselves to the i'll
equaities of the rocky and billy country
roundabout as best they may. IN ouen
times the thoroughfare was quite busting
with travel.
just before one comes to the tlUn
the road by the Methodist church that
fronts the common, is the Cleveland home
stead standing close to the sidewalk in the
shade of two more OF the frequent ems
that struck root into the soil two centuries
ago. On the south of the porch Is an APP
pie orchard, and beyond it 1t meadow that
slopes upwards to hills crisscrosscd b.,
stone walls and dotted with conical dwarf
cedars.
dwelling about forty feet square with
shinged gambrel, or hip, roof. and
chunky chimney to each corner, suggesting
the reelection that the winters must indeed
be bleak where so many hreplaccs are re-
CURED.
Stepping within is Immediately
brought to face with the front stairway
that leads to the sleeping rooms above.
On either hand are the p3rIor and sitting
room. whose principal features are the
black marble mantels and wood hrepaces,
the recessed windows wish solid, wooden
inside shutters, and the low ceilings cross
ed and supported by heavy, enclosed tiqor
i. mansions 81 Il Bean Beam Iiiili - ="
just how old the house is no one seems
to know. More than century, OF course,
for it is the current belief that it was built
NV William flayni1nI'S father. Aaron
Cleveland. Certain it is that the house mad
been occupied for many years when the
deacon purchased it from his brother-in-laW.
u. L. Dodge, in 1872, when the latter
moved to New York where his descendants
became merchants of national fame, the
late William Il. Dodge being one Of them
1t vas the dcacon's home until his tour
children went away or married, i'lchalt
coming there with his father at the age of
seven and remaining until after his gradu-
alton from Yale college III 1874, at the age
of nineteen
Deacon Cleveland led a placid. contentcd,
digniiicd and honorable life in this viclnagc,
blessed by reason of his honest thrift III ms
ba sket and his store, happy III his lanhiy
relations and fortunate among men III
his marriage with Margaret taiiey, Nor
had any stirring events aroused the latent
forces Of his character into action Is large
ly a matter of conjecture; ~,
But his father, Aaron Cleveland, lived III
different tunes ana iSil IL uluticht lNtpl u W.
hind him. He was born in East Haddam IN
174f Coming to Norwich lew years pc
fore the outbreak of the revolution, ne
Immediately took an active part IN the az
fairs of the community. AS FehGous eA,
hortcr a lecturer, and writer he eXeitcd
4 powerful influence. n local history
speaks of him as "a man of Wit and ready
| writer who contributed many pieces to the
newspapers that had the ringing sound OF
genuine patriotism. ~
Ono of the articles published in The Nor
wich Packet in 111;;, was an essay IN the
form of Il sermon upon the text; Iouch hot
mine ann0inted. >" lie claimed that not
kings but the people are the annointcd OF
God. and kings are forbidden to touch
them" 1t was pretty bold talk III those
days of subseryiciicy TO George Ill.
All through his writings he shows an apt
ness Of characterization which, while not
quite equal to such inspirations as PERM
cious activity" and 'goUliSh glc@, Is not far
behind them. During the great struggle he
was to be found serving on committees with
the leading dignitorics OF the town, and lot
Wardn@ the cause of the patriots by every
means in his power.
Another title 10 distinction with him was
the warfare he wagcd against slavery, both
with tongue and pen. He was the earliest
known uni-SlaVery man in the state OF Con
necticut, and in 1873, being elected for that
purpose, introduced q bill into .no lcglsla-
lure TO abolish the evil. Soon after that he
rounded out his career by becoming Il minis
ter in the Congr@@a tlonaI church, ana dled
at New Haven i'll 1919.
Ii was worth noting that his father an
other clergyman, was named Aaron, the
third in descent from Moses Cleveland, who
was The first conner to America. landing i'll
Massachusetts in 1G:5--in the course of his
nulpit ministrationS he became convinced
that he ought to Join the Episcopal church.
Acting on the courage of his convictions
and it required no little clear grit to make
such q radical departure at that periOtl-hc
took orders in the EpGcopalian dcnomina-
ton He died in Philadelphia at the house
of his friend. Benjamin Franklin, who wrote
and printed III his newspaper an obituary
notice of him IN terms Of glowing culogy.,
In a speech before the New England 30
crty of the city of Brooklyn, at its dinner
last wear, ex-Iresdent Cleveland said in
the course of some humorous remarks re-
pording his New England lineage and his
claim TO be a New Englander: AT any rate,
it seems 10 me that the claim | make Is en-
tirely valid. with no embarrassment con-
nccted with it except the fact for some pur-
noses and on some occasions father BIRTH
Mace may be of more value than his own
Few will say him nay when he speaks thus
of the home of his ancestors. for it is easy
10 see how he came by his Unbending, Jack
soniau fiymness of purpose his stern and
lofty sense of rectitude, and his many civic
virtues which. whatever may come OF go,
have endearcd him to One-half of the AmeZ-
lean people. Il. w. F..
Raum Only ExceIled by Tanner.