Putnam patriot., 1921-04-29

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 Governor Treat made an eloquent and touching plea in reply. He pie tured the toll, the hardship, and the sufferings of the early settlers. He told how they had fought with tribes of murderous savages, how they had turned the wilderness into land of happy homes, how they had obtained their cherished charter, growing and under its protection until it would be like giving up life itself.
 Still Governor Andros insisted that the charter must be surrendered. There it lay upon the table aroung which they were sitting.
 How could the charter be saved?
 Suddenly the candles were extin- guished. There were no matches in those days and it took some time to relight the candles. When this was done the charter was missing.
 What had become of it?
 Governor Andros never knew but we know that good friends of Con necticut carried it away and hid it. Andros had no right to demand it and the Connecticut Assembly were deter mined that he should not obtain it.
 Captain Joseph Wadsworth was the man who carried it away. Believing that the English governor would try to find it he tried to think of a safe place in which to hide it. He hid it finally in the hollow trunk of large oak tree standing near the home of Samuel Wyllys.
 How strange a coincidencel For once when Charles the Second was fleeing for his life he found safety from his enemies by hiding in the wide spreading branches of mighty oak tree which was ever afterward known as the Royal Oak" Now when the charter that he granted his loyal subjects in America was in dan ger of it's life, it too found safety from its enemies in royal oak that became famous for ages to come.
 What did Andros do? ;.
 There was nothing that he could do so far as the charter was concerned, but he had these words written in the record book of Connecticut:
 At a General Court at Hartford, October 1st, 1887, his exeellency, Sir Edmund Andros, knight, and captain general and governor of his majesty's territories and dominions in New Eng land, by order of his majesty James the Second, King of England, Scot land, France, and Ireland, the 31st of October, 1887, took into his hands the government of the colony of Con- necticut, it being by his majesty an nexed to Massachusetts, and other colonies under his excellency's gov ernment.
 Finis.''
 Governor Andros then appointed officers to assist him in the govern ment of this colony. His government was arbitrary and tyrannical. He put an end to the liberty of the press; he made young couples give him heavy bond for the privilege of being mar ried and would not permit clergymen to perform the marriage ceremony he made widows and children go to Boston to settle the estates of their deceased husbands and fathers; he taxed the people heavily at his own pleasure and without their consent.
 Almost year and half the people suffered under this harsh rule. Then word came that a new king was upon the throne of England, that James the Second had fled to France, and that the tyrannical governor of New England was no longer to be dreaded. The people of Boston seized Andros and put him in prison.
 What rejoicing,
 New England was free. On the 9th of May, 1889, the people of Con- necticut again brought forth their charter and continued to be governed by it until a state constitution was adopted in ISIS.
 What became of the oak tree that had given it shelter?
 In history, in song, in story, 1t be- came famous throughout the land Generations came and went while the old tree remained an object of pride and gratitude to the citizens of Con necticut and to those from abroad who came to see it. It stood unti August 21, 1856, when violent storm threw it to the ground. The people came to look upon it's prostrats form as upon departed friend Around it was placed guard, upor it was draped the American flag, anc Colts Armory Band played dirges as for a funeral At sunset the bells o1 Hartford tolled as when a great man dies. The newspapers of the whole country carried the news in words that touched the peoples hearts.
 Its precious wood was gathered uT and preserved. In the capitol at Hart ford we may sit in a magnificent carv- ed chair, made from this wood and known as the governors chair. In the rooms of the Colt Memorial at Hartford we may see another beauti- full chair and a carved cradle also made from this wood. In the library