Norwich bulletin., 1912-01-17
THOMAS HOOKER AND
 THE SETTLEMENT OF CONN.
Paper Read at Q. A. R. Meeting b
 Mrs. slaekmar.

Mrs. Harriet s. Blackmar in her pa per on Thomas Hooker and the set clement of Connecticut, read before the Faith Trumbull chapter, D. A. R., Monday, said:
 There is not so much of romance in the story of Connecticut as in other states. Here are no witchcraft delu-
 sions, or peFsecuted Quakers, no high souled Indian maidens, no drowsy burghers, or wooden legged governors. For 150 years they were so busy mak- | ing history that they forgot to pre- serve and look after it's monuments, l except the records of town meetings, | courts and matters of legislation Of | Thomas Hooker no portrait remains, but if we may crdeit tradition he was | physically of singular beauty of countenance, massiv veness of mold, and ' mingled stateliness Of grace and | aspect-a very king among men. He was known at Massac achusetts Bay as the Light of the Western Churches | in the days when Connecticut was the
 west" He was born in England in | 1886, and his childhood and youth were
 passed in the England of Queen Eliz- | abeth and. King James-both of whom l saw in the Puritan an enemy to eith-
 CT throne or creed, and set to work to
 suppress him. Charles I. saw in him ! an enemy to both. Thomas Hooker was educated at Emanuel college, | Cambridge-a Puritan institution l which trained many men distinguish ed in England and America as the 1 most vigorous fighters the world has ever known for independence in the church and freedom in the state. He remained here as student and teacher about 14 years before starting out on gFC nor nm for 1IC1f preacher. After 12 years persecution
 he was silenced and driven to Holland I-the same old Holland of William the l Silent-where he took a three years
 postgraduate course in the principles
 of democracy. In 1633 he came to ] America to become the champion o4 liberty here. He came with 200 oth-
 CTS, who settled at Newtown. This
 company was the greatest accession 1T
 numbers, but especially in quality, the
 colony had received. But Thomas
 Hooker revolted from the rule of tht
 ministerial aristocracy in Massaehu.
 setts and before year had passed ht
 and his congregation began to lool
 for a new home. Detaehments began
 to make their way to Connectocut- leave or no leave. In 1636 the exodus
 took place. On through the untracket wilderness, driving their cattle, goat and swine, came the church of New
 town, pastor and people Thoma Hooker carried his gun in one ham
 and his Bible in the other. The jour ney occupied two weeks for the 10 miles. The light of a day in June wei
 comed the new corners to the greel meadows of Hartford, with the wig , wams of the Indians and the shade o the great elms and charter oak. S  were largely of the well to do farmin
 class. Here were no convicted felon!
 and only few redemptioners; 96 pc
 cent. of them were English.
 At the opening of the session of tn
 general court of Connecticut met { < frame a constitution for the govern
 ment of the new commonwealth Thomas Hooker preached a sermon 1
 which he laid down the principles ths
 the choice of public magistrates be Q longs to the people and that the pee e rle also have power to set the bound 5 and limitations of the power and plac c unto which they call them. For th z frsr time in the worlds history tn e suggestion of a written constitutio = made by the people themselves to es tablish a government and to limit u
 power and authority of officers an '' magistrates is here made. Here W : draw the first breath of that atmos l. phere which is now so familiar to Il :; This constitution was embodied in u 5, charter. When Thomas Jeffersc drafted the Declaration of IndepenC n ence he doubtless had before him u e constitution of Connecticut, It flu, y, nished the model on which the feder V constitution was built, and Connectic1 : delegates furnished the solution of u n deadlock in the federal conventio
 The Thomas Hooker idea gave life a1
 vitality to government for s0,0O0. O
 people. Connecticut has too limited n territory to cut much figure in nun n bers among the S0,000, ,000, but the fl 1t f1uence of the state is by no mea- st confined to its geographical boundari IS and Connecticut men are by no mea,
 confined to Connecticut territor " There are more of them in New Yo ,h city than in all Connecticut. They ha.
 carried the tree of liberty to all par l. of the nation. Thomas Hooker shou in share with Washington the glory h, founding these United States of Anne
 lea.