jefty on the 23d of April 1662, iffued his letters patent under the great feal, ordaining that the colony of Connecticut, fhould forever hereafter be one body corporate and politic, in fact and in name, confirming to them their ancient grant and purchase, and fixing their boundaries as follows, (viz.) All that part of his Majefty's dominions in New England, in America, bounden eaft by Narraganfett river, commonly called Narraganfett bay, where the river falleth into the fea; and on the north by the line of Maffachusetts plantation, and on the fouth by the fea, and in longitude as the line of the Maffachusetts colony, running from eaft to weft. that is to fay, from the faid Narragansett bay on the eaft, to the fouth fea on the weft part, with the islands thereunto belonging.' This charter has ever fince remained the bafis of the government of Connecticut. Such was the ignorance of the Europeans, refpecting the geography of America, when they firft affumed the right of giving away lands which the God of nature had long before given to the Indians, that their patents extended they knew not where, many of them were of doubtful conftruction, and very often covered each other in part, and have produced innumerable difputes and mifchiefs in the colonies, fome of which are not fettled to this day. It is not my business to touch upon these difputes. I have only to obferve, that Connecticut conftrued her charter literally, and paffing over New York, which was then in poffeffion of the fubjects of a Chriftian Prince, claimed, in latitude and breadth mentioned therein, to the fouth fea. Accordingly purchafes were made of the Indians on the Delaware river, weft of the western bounds of New York, and within the fuppofed limits of Connecticut charter, and fettlements were made thereon by people from, and under the jurifdiction of, Connecticut. The charter of Pennfylvania, granted to William Penn, in 1681, covered thefe fettlements. This laid the foundation for a dispute, which, for a long time, was maintained with warmth on both fides. The matter was at laft fubmitted to gentlemen chofen for the purpose, who decided the difpute in favor of Pennfylvania. Many, however, still affert the justice of the Connecticut claim. The state of Connecticut, has lately ceded to Congrefs all their lands weft of Pennfylvania, except a referve of twenty miles fquare. This ceffion, Congrefs have accepted, and thereby indubitably eftablished the right. of Connecticut to the referve. But to return, The colony of New Haven, though unconnected with the colony of Connecticut, was comprehended within the limits of their charter, and, as they concluded, within their jurifdiction. But New Haven remonstrated against their claim, and refufed to unite with them, until they fhould hear from England. It was not until the year 1665, when it was believed that the king's commiffioners had a defign upon the New England charters, that these two colonies formed a union, which has ever fince amicably fubfifted between them. In 1672, the laws of the colony were revifed, and the general court ordered them to be printed; and alfo that every family fhould buy one of the law books-fuch as pay in filver, to have a book for twelve pence. fuch as pay in wheat, to pay a peck and a half a book; and fuch as pay in peafe, to pay two fhillings a book, the peafe at three thillings the bufhel.' Perhaps it is owing to this early and univerfal fpread of law 3 books, books, that the people of Connecticut are, to this day, fo fond of the law. In 1750, the laws of Connecticut were again revifed, and publifhed in a small folio volume, of 258 pages. Dr. Douglafs obferves, that they were the most natural, equitable, plain and concife code of laws, for plantations, hitherto extant.' The has been a revifion of them fince the peace, in which they were greatly and very judiciously fimplified. The years 1675 and 1676, were distinguished by the wars with Philip and his Indians, and with the Narragansetts, by which the Colony was thrown into great diftrefs and confufion. The inroads of the enraged favages were marked with cruel murders, and with fire and devastation. In 1684, the charter of Massachusetts bay and Plymouth were taken away, in confequence of Quo warrantos which had been iffued against them. The charter of Connecticut would have fhared the fame fate, had it not been for Wandsworth, Efq. who, having very artfully procured it when it was on the point of being delivered up, buried it under an oak tree in Hartford, where it remained till all danger was over, and then was dug up and reaffumed. Connecticut has ever made rapid advances in population. There have been more emigrations from this, than from any of the other States, and yet it is at prefent full of inhabitants. This increafe, under the divine benediction, may be afcribed to feveral caufes. The bulk of the inhabitants are industrious fagacious hufbandmen. Their farms furnish them with all the neceffaries, most of the conveniencies, and but few of the luxuries of life. They of courfe must be generally temperate, and, if they choose, can fubfift with as much independance as is confiftent with happinefs. The fubfiftence of the farmer is fubftantial, and does not depend on incidental circumftances, like that of moft other profeffions. There is no neceffity of ferving an apprenticeship to the bufinefs, nor of a large flock of money to commence it to advantage. Farmers, who deal much in barter, have lefs need of money than any other clafs of people. The cafe with which a comfortable fubfiftence is obtained, induces the hufbandman to marry young. The cultivation of his farm makes him ftrong and healthful. He toils cheerfully through the day-eats the fruit of his own labour with a gladfome heart-at night devoutly thanks his bounteous GOD for his daily bleffings-retires to reft, and his fleep is fweet. Such circumftances as thefe have greatly contributed to the amazing increase of inhabitants in this state. Befides, the people live under a free government, and have no fear of a tyrant. There are no overgrown eftates, with rich and ambitious landlords, to have an undue and pernicious influence in the election of civil