Two centuries of New Milford, Connecticut - an account of the bi-centennial celebration of the founding of the town held June 15, 16, 17, and 18, 1907, with a number of historical articles and (14801548643)

Identifier: twocenturiesofne00graf (find matches)
Title: Two centuries of New Milford, Connecticut : an account of the bi-centennial celebration of the founding of the town held June 15, 16, 17, and 18, 1907, with a number of historical articles and reminiscences
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Grafton Press. Editorial Dept Committee on Historical Research and Permanent Publication (New Milford, Conn.)
Subjects: New Milford (Conn. : Town) -- History
Publisher: New York : The Press
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



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gles of those who laid the solid foundation of Connec-ticut, in the establishment of her towns, in the making of herlaws, and building of a great commonwealth out of the ma-terials of industry, education, and patriotism. It was no easy task your forefathers set out to perform,when they determined to have a government as nearly demo-cratic in its intention as it was possible to conceive. Thescheme of the founders of our State was to insure happinessfor all by making all the people independent and free to gov-ern themselves, and to advance themselves in a way that hadnever before been dreamed of by any race of men. The wisdomof those early settlers in organizing society upon a liberalplane seems to us almost marvelous. What they hoped for hasbeen realized. The people who founded New Milford and the other Con-necticut towns were unselfish. They planned not only for them-selves and their time, but they planned for those that were tocome after them. They saw through the years what might be
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HONORABLE ROLI.IX S. WOODUrFFGovernor of Connecticut Governors Day 287 ours, if their plans prevailed. They saw the human race ris-ing to its highest perfection in an atmosphere of liberty andof opportunity. Yet their most daring fancy could not havepictured this surprising scene of to-day. They were roughand rude men two hundred years ago. And they were deter-mined men, and their lives were the serious hves of hardshipand peril. What they wanted was freedom and a governmentthat would keep them free. They wanted to do what wasright—justice to all men was the motive that inspired them.They had faith in themselves and believed that the real govern-ment was that which came from the people; and they madetheir laws to last for all time, trusting to the people the re-sponsibility of taking care of themselves. They were thefathers of freedom in its truest sense, and intended to leavetheir children a house that was built upon a rock. In all this, they gave evidence of the very noblest patri