The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-01-05

IMMIGRATION TO VERMONT
From n Article In the Vermont Review BY
Prof j. E. Goodrich.


Was Immigration to Vermont Slim
ulated-and to what extent-in the
years 1900 80 by persecution on the
part OF the "Standing Order In Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut?
Mote. This paper was prepared at
the suggestion OF the Hon l. Il. Chit
tenden 10 q conversation had with
him about two years before his lam
ented death he said that he had ofte
considered the question but had not
been abe to arrive at any definite COZ
clusion. Eminent historical authority
IN Connecticut had assured him that
there was never any occasion TO emi
CRATE from that state on account OF re-
iigious persecution.
The first OF these questions has ofen
been answered 10 the Affirmative by
those who stood at a distance OF two or
three generations FROM the early set
tiers. And 1t Is not easy to decide
whether they followed a Trustworthy
tradition as to the actual motives OF
actual settlers or whether they we're
helped by their imagination to invent
such motives as might be supposed TO
have influenced men living in Massa.
chusetts and Connecticut under the
conditions OF those times.
The history OF bennington seems TO
lend cOunienance TO the persecution
theory. It Is agreed that the persons
who formed the brst church organized
IN Vermont u762) had been members
OF three Separate" churches In Hard
wick, Sunderland and Westfield, Mass
n d that they we're joined little later
by others from u like community a,
Newint (Norwlchl, Conn. These had
all been irregulsrly organized, and
Were refused recognition by the Con-
gregational body. Four members at
least OF the Bennington church had
been communicated by the church In
Sunderland. # appears also that Rev
Jeded alb Dewey, their first pastor, was
q leader OF the Separstlsts, aud had
been Cisiel!owshipped by the Orthodox
And ful Their, that the Westheld council
called to advise as 10 the union OF the
Bennington and westneld churches,
was m ade up Of Separate" churches
only.
The Simultaneous movement on the
part OF four churches, or OF portions OF
fouf churches 10 q region beyond the
jurisdiction OF Massachusetts, cannot
be regarded rs au accident. These
"Comeonters" did not happen to meet
at Bennington, nor was the New Light
pastor, or the New Light council, tie
result Of chance. Common symps,hIe.
and aims determined the gathering OF
these peculiar" people OF BennIng.
ton. III was 4 relief, no doubt, 10 ge,
away from the nelghborhood Of those
who still adhered to the impious Halt
way Covenant; a relief also 10 be free
from the statutes which 10 Massachu-
setts aud Connecticut attempted TO reg
ulste religious matters. The Cone
cutters entertained rather extravagani
notions Of religious independence and
self svfiiciency. They we're jealous OF
their rights, exceedingly sensitive when
they considered them TO be abridged or
impsrilled, and seem sometimes rather
TO have enjoyed the notoriety OF perse-
cution, even when most loudly protest
log against IL.
Ia Hartford, Conn, for example. AZ.
ter some experience OF zines and i'm
prlsonment and several unsuccessful
lawsuits. followed by dive petitions "a
the Legislature against the certificate
Law, an orer was made by commiie,
OF The Assent y 10 alter this Law 'ior
the better" as the Baptist brother con
fesses. But this partial relief the
BaptIs,s would not accept and the Law
remained. II IL plain that they pre-
ferred 10 live under n show Of injusiics
rather than permit the Injustice or TO-