The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-10

CheeVer, Thomas F'u6ill, John Pundef- son, William Andrews and Jeremiah Dixon, Apparently, here was set of men against whom no breath of scandal could whisper, men fit to be the founda- ton of the kingdom of heaven that was to come upon this very spot, when the Davenport theory had been worked out; but alas and alack! it forthwith ap- peared that one of the twelve had cheated poor man in his need, as the record says, by taking an excessive rate for meal. Who discovered the short comings of this Would-be foundation stone, the annals do not say; neither do we know the name of the candidate who took unlawfully of his neighbor's S goods. The recorder has mercifully written down but eleven names, and left us to infer that the unworthy brother either decently resigned or was successfully objected to. It is stated that The confessed with grief, and de- clared that having been smitten in heart and troubled in his conscience, he restored such a part of the price back again with confession of his sin to the party as he thought himself bound to do." We do not know how sincere this penitence was, but it is significant, as bearing upon the theories of Davenport, to note that the confession and restitu- tion did not take place until after the sin had been found out, and until the brother saw himself in danger of los- ing that power and influence which could only come in that community through church membership.
 Davenport did not see, what Samuel Eaton had so wisely prophesied, that the moment political and social lnflu- ence was made conditional, upon church membership, men would begin to use the church for the purpose of furthering their own interests. He seemed to as- sume with what now looks like an almost childish credulity, that church membership necessarily implied all that his own high ideal required. He had not learned, with all his experience, that men were so constituted that the con- ditions he imposed would be certain to lower the standard, not only of church membership in the community, but even of morality. We have seen at the very outset, one dishonest man presenting himself for churchly, and subsequent political honors; and we know perfectly well that a man who will take advan- tage of neighbor in his need, no mat ter how many penitential tears he may shed when exposed, is a scoundrel at heart.
 It really seems as though this circum- stance of itself would have shaken Davenport's confidence in his scheme; but what must have been the effect of the later discovery that another mem Der of this perfect foundation, and a church pillar too, who had been chosen by Davenport himself as one of the purest seven of the pure twelve, had fal- sified the public records of which he was the trusted clerk, for the purpose of stealing title to twenty-eight acres of another mans land!
 It was under such encouraging prove to the world that the only way to secure an honest administration ot civil affairs was to, limit voting and of flee holding to church members.
 In due time the seven pillars organ ized themselves into civil court for the transaction of public business The seven added nine of those who, had come into the church, so that the court when ready for action. was composed of six teen persons. They proceeded at once to elect magistrates and other officers from among their own number, as they were bound to do by the constitution. of Mir Davenport's government. The choice of chief magistrate was the wis est act that this self-constituted body ever performed Theophi1us Eaton whe served as chief civil and judicial officer of the colony during the remainder of his life, was a man whose nobility of character has never been duly appreciat- ed by thetown he helped to establish. A man of large ability and great modesty
 a scholar and a Christian gentleman
 sympathetic and generous, dispensing
 justice with a dignity and impressive ness that won the respect of those witf whom he had to deal, he was one ot the few ideal magistrates in all history But no monument reminds the passer by that here once dwelt man whose life and temper were fit ideal for every
 man and boy who should ever walk tht streets of the town. No inscription adorns our halls of justice to remin(
 his successors in the judicial office of hi'
 pure and upright life. No schoolboy, tc whose life he might be an inspiration ever hearts of him until he reads tht simple chronicle in his history, tha Theophilus Eaton was the first gover nor of New Haven Colony. Yet it could be quite as fitly said of him as Antony said of Brutus:
 'sThis was the noblest Roman of then all. <
 | His life was gentle, and the elements | So mixed in him that nature might stand up
 And say to all the world, This was z | mani"
 | Eaton committed his large fortune tt | the vicissitudes of the colony, and stood | manfully by what finally proved to bt sinking ship, seeing his fortune mel 1 away when by return to London ht | might have saved and added to it; ant 1 he laid down his life and was buried 1 among the people who had loved ant l trusted him.
 I would that the same words could b. l said of Davenport. But whatever WI
 may be forced to conclude as to th | true interpretation of Davenport's char acter let it be always remembered tha ! he had the full confidence and affection | of Theophilus Eaton.
 l It was some time before set of law I was framed. At the time the governo
 and the other civil officers were elected | the following resolution was passed