USA > New Hampshire > Colony, province, state, 1623-1888: history of New Hampshire > Part 44
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The poem, which could not have been written later than the September following this "grim winter," concludes thus : -
"Thus Dartmouth, happy in her sylvan seat, Drinks the pure pleasures of her fair retreat. Her songs of praise in notes melodious rise Like clouds of incense to the listening skies ; Her God protects her with paternal care From ills destructive, and each fatal snare ; And may He still protect, and she adore Till heaven, and earth, and time, shall be no more."
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The éclat attending Dr. Wheelock's Indian school, both at home and in England, where George III. had been a donor of two hundred pounds, created a very considerable competition concerning its location, when removed from Connecticut. Among the competing places were Albany, N. Y. ; Pittsfield and Stockbridge, Mass. ; Hebron and Norwich, Conn., and many others. Hanover was chosen for several reasons, among which appear to have been the feasibility of securing large tracts of land ; its proximity to the Indian tribes ; the desirableness of furnishing ministers to the new settlement in the Connecticut valley, to which Hanover was regarded as somewhat "central," and " most convenient for transportation up and down the river." Perhaps quite as influential as any other reason was the power- ful aid and influence of John Wentworth, royal governor of New Hampshire. The first commencement was attended by the gov- ernor. At the second commencement, also, he was accompanied, or expected to be, by the speaker and several members of the assembly, his secretary, the high sheriff of Hillsborough county, the collector of Salem, Rev. Dr. Langdon, and various other prominent persons.
The war of the Revolution made havoc not only with Wheel- ock's plans for the Indian tribes, but with the financial condition of the college. By a wise foresight, when the charter was pro- cured from the King, it had been made the charter, not of an Indian school alone, but of a college, and as a college it has done its great work. Its founder died, worn out with cares and labors, within nine years of its establishment, but he had made it a power in the land. For the first thirty years more than three quarters of its students came from outside New Hampshire. They were from the whole valley of the Connecticut, from Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New York. Not less than nine or ten younger col- leges have since been established within the region from which Dartmouth then drew its students.
It would take a small volume to trace out the various sources of interest connected with the college from its romantic origin to the present time, or to do justice to its remarkable work. Of nearly five thousand graduates, over two thousand are now living.
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These men have come from all parts of the country. and have done their work in nearly all parts of the world and in every form of useful activity. While some nine hundred of them as ministers have preached the Gospel at nome, a goodly number, among them Goodell, Poor, and Temple, have car- ried it abroad, to Africa, China, Japan, Turkey. India, Syria, Persia, the islands of the ocean, and the Indians of North America. They have aided in translating the Bible into the Armeno-Turkish, the Hawaiian, and the Japan- ese languages. Six of them have been members of the Cabinet of the United States, six have represented the government at foreign courts, and a goodly number have been foreign consuls. Two of them have sat on the supreme bench of the United States - one as chief justice - and many others (26) have been its district judges and district attorneys. The college has graduated forty-seven judges of State supreme courts (including twenty chief justices), more than sixty judges of superior, county, and common pleas courts, besides a great number of probate and police judges, one major-general of the United States army, a superintendent of West Point, thirteen brigadier-generals, thirteen colonels, thirteen lieutenant-colonels, twelve majors, two adjutants, thirty-three captains, and numerous other commissioned officers (lieuten- ants, surgeons, chaplains) of United States volunteers. Thirty-two have been presidents, and a hundred and eighty professors, of colleges and profes- sional schools; twenty-three have been governors of States and Territories, at least sixty-five representatives and sixteen senators in Congress, thirty-one speakers of State legislatures, and eighteen presidents of State Senates.
The graduates of the college have been greatly distinguished in the legal profession, and perhaps even more so in educational work. The late Dr. T. H. Taylor declared that in the latter respect the record of Dartmouth was, in proportion to her numbers, superior to that of any other college in the country. Her teachers and superintendents have been dispersed through the land, and one of her graduates was at the head of the Bureau of Education, while the two oldest and best fitting-schools of New England (Andover and Exeter) have been in charge of Dartmouth men.
