Norwich bulletin., 1920-12-18

and chose their own ministers. Only church members could vote at Colony elections.
 In Connecticut, which also was anoth- CT English colony, founded few years later, church membership was not re- quired as a condition of the right to vote.
 Both colonies had town meetings, every year, of all entitled to vote as electors, at which rules were made to promote good order. But Connecticut differed from Plymouth in having full written constitution, to which such rules must conform.
 This constitution was framed and adopted in 1639, at meeting of the set
 tiers held at Hartford. It was the first written document in human history of that natures setting up new government and providing in detail certain "funda-
 mental orders" as to the mode of con-
 ducting it.
 | Before 1643 there had come to be four 1 English colonies in New England These
 were called the New Plymouth Colony
 the Massachusetts Bay Colony. the Con- | necticut Colony and the New Haven Col
 ony. In 1643, they all joined in creat- | ing a confederation, under the name of
 the United Colonies of New England ' | This lasted until 1664.
 What, now. does the Landing of the Pilgrims in 1920 mean to us in Connec- | ticut?
 The founders of states have a place by
 themselves. They make history They l create a new and great political insti-
 tuition. They step forward into a place 1 before untrodden. They set a precedent | for similar action iii constituting other
 governments.
 
 ] feet, the founders of New England. When l we set up a new government in Con-
 necticut we looked to Plymouth for our 1 warrant to set one up by virtue of a 1 social compact, made by those whom it was to govern. Under such a com | pact the Plymouth settlers had lived for nineteen years. The Connecticut settlers i had the benefit of this experiment of the Pilgrims. But the Pilgrims had put in to their compact a statement that they were loyal subjects" to the king of | England. In our constitution of 1889 there is nothing of this sort The Con- necticut settlers spoke for themselves only, in voting to establish by and for themselves and their successors "one Public State or Commonwealth"
 The Pilgrims ran great risks, and sub mitted to great hardships in founding their colony. It took them more than two months to make the voyage across the Atlantic. Half of them died within the next three months for want of prop CT food and shelter. They knew what dangers they had to encounter. but they knew, also, as recorded by their gov ernor, William Bradford. in his history of their doings, that all great and hon. orable actions are accompanied with
 great difficulties and must be both enter prised and overcome with answerable
 courages."
 1 This was the spirit which the Pilgrims ! undertook their task. This was the spirit | they hoped to infuse into their success DTS | on the soil of New England. This .wss 1 the spirit in which they came to plan; free institutions in what was 'len almost i a New World as when Columbu; ma l.
 his landfall in 1492. This was the spirit in admiration of which We are D ele-
 brate this year the three hu1lreGth an.
 niversary of the Landing of he Pllgrims
 The celebration programme which vii
 open at o'clock will be as follows: Invocation-Rev. Rockwell Harmon Pot ter, D. D. minister of the First Churcf
 of Christ in Hartford, organized 1892.