The Newtown bee., 1905-08-11

Is .zo= NeWtOWn's BiCentennial, INK (
n August 5.

August 5.

= ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ " " "
gained church of their former home
came with them, and was not the
their organization? But at any rate
such was the name which they brought;
and for short time there was New
town in Connecticut established in the
sight of the Dutch fort of slightly ear
ecclesiastical and civil by Mr. Hooker
and Mr. Stone. But soon the thoughts
of the settlers went back past their re-
cent abode on the Bay to their old
hame in England; and after two years
they agreed that Newtown should be
called Hartford-they doubtless called
it Har'fOrd-frOm the name OF the old
dwelling-place of one of their minis
tiers. The former name lapsed: but it
was after while suggested for adop-
tiOn in the eastern part of the colony
and was actually renewed by those who
fixed on this place as home for them
selves and their children: and at the
end of two centuries we find the name
perpetuated here. We may feel obliged
to apologize for it, as one apologized
for the name of the venerable founda-
ton of New College at Oxford, by say
ing, sit was new Once''; but we gladly
keep the word which has almost lost
the significance of it's derivation, and
has come to mean, for many who live
here and many more who are scattered
in divers parts of the country and lit
may well be) in remote parts of the
earth, all that is denoted by the name
of an ancestral home or Of their own
H. ir, nh nf 1u
home in youth and active life and
happy age. One who may venture to
speak for the State Historical Society
which has it's its local abode in the
capital city of the State may venture
to say that he brings to-day a saluta-
tion from old Newtown of 1886 to the
new Newtown of the comparatively
recent date of 1705, seventy years its
junior.
Seventy years pass beyond the linn
it of the active life of man in these de-
generate days, save in few extraordi
nary cases; but seventy years is not a
church or nation. Still, it is period
which often marks the occurrence of
important events, the passage of i'm.
portant actions, the influence of strong
men. Especially the first three
score years and ten in the his
tory of commonwealth cannot
but determine in great part it's
future life. The Connecticut into
which the settlement which was made
here 200 years ago was soon admitted
as town, was already the Connecticut
mind yOu-it must be briefly and al
most by suggestion some Of the
events by which that history was
marked and it's issues determined.
The Connecticut Colony had, as we
may say, gained consciousness of it's
power and of it's rights in the Pequot
war: it had made declaration of it's
| principles of government and claimed
and accepted the responsibilities of
commonwealth in the adoption of the
Fundamental orders, the first written
constitution in the world establishing
pure and strong democracy; and it
had strengthened itself by acquiring
such governmental rights as were
pos 'essed by the commander of the
| fort at Saybrook. Meanwhile there
had been growing, under the influence
Of an ariStOcratic settlement at the
mouth of the Quinnipiack, a feder-
ation-for it was rather this than
cOmmOnwealth-the principles of
which we're not in entire accord with
those of the River colony. We may
remind ourselves, by the way, that in
the first sermon preached at New
think of themselves as led into the
wilderness to be tempted Of the devil.
Soon, the days OF the Commonwealth
in England came and passed; the King
fell and the King came to his own
again; and the new King gave to the
younger Winthrop for his Colony of
Connecticut that wonderful charter
which continued it's former govern
ment, confirmed to it all that it had
ever had or claimed, and in fact
assured it's perpetuation for all time.
An immediate result of the charter
was the inclusion, in 1862, of New
ingly accepted by those who were thus
deprived of sort of sovereignty with
out their consent, but seen to be
necessary for common safety and fol
mutual advantages; and the united
colony was able to take her place
among friendly neighbors and to assert
her rights against her opponents. 1t
is not amiss, perhaps; to pote the
growth of the body polite be enumer
ating the towns which came under the
general provisions Of the charter. In
original G towns Of V Wethers6eld '' Hart TT
ford and Windsor, there were eight
Saybrook, of equal antiquity with the
three, Stratford, Pennington. Fair
field, Norwalk, Middletown, New
London and Norwich. With New
Haven there were four others; Milford
, GuilfOrd, Stamford and Branford.
,, do not mention the towns of Long
Island which were under one or the
other of these jurisdictions, as they
did not long continue their relations
/ to them. These Is towns formed or
whole homogeneous and prosperous
, com munity. Under the spiritual carr
of we'll educated and gOdly ministers
with upright magistrates, who ad
ministered wisely the laws made by
| the representatives of the people
training their children in as vel
furnished schools as the times woult
, afford and founding Collegiate schoo
for their higher education; practicin.
, and strengthening what came to be
known as the New England conscience
+ the people of this Commonwealth took
, quietly but surely, their place as men
: and as Christians.
r Before the time came when these
lands were secured for a settlement
Connecticut had been called upon t,
: do good deal and to suffer good dea
+ for the common interests of New Eng
land and for the maintenance and de
, Tense of the rights and claims Of tn
mother country; and in doing this sh
, had come into depressed financia
condition and felt the need of create