The indebtedness of New Hampshire to its one ancient college has never been half told nor understood. About nineteen hundred natives of the State nave graduated at the college, besides a great number who pursued part of the course of study. Far the greater part of them have been young men of mod- erate and even straitened circumstances, and probably a majority have been farmers' sons. They have come from one hundred and ninety-five towns, which contain thirteen-fourteenths of the population of the State, and have been trained for spheres of usefulness, often very eminent. Meanwhile the college has furnished teachers for the academies and high schools and for the district schools through every corner of the State for a hundred years. A great multitude of young persons, who never saw the inside of the college, have been taught, as was Horace Greeley and Zachariah Chandler, by Dart- mouth students. Who has not felt their stimulating influence in the school, and the pulpit, at the bar, and on the bench, in the medical profession, and through the press? We can trace more than two hundred and twenty of them
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as New Hampshire pastors (without reckoning many evangelists) of all the several Protestant denominations, and over three hundred and thirty teachers of academies and high schools.
Probably more than four thousand winter schools have been taught by them. During fifty years past the college has furnished the State eighteen judges of the Supreme Court, and eleven of the Court of Common Pleas, and nine governors. Five of the seven present judges of the Supreme Court are of the number.
But the men of distinction are not, after all, the chief glory of the institu- tion. The highest work of the college consists in its having trained a great host of men of nobly balanced characters and clear-cut intellects for quiet, steady, powerful usefulness in every department of life and labor-in this State, in the country, in the world. But it should never be forgotten that its chief benefits, direct and indirect, have been conferred upon the rural popu- lation of New Hampshire. It has taken a great company of farmers' sons, like the Chases and the Websters, and other poor boys, and while raising them to power and eminence, has meanwhile sent them forth into the acade- mies and district schools in every portion of the State to teach the boys thar could not go to college, and give them, too, the teaching of the ablest men the country has produced. For more than a century Dartmouth College has thus been the normal school of New Hampshire; and no region in the world, probably, can point to a more remarkable set of schoolmasters than she has thus furnished to the population.
In this sketch there has not been room to say anything of the brilliant his- tory of the Dartmouth Medical School, with its 1389 graduates, who have not only filled the State with the beneficent fruits of their careful training, but have honored their noble profession everywhere; of the excellent record of the Chandler Scientific School, founded for "instruction in the practical and useful arts of life," with its requisites, its aim, and its sphere all so carefully defined by the will of its founder, to do a most useful work, as to hold it un- alterably to its specific function ; of the Thayer School of Civil Engineering, admirably devised by perhaps the ablest superintendent that West Point has had, of which the graduates, though few in number hitherto, are making an enviable mark; nor of the Agricultural College adjacent, with its excellent course of purely English education. They are all doing their work well.
The elections of 1817 were decided on personal issues. Gov, ernor Plumer was opposed by members of his own party ; but when the votes were counted it was found that he had a major- ity of over three thousand votes. Mason was the candidate of the Federalists. In June the new State House was approaching completion. Mary Dyer, the ex-Shakeress, commenced at the June session of the legislature her warfare with the society, which was destined to continue, with memorials to the legisla- ture and publications against them, for more than thirty-five
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years. She was a woman of great energy and decision of char- acter, whose " sharp tongue and shrewd wit were more than a match for Joseph (Dyer) and his brethren." 1
The adjournment of the legislature was followed by President Monroe's visit to New Hampshire on his tour through the North- ern States. He received everywhere the most flattering atten- tions from all classes. It was the first visit of a Southern presi- dent to New England after Washington's tour.
The party were very favorably impressed with the towns and villages on the route from Portsmouth to Concord, and with their reception; and no doubt the passage of the imposing coach of state was long remembered by the inhabitants as a notable event. Quite different was the journey of Governor William Plumer, who rode on horseback to and from his Epping home and Concord.
