The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-30

| wv lIIlHS the twenty uOildI PRIZE VI
fered by the Connecticut Society of Co
lonial Danes for the best essay from
| the High schools of the state.)
The story of the regicides or fugitive
| judges is one of great interest, both ir
it's connection with the unfortunate
House of Stuart and it's association
| with our colonial history.
| During the reign Of Charles the First
| the English people were perpetually ir
| state Of turmoil and civil war, caused
| by the tyrannical measures of their
sovereign In his endeavors to carry
out the doctrine of the divine right of
kings, Charles finally broughtsabout a
| rebellion and revolution, which result
ed in his Impeachment for high treason,
his conviction and execution.
At the termination Of the Cromwell
liam protectorate which followed the
tragical death of the king, the Stuart
line was restored in the person of his
son, Charles III. One of the first mat
tiers which occupied the attention of the
new ruler was the punishment of the
condemned to death. These men be-
came the objects of relentless persecu-
ton; many fled the country, and the
rest received at the block their reward
for their devotion to English liberty.
Pre-eminent among those who left
England were John Dixwell, Edward
Whalley and his son-in-law, William
Goffe, all of whom had won distinction
In the late war; and had been first, af
ter Cromwell, to sign the death-war-
rant of King Charles They had risen,
through army and state, from one post
of honor to another till they stood sec
ond to the lord protector alone. lii
deed, one of their number, COTE, had
been suggested as Cromwell's successor
in the protectorate.
Knowing we'll that in his thirst for
vengeance the new king would be I'M
likely to spare those conspicuous in the
scenes Of the late revolution. these
judges had been among the first to
leave England Dixwell sailed for Hol-
land, and not long after, Whalley and
Goffe, in disguise, under the assumed
names Of Richardson and Stephenson,
reached Boston. After visiting Cover
nor Endicott they passed on to Cam
bridge, their intended residence, where
they remained until the arrival of the
expected act of indemnity. To the
surprise and grief of their friends.
Whalley and Goffe were among the few
excepted from the pardon granted to
the participants in the late rebellion.
The magistrates of the colony We're in
a dilemma, for the loyalty of Massa-
chusetts had already been questioned
and the harboring of the regicides
would only increase the royal displeas-
ufe.
At length. to remove the. embarrass-
ment of their friends, the fugitives de-
eided to remove to New Haven whete
they had been assured of a cordial well
come. The we'll known predominance
of the Puritan element in the colony,
and the more indirect communication
with the home government. together
with the invita- ton from Its magistrates,
probably led the judges to choose this
settlement as place Of refuge. Upon
reaching New Haven they made their
home with John Davenport. the pastor
Of the colony. Davenport was a dis
character and had once been
a celebrated London minister. In 1898,
with Others, he came to New Haven
and conducted under a large oak tree
near the present corner of George and
college streets) their first Sabbath SER
vice ever held in New England. He
proved to the refugees true friend
and benefactor, risking in their service
loss of position, of possessions and even
of life. Had it not been for his precept
and example, the judges undoubtedly
would have been surrendered to the
tender mercies of King Charles. Hide
the outcasts; betray not him that
let mine outcasts dwell with
thee, Moab; be thou covert to them
from the face of the spoiler." This was
the text Of powerful discourse, by
which the brave old clergyman con-
vinced his hearers that the allegiance
they owed their God, greater than that
which they owed their king, demanded
Of them the protection of His servants,
in whom they recognized the hunted ex-
lies.
So great was the sympathy and inter
est aroused in the people that they de-
clared themselves ready to brave any
danger in behalf of the noble patriots
who had made religious freedom posi-
BILE, who had put down despotsm and
tyranny, and thus setting free millions
IF oppressed people. They considered
that only desire for a low revenge could
be the motive of the king in SO need
essly prosecuting two men, one almost
helpless with the weight of many win
1t