Evening star., 1935-06-02
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

Emphasizing that the ancient State |
Of Connecticut, now celebrating its
3O0th birthday, first established con-
stitutional self-government based
upon q written constitution, Senator
Augustine Lonergan is distributing to
public schools and libraries through
out the country booklet on the his
tory of the Colony of Connecticut,
with foreword by the United States
commissioner Of education and the
text authorized by Robert c. Deming,
supervisor of adult education. One of
the big events of the pril-to-Novem-
Der observance was on Saturday. with
great gathering of choral singing in
the Yale Bowl
The development of Connecticut
grew out of visit by the chief of
the Podunk tribe of Indians in the
Connecticut Valley to the Massachu-
sets and Plymouth colonies in 1881,
inviting them to share in the fertile
valley. This was Indian diplomacy
rather than whole-hearted generosity,
and q choice of the lesser of two evils,
in order to gain the protection Of the
English rather than to pay tribute
to the warlike Pequots of Southeast
ern Connecticut and also the savage
Mohawks Of New York. Thus the
English came to Connecticut" to the
great stream named by the Indians
and meaning "by q long tidal river"
used by them in their journeys for
trade or war. For years the terror of
Indian massacre was over the land,
which led to a union for mutual pro-
lection among the river towns, and
their adoption in 1889 Of the famous
Fundamental Orders inspired by
Thomas Hooker, In which its author
declared that the foundation of au-
thority lay in the free consent Of the
people. Connecticut and Rhode
Island were the only colonies in
America possessing and exercising en-
tire self-control.
The main features Of the Funda-
mental Orders were embodied in the
charter Of 1862, when John Win
throp, jr., had persuaded King Charles
II to grant charter to the Connec-
ticut colony to occupy its lands and
to exercise its government. This re-
NAMED in force until the present
State constitution was adopted in
1918; for 35 years after the Revolu-
tion. Connecticut thus offers one OF
the most interesting illustrations of
self-government among all the States
OF the Union, and derives its title
OF "the Constitution State" thereby,
as the source of the principles written
into our national Constitution.
The settlement of Connecticut rep
resented the first Western step of a
civilization that had been brought to
the Eastern shores of this continent.
The first free school was opened in
New Haven in 164l and the teachers
salary was s100 a year.
Connecticut sent its man power far
beyond its boundaries ir Colonial
times. 1t settled Northern Long Island,
central and Eastern New York State,
western Massachusetts,, Vermont, the
wyoming Valley in PENNSYLVANIA,
Northern Ohio and hundreds of COM
munities in the West and Far West.
Horace Bushnell historically records
that in 1921, of the 1875 delegates to
the Constitutional Convention in New
| York State, 65 were either born in
Connecticut or their parents were.
That same year the graduates of Yale
College ard the native born sons of
Connecticut in the national Congress
| lacked but five of being q ma jority
in both Houses.
Connecticut took part in all the
meetings which resulted in the forma-
ton OF the Union, with three Repre-
. sentatives in the Stamp Act Congress
in 1865, the First Continental Congress
in 1774. the Second Continental Con-
greSs in ITS. with four signers of
the Declaration of independence, five
signers of the Articles of Confedera-
ton in 1871, three delegates to the
Constitutional Convention and two
signers Of the Constitution. Roger
Sherman was the only man who
signed the three fundamental docu-
ments of this Nation. Connecticut
was the fifth State to enter the Union,
January 9, 1888.
Connecticut historians claim three
great contributions by that State 10
Colonial history:
1t trained able men. sent out to
take part in world affairs.
1t developed individual initiative as
basis for democracy.
It gave practical example of a self
governing community at peace with
| itself.