Dr. Abel Blanchard died in October, 1817, leaving the most of his property for the foundation and maintenance of a seminary of learning - Pembroke Academy.
The new academy building was dedicated to the cause of edu- cation in May, 1819; the next day the school was opened under the care of Rev. A. W. Burnham, principal, and the institution was successfully launched on its carcer of usefulness.
2 " If one goes back to the year 1755, he comes to the time from which to date the commencement of the history of the Baptist denomination in New Hamp_ shire. In that year the first Baptist church now in existence in the State was formed in the town of Newton, the county of Rockingham. It was a time when the 'standing order,' as i' was termed, was the dominant religious power within our borders, and 'o whose mandates all were expected to render obedience. In this organize aon one finds an illustration of the union of church and state. The town, in connection with the church, called and settled the minister, paid his salary in money or in those things that he needed to supply his wants, built the meeting-house and the parsonage, levied the rates upon the inhabitants, and all were expected to pay or suffer the penalty prescribed by law. The Baptists in the State, in the last century, bore the brunt of the battle for religious toleration, as the records of the church in Newton and other churches amply attest.
" Near the middle of the eighteenth century, a remarkable man came from England to our country, and exerted a great influence in the religious world. It was George Whitefield, the friend and contemporary of John Wesley. One . J William Plumer, Jr. 2 Howard M. Cooke.
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of the important results that followed his labors in New England was the breaking down, in a degree, of the power of the standing order; and this result contributed indirectly to the spread of Baptist sentiments and the in- crease of Baptist churches ; so that while in 1739, one hundred years from the organization of the first Baptist church in Providence, R. I., there were but thirty-eight churches of the faith in the land, in 1783, or in less than half a century, there were three hundred and nine.
" The brilliant example and great success of Whitefield and his followers had taught the utility of the itinerant system of preaching. In our own State, several Baptist ministers, at nearly the same time, entered its borders, at dif- ferent points, and commenced their labors. Among the more prominent and successful of these was Rev. Hezekiah Smith, pastor of the Baptist church in Haverhill, Mass. He made missionary tours in various directions, accom- panied by some of the members of his church. In the course of his journey- ings, Mr. Smith visited the town of Concord. His success in other places aroused hostility to him and his mission, and called for a special warning from Rev. Timothy Walker, the pastor, at that time, of the Old North Church. This was given in a sermon, afterwards published, entitled, 'Those who have the form of Godliness, but deny the power thereof.' It does not appear that Mr. Smith was anywise daunted by this ministerial fulmination ; and it is probable his labors in Concord, at that time, were indirectly the means of the formation, some years later, of the First Baptist Church of Concord.
" Concord, at the commencement of the present century, was a pleasant town, with a population of two thousand and fifty-two. A resident here in those years passing up Main street to-day, and viewing the handsome and substantial business blocks that adorn the city, could not fail to note the change which this lapse of time has made in its appearance. A change as great as that, however, has taken place in less than eight decades, in the opinions and practice of the people in matters of religious observance. Within the limits of the city there are now at least seventeen public places of worship, representing nine different denominations. But in the early years of the century, all or nearly all the people of the town met in the same church, and listened to the same minister. How famous was then the Old North Meeting-House, the place whither the families went up to worship on the Sabbath. The Puritan method of observance was still in vogue, and 'going to meeting,' as it was termed, was a universal custom, and one not to be lightly esteemed or disregarded. This unity of sentiment and practice, which had prevailed from the incorporation of the town, in 1725, was des- tined to have an end. In 1818 the initiatory steps were taken for the formation of the First Baptist Church in Concord. The record states that 'on the 20th of May, 1818, a number of persons residing in Concord, and belonging to Baptist churches elsewhere, met at the house of Mr. Richard Swain, in said town, for the purpose of ascertaining what degree of fellow- ship existed among them in the faith and order of the gospel, and also to consider what were the prospects of forming a church agreeable to the prin- ciples and practice of the Apostles of our Lord. After a free and full discus
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sion of the first object before them, the following persons gave to each other an expression of their Christian fellowship, viz. : James Willey, John Hoyt, Sarah Bradley, Deborah Elliot, Sally Swain, and Nancy Whitney.'
