The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-15
Century of Hartford Con
 Vention, New England's
 Protest Against War.

l
 l That the American war against England a century ago was a pop ular war; has often been stated, just I as it is now alleged that the European
 conflict is a peoples war" What 1 ever may be the case in the present hostilities, it is certain that a great
 many, perhaps majority, of the
 American people opposed to the war l of 1872. Today marks the centenary 1 of the famous Hartford Convention, opened in the Connecticut capital on Dec. Is, 1914, when the leading men
 of New England assembled to pro- test against a continuance of the con-
 fdct. From the first New Englanders
 had been generally opposed to the declaration of war against England, and the Massachusetts legislature, in an address to the people, declared themselves unable to find any satis- factory solution of 1t, but in an habitlSal and unfortunate predilec- tion for France.''
 Shortly after the beginning of hos tiaihes, Massachusetts issued another remonstrance, denouncing the per- severance in the war From the first New England states refused to put their state troops at the disposal of. the Federal government. That sec, ticn or the new republic suffered most severely from the war, owing to raids from Halifax and other British Amer ican ports New England's shipping industry was ruined. large part of Maine and the southern part of Massachusetts were held by the Brit isa- The people of Nantucket declar- under the protection of Great Brit ain
 H Viewing the ...intoIerable condf- tions' prevailing in New England, and bitterly resenting the failure of the F'ederal government to protect the Try fT1sa .A4.E-.
 ture called convention of delegates from all the New England states at af7artford ito sconsider their public grievances. ' There was much talk of secession from the Union, and an al- legged plot to restore New IEngIand to British rule found ready credence at Washington, and led Presftfen tMadi- son and his ministers to Initiate meas ureE for speedy ending of the con- fIfct
 The Hartford convention has been called the great mystery Of Afnerf- can history Harrison Cray otis. tl1a leader in the movement and his as- soctatess have been praised as pa- trtots and demned as traitors Otis and George Cabot headed the Massa- chusetts delegation of twelve; and were the foremost figures in the con- vention. While the movement was generally supported by the Federal- ists Of New England, the leaders of that party i n other states held aIoofa Verrn ont and New Hampshire gave, but a Iuxewarm allegiance to the tscause,, but, Connecticut and Rhode Island joined heartily in the conven- ton. $
 Under the rules adopted by the delegates. the most invioIable se- crecy was imposed upon those, who gathered in the council chamber Of the old state house in Hartford Hart. ford Democrats and frfer1e q 5r.f fJ,.. . t7 ation cited this as proof that the convention was plotting treason. and, to manifest their dfsapprovaI hung out flags at half mast The con ventton continued in session three weeks, and during that period the treaty Of peace was signed at Ghent. The private record of the proceedinrs or the convention, afterward made public, prove that the charge of seCli- ton was unfounded, and that theras was no serious discussion Of secession or of returning to the British fold. For many years, however, the charges continued to be made, and Thon1s $ Jeffersonss reference to the delegates as Robespierres, Dantons and Marats was often received. The convention was adjourned early in January, and, as the news Of the signing. of the treaty of peace had not yet reached America, it was decided to meet again in Boston Apparent, " the Hartford convention was anj- mated by fervsnt desire for peace. ana its greatest crime was secrecy.
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