Norwich bulletin., 1909-07-07

France. The reasons are three: In the
first place, the French privateers Of
the West Indies and their depredations
on New England commerce; secondly,
Jefferson was at the same time a
French adherent and the author of a
commercial policy the stupidest con-
ceivable from our standpoint. He had
called halt in navy making and had
forced on the country the embargo
and non-intercourse acts. But the
third reason was by far the most i'm
portant, viz: The feeling in every real
New England man that Great Britain
was fighting the battle of Christendon
against Bonaparte. Suppose England
has changed her maritime rules" our
fathers said, "let us in at the game, no
matter what rule she makes. Give us
seaway, and give us a port ahead-we
will find our way in. Never mind the
cruising frigates or the blockade, actual
or on paper. If we are caught, ours
the loss.',
The thought that, after all, old Eng
land might not win hung like cloud
over every New England hamlet. Open
the limp sheets of those old Connecti-
cut journals. Even in our actual fight
ing days, from 1912 to 1925, clippings
from the English papers that slipped
in via Halifax were what people want
ed most to read-not news of Chippe-
wa and Lundy's Lane. Wellington and
Napoleon were the real figures on the
worlds stage. And our grandfathers
judged rightly.
Such were the feelings that gave
birth 10 the Hartford convention. Have
we in Connecticut anything to apollo
gize for in that gathering? If so it
doesn't appear in its journal-and
Theodore Dwight was an honest man
Do we wish it had never met? II that
page were taken from New England
history. we should always miss some
tihing-a rare sample of her sober
courage. her four square view of
things as they are. If other events
the treaty, and Jackson at New Or
leans7Ilad not come near at the time
of its adjournment its name would
or written with notification in the
context.
Representatives Were Uptown Men.
During those days the Landing took
second place and the town plot came
once again to the fore. The repre-
Isentatives in THE general assembly
ty things changed. The federalist
party was dying. 1t must needs be
that the established church, Yale coll
lege, and the state. as a triumvirate
in Connecticut, must surrender their
power. The era of Norwich enterprise
in water traffic gave way to ventures
in manufactures; men who worked
with their hands were drawing close
iy together. 1T was not yet the day of
buying labor, but of laboring together,
apprentices in the shop and in the
family as well. They were not al
ways likely boys. of course. An adj
vertisement in the Courier for a rum
away apprentice ironically tells the
public that his master will pay one
cent, and no more. for the boys re-
turn. The girls of that day appar-
emily needed 10 training. Indeed, in
the Connecticut Courant of July 5,
1889. l find this item:
Stocking looms are now making at
Norwich by that self-taught, ingenious
man, Thomas .Harland, already well
known for the excellence of his fire
engines Chat is. fire frons). Cloth
shears superior to the imported ones
have been made since the peace in
that neighborhood. and that place is
likely to be the Sheffield of this coun-
try. Two girls at Norwich by the
name Roath, one of IL and the other
of IA years of age, without any in
structions respecting that article, OF
any assistance, fabricated 80 yards