" On the 28th of the same month, the record also says, 'an adjourned ses- sion was held at the house of Mr. Nathaniel Parker, at which meeting three sisters related their Christian experience, and made a brief statement of their views of Christian doctrine, after which those present expressed to them their Christian fellowship.' The next act of that meeting was ' to listen to the Christian experience of Mr. Oliver Hart, and to agree to receive him to the fellowship of the church when he shall have been baptized.' At this meeting, members from the church in Bow were present, by invitation, to advise in reference to the constitution of a church. These brethren, having examined the subject, unanimously advised this small band of Christians to organize.
" On the 23d of September, 1818, a council of neighboring churches was held at the house of Rev. William Taylor, and a church constituted, number- ing fourteen members. The public services in recognition of this church were attended at the Green house. Rev. John B. Gibson preached the sermon, Rev. Otis Robinson of Salisbury gave the hand of fellowship, and Rev. Henry Veazey of Bow offered prayer. For over seven years this church did not possess a house of worship, but was accustomed to hold services on the Sabbath in the school-house, which stood upon the site of the high school building. In 1825 a church edifice was erected, dedicated on December 28th of that year, and opened for public worship in January, 1826."
"The March elections of 1818 were conducted with much less than their usual zeal and acrimony. Many Federalists voted for the Republican candidate, others for Jeremiah Smith or William Hale. Governor Plumer was re-elected by a majority of over six thousand votes over all other candidates." Governor Plumer in his address referred to the law for the imprisonment of debtors, and recommended its repeal or radical change. The bill for les- sening the hardships of poor debtors was passed with the utmost difficulty : "and yet it was a few years only before the total abolition of imprisonment for debt was enacted with the entire approbation of the people." 1
At the Republican legislative caucus in June, after Samuel Bell was nominated for governor, the majority nominated Gov- ernor Plumer for United States senator. At the balloting the minority of the Republicans supported Parrott, the Federalists Jeremiah Smith, thus bringing three candidates into the field. The Federalists gave their support to the minority candidate,
1 William Plumer, Jr.
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and Parrott was elected. It was understood that the Governor allowed his name to be used to defeat Butler.
In Governor Plumer's diary, under date of June 30, occurs the following entry : "The lawyers in the House were unitedly opposed to it [the bill exempting the bodies of debtors from arrest on executions issued from justices of the peace]. Second and third rate lawyers, as many of these are, make bad legislators." Governor Plumer exercised a great influence over legislative bod- ies and at the same time preserved his self-respect and indepen- dence. He made hisappointments carefully, and was very popular in the State during a public life of nearly thirty years. He retired from office with the respect of all parties and with no fewer personal enemies than a man of decided character and fearless disposition would ordinarily have. He lived over thirty years at Epping after his retirement, in correspondence with the lead- ing men of the party and nation, until he was the last survivor of his generation.
Samuel Bell was elected governor in 1819.
1 It is doubtful if any race has done more to fix the character of our institutions, to stimulate and direct real progress, and to de- velop the vast resources of the United States, than that portion of our earlier population known as the Scotch-Irish. Their re- markable energy, thrift, staidness, and fixed religious views made their settlements the centres of civilization and improvement, in Colonial times ; that their descendants proved sturdy props of the great cause that ended in the independence of the United States is a matter of history. Of this stock, New Hampshire has chosen three governors, lineal descendants from John Bell.
The name of Bell occupies a proud place in the history of New Hampshire. No other single family of our State has wielded for so long a period such an influence in the executive, legislative, and judiciary departments of our State government as the descendants of the emigrant John Bell, who purchased a tract of land in Londonderry, in 1720, about a year after the original settlers purchased the township. His son, John, born in Londonderry in August, 1730, was a man of considerable im-
' John Templeton.