officers. Property is equally enough divided, and muft continue to be fo, as long as eftates defcend as they now do. No perfon is prohibited from voting, or from being elected into office, on account of his poverty. He who has the moft merit, not he who has the moft money, is generally chofen into public office. As inftances of this, it is to be obferved, that many of the citizens of Connecticut, from the humble walks of life, have arifen to the firft offices in the ftate, and filled them with dignity and re putation. tion. That base bufinefs of electioneering, which is fo directly calculated to introduce wicked and defigning men into office, is yet but little known in Connecticut. A man who wishes to be chofen into office, acts wifely, for that end, when he keeps his defires to himself. A thirst for learning prevails among all ranks of people in the ftate. More of the young men in Connecticut, in proportion to their numbers, receive a public education, than in any of the ftates. Dr. Franklin and other literary characters have honoured this ftate by saying, that it is the Athens of America. Some have believed, and with reason, that the fondness for academic and collegiate education is too great-that it induces too many to leave the plough. If men of liberal education would return to the farm, and ufe their knowledge in improving agriculture, and encouraging manufactures, there could not be too many men of learning in the ftate; but this is too feldom the cafe. Connecticut had but few citizens who did not join in oppofing the oppreffive measures of Great-Britain, and was active and influential, both in the field and in the cabinet, in bringing about the revolution. Her foldiers were applauded by the commander in chief for their bravery and fidelity. What has been faid in favour of Connecticut, though true when generally applied, needs to be qualified with fome exceptions. Dr. Douglafs fpoke the truth when he faid, that fome of the meaner fort are villains." Too many are idle and diffipated, and much time is unprofitably and wickedly spent in law-fuits and petty arbitrations. The public fchools, in fome parts of the state, have been too much neglected, and in procuring inftructors, too little attention is paid to their moral and literary qualifications. The revolution, which fo effentially affected the governments of most of the colonies, produced no very perceptible alteration in the government of Connecticut. While under the jurifdiction of Great-Britain, they elected their own governors, and all fubordinate civil officers, and made their own laws, in the fame manner, and with as little controul as they now do. Connecticut has ever been a republic, and perhaps as perfect and as happy a republic as has ever exifted. While other ftates, more monarchical in their government and manners, have been under a neceffity of undertaking the difficult task of altering their old, or forming new, conftitutions, and of changing their monarchical for republican manners, Connecticut has uninterruptedly proceeded in her old track, both as to government and manners; and, by these means, has avoided those con vulfions which have rent other states into violent parties. At the anniversary election of the governor and other public officers, which is held yearly at Hartford on the fecond Wednesday in May, a fermon is preached, which is published at the expence of the ftate*. On these occafions a vaft concourfe of refpectable citizens, particularly of the clergy, are * Would it not answer many valuable purposes, if the gentlemen, who are annually appointed to preach the election fermons, would furnish a sketch of the hiftory of the ftate for the current year, to be published at the clofe of their fermons? R Such are collected from every part of the ftate; and while they add dignity and folemnity to the important and joyful tranfactions of the day, ferve to exterminate party spirit, and to harmonize the civil and religious interests of the ftate. Connecticut has been highly distinguished in having a fucceffion of governors, eminent both for their religious and political accomplishments. With the following lift of their venerable names, I fhall conclude my account of Connecticut. Such a sketch, which might eafily be made, would render election fermons much more valuable. They waild then be a very authentic depofitum for future hiftorians of the flate--they would be more generally and more eagerly pur chafed and read-they would ferve to diffeminate important knowledge, that of the internal affairs of the ftate, which every citizen ought to know, and might, if judicionfly executed, operate as a check upon party spirit, and upon ambitious and defigning men. *Governor Eaton was buried in New-Haven. The following infcription is upon his tomb-frone. . EATON fo meek, fo fam'd, fo wife, so just, The Phoenix of our world, here hides his duft. Thefe lines feem to have been added afterwards. 6 1657 John Boundaries.] BOUNDED fouth-eastwardly, by the Atlantic ocean; eaft, by Connecticut, Maffachusetts and Vermont; north, by the 45th degree of latitude, which divides it from Canada; north-westwardly, by the river Iroquois, or St. Lawrence, and the Lakes Ontario and Erie; fouth-weft and fouth, by Pennfylvania and New-Jerfey. The whole ftate contains about 44,000 fquare miles, equal to 28,160,000 acres. Rivers.] Hudfon's river is one of the largest and fineft rivers in the United States. It rifes in the mountainous country between the Lakes Ontario and Champlain. Its length is about 250 miles. In its course fouthward, it approaches within a few miles of the Mohawks river, at Saucondauga. Thence it runs north and north-east towards Lake George, and is but fix or eight miles from it. The courfe of the river thence to New-York, where it empties into York bay, is very uniformly fouth, 12 or 15° weft. From Albany to Lake George is fixty-five miles. This distance, the river is navigable only for batteaux, and has two portages, occafioned by falls, of half a mile each. It was one of thefe falls that General Putnam fo miraculously defcended, in the year 1758, to the aftonishment of the Indians who beheld him *. See Col. Humphrey's life of Gen. Putnam, p. 60. |