Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1847-07-14
JOHN STARKWEATHER, ESQ.
GROVE SPENCER, Esq.
Hon. c. w LANE.
GRAFTON,

Two hundred and twenty-seven years ago, in
the cold and stormy month of Decemb'r, "a solitary
Indian, as he stood upon the beach of the Allan
tic could family discern, far out at sea- fragile
bark buffeting 's:ike a thing Of life" the waves
that rolled heavily away seward.
Near and nearer came that gallant little YES
sci, till her torn sails, her shattered masts. her
frozen rigging and her peoped decks, were
clearly visible in the gloomy rays of a winter
sunset. For more than three months, had she
labored on her weary voyage, her hold destitute
of provision, her cabin crowded with disease
and death, her seams gaping and her crew worn
TO skeletons with ncessant fatigue and watch
ing. Upon her decks groups of men held stern
and serious converse, their long soleuan counte-
nances, their marked angular features, the en-
ergetic expression of the eye, and the rigid sim
blicity of dress and demeanor, marked them as
no common men.
Had YOU listened to their drawlng expression
and their snufFling tone, observed their affected
pate and awkward MANNERS, YOU might have
felt disposed to laugh, but had you met them
nas the Royalists of England were soon destined
to, in battle and debate" your laughter would
speedily change to terror. Yes, the little Nav
Flower, bore within her bosom, the elements
of the greatest change, that ever eeentuated In
the history Of man, since tie ad.eEt Of the
Son of God. There upon that crowded deck
stood the mind, that was to operate upon the
virgin matter of a netc tcorfd.
And what was the prospect that met their
astonished vision? Cold pretipitous rocks, bar
rem sands, frowning forests, and the depth of
winter. The shrubhy pine, that pierced with
it's tenacious root, the granite rocks of hat
primitive region, foreshadowed their future
mode of existence. bowling wilderness was
before them, filled with veneirous reptiles, wild
beasts and wilder savages, the "comrlon mother
earth;" their only couch, the sky their only COW
ering, the world their enemy and God their only
protector. They had been hunted like lshlnael-
ties from city to city. They weared of strife
and contention, and a few chosen spirits EN-.
barked in the May-Flower, to seek refuge
from persecution. They had heard of the pro-
missed land beyond the rolling Ocean. They
sought the new discovered "garden of Hesper-
ides''-the dominion of the "Virgin Queen"
They had heard that their summer never faded,
flowers ever bloomed-that rich and succulent
fruits droored in wild profession from the over
loaded branches. They fanred they could hear
the murmurs of the "sweet south" as it breathed
its aromatic fragrance over hill top and valley.
They saw with maglnatluns busy glance the
surf as it rolled lnzily in to the shore, lifting in
gentle unduations the rich clusters OF grapes
that hung ripe and luscious, over its CLASSY
surface. Here was rest from all their labors,
care was flung to the winds-'hope elevated,
Joy frightened" every crest. But Providence
did not thus decree. Theirs was nature that
must not rot away in inactivity and sloth. The
comrades they had left behind, were to accom-
plish great things. They we're to turn upon
their pursuers and rend them, they would suon
trample to the dust King, Church and Aristo-
cracy, they would form and discipline the finest
army in Europe and make the name of Eng nd
feared and respected throughout the world. But
to these was assigned higher and nobler
duty-they had stern behests yet to perform-a
country to create, AMI Freedoms banner to bear
in the heat and dust of battle, almost unaided
against world. The fine gold of their charac-
ter must be tried. Hence, their anchor fell on
the rocks that girt New England. Hence, their
garden of Eden was changed to a rocky, desc
late. savage, and pestilential wilderness; and
alone unsupported, save by the uncomfortable
will they bore, with the eye of the Ever Living
Overland His arm around, they kneel on the bar
rem sands of Plymouth.
"There into life an infant Empire springs!
There falls the iron from the soul;
There lberty's Young accents roll,
Up to the Kings of Kings!
To fair creations fartherest bound,
That thrilling summons yet shall sound:
The dreaming nations shall awake,
And to their centre earths old kingdoms shake.
Pontiff and Prince, your sway
Must crumble from this days
Before the loftier throne of Heaven,
The hand is raised, the pledge is given,
One monarch to obey, one creed to own
Tn monarch, God, that creed His word
alone"