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portance, and held many responsible offices. He married and had five children, two of whom filled the office of governor of New Hampshire. He died in 1825. in the ninety-fifth year of his age.
Of John's children, two died young ; the third, Jonathan, en- gaged in trade in Chester, and died in 1808.
The fifth son, Samuel, was born in February, 1770. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College, class of 1793. He was one of the most popular public men of his day. In 1805-6 he was speaker of the House of Representatives, president of the Senate in 1807-8, and justice of the Supreme Court from 1816 to 1819. He was elected governor in 1819, and was three times re- elected without organized opposition. In 1823 he was elected United States senator, which office he held till 1835. He married and had a family of nine children. His death occurred in December, 1850.
January and February, 1819, were very warm, with very little snow - the ground being bare the whole time, and no sledding ; all business and journeys were performed with wagons.I
Bristol was chartered in June, 1819.
It was formed from portions of Bridgewater and New Chester (Hill). By the Act of incorporation James Minot, Ichabod C. Bartlett, and Joseph Flanders, or any two of them, were authorized to call the first annual town meeting in March following. They united in this call, and at the first annual meeting, March 14, 1820, Joseph Flanders was elected moderator, James Minot clerk, and Joseph Flanders, Moses W. Sleeper, and John Clough selectmen. Ichabod C. Bartlett was chosen treasurer, and James Minot repre- sentative to the General Court. The citizens of the new town seem to have started out with practical unanimity of political sentiment, so far as State affairs were concerned, as upon the vote for governor at this meeting, ninety- one ballots were cast for Samuel Bell, five for John Orr, two for Robert Smith, and one for David Sterret. The same, or even greater, unanimity in this regard was manifested several years later, when, in 1827, there were one hundred and seven votes cast for Benjamin Pierce, and one for Sherburne Lock.
Among the other officers elected at this first town meeting were two "tith- ingmen." These were Timothy Eastman and David Truel. Peter Hazelton was chosen constable. The record of the meeting also informs us that it was voted to raise $150, in addition to what the law requires, for the support of
1 MS. Diary.
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schools, $600 for the repair of highway, and $350 to defray town charges. It also appears that " the collection of taxes was bid off for three cents on a dol- lar, by Walter Sleeper." This would be regarded as a pretty extravagant percentage in these days, but it must be remembered that the amount to be collected was comparatively small.1
New Chester, which formerly included Bridgewater (the latter incorporated in 1788), was granted in August, 1759, to John Tolford, Matthew Thornton, and others, but no settlement was made for several years.
In a case in the Hillsborough court, May, 1803, Smith, C. J., by which John Muzzy brought action against Samuel Wilkins and others who acted as assessors for the parish of Amherst in 1795, and by whom Muzzy was imprisoned because he would not pay his tax of seventy-five cents toward the settled minister's salary, it was decided that Muzzy, being a Presbyterian, was ex- empt from the tax, since Presbyterians were a different sect under the constitution and the laws from the Congregationalists, and were to be recognized as such. The judge said that the constitution was designed to secure to every man the free enjoy- ment of his own opinion on religious subjects. All denomina- tions were to be equally under the protection of the law, securing to them even safety from persecution. William Plumer was early a prominent "Protestant," and freely a legal helper to those against whom cases were entered. It was necessary to have such a champion, for the collectors of church taxes did not scruple in their methods. Barstow, in his "History of New Hampshire," tells of a case in which the cow of a poor laborer was sold at vendue in default of paying church taxes ; nor was household furniture or even dishes exempted from the stern parish collector. Acts of incorporation would be granted the Congregational church but be denied to other denominations. The advent of Quakers, Freewill Baptists, Methodists, Univer- salists, and other sects was working a revolution. They entered the courts, and could always find in Governor Plumer, at least, able and willing counsel in those legal contests.
In the constitutional convention of 1791 he tried hard to, carry
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