New Britain herald., 1929-01-19

Stamp act and In other ways was .
leader Of tho DatriotA being made
chairman Of the Virginia committee
Of correspondence in l773. The
next year he was sent to the first
Continental Congress and became its
president, but i'll health came and
he resigned in May. IT'S. dying that
October.
John Hancock. the man whose
name has come to be q vulgar syno-
nym for any signature. 10 too well
known to need further comment
here. But Henry Iaurens OF South
Carolina, who probably has the best
right to be called our first president.
il comparatively unknown to New
Englanders.
IAurens Had Exciting Career
He was born In Charleston In
1924, coming Of Huguenot stock.
Educated in London. he entered on
a mercantile career and became
rich. Laurens was opposed to Brit
ish aggression In this country and
was the author Of many brilliant
pamphlets against 1t. After a fling
at fighting the Cherokee Indians. he
retired from business and went to
Europe to direct the education OF
his sons.
But In 1874 he returned to Amer
lea and became president Of the
South Carolina Provincial congress
and council Of safety. Two years
later he was sent to the Continental
congress. becoming president on
November !, 1877. During his term,
which ended on December 10. 1878
the article of Confederation came
into force and the colonies were
united under one government for
the first time. In 1873 he was sent
as minister to Holland but was cap
tured at sea by the British and i'm
prisoned In the Tower of London.
His papers, which were recovered
from the sea, were of character
that led England to declare war on
Holland. Laurens was released
finally and went to France. where
he served as peace commissioner in
negotiating the treaty by which
England recognized our indepen-
dence. Then he retired to his farm
In Carolina, where he died on De-
cember 3. 1892. He was the first
person to be cremated In the United
States.
Connecticat's President
Samuel Huntington, Connecticut's
only president, must not be over
looked. He was born In Windham
on July 3, 1871. and passed his boy
hood on his fathers farm. learning
the cooper's trade. But he was too
ambitious to stay at this. and he
began to study law. He moved to
Norwich and was sent by that town
to represent 1t in the general assem-
bly, in 1854. A year later he was
made kings attorney for Connecti-
cut.
So we'll had he studied and prac-
ticed law that in 1874 he was made
q judge of the Connecticut supreme
court. A year later he became state
senator, and from 1875 to 1888 he
represented Connecticut in the Con-
tinental congress, serving as presi-
dent from September %, 1879, TO
July 10. 1881, during a session
which lasted 1876 days and was the
longest in the history Of this coun-
try.
During Huntington's presidency
vne Of the greatest problems of
early American history was straight
ened out. This was the disposal Of
the lands which lay to the west OF
the Appalachian mountains ana
which were claimed by numerous
colonies as their property. New York
was induced to give up its claim to
any Of this land. and Maryland was
eventually brought into complete
the union by a promise that all the
territory would be the common
property Of all the states, while no
tice was served upon Spain that this
nation claimed all land east Of the
Mississippi. The establishment of
the first bank in the United States
tho Bank Of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia-and a terrorizing
Dark Day" In New England We're
other events Of his administration.
Huntington retired from the con-
gress in 1888. after peace had been
made, and the next year he was,
made chief justice Of the Connecti-
cut supreme court. his place on
which he had retained during his
time in Philadelphia. In 1855 he
became lieutenant governor. and a
year later he stepped into the gov
ernorship, which he held until he
died. ten years hence. on January