Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-12-28
Correspondence Of The Herald.
Landing Of the Pilgrims.
MARLBoRo' HOTEL, Boston, Dec. 2:

On Friday the 22d, in accordance with time
honored custom, goodly number Of such ci.i-
zens, from Boston and the region, as love 10
cherish the memory Of the Pilgrim Fathers,
met az Plymouth, to commemorate the 227th
anniversary Of the day Of their landing.
i After appropriate music, the reading OF Sc
lect portions Of Scripture, and prayer by Rev.
/ DR.. Babcock Of New Bedford, an eloquent his
torical discourse Of an hours length was deliv-
cred by Rev. DR.. Worcester Of Salem, found
ell on the maxim Of Solomon, "Children's s
children are The crown Of old men, and the
| glory of children is their fathers" This, he
said, was especially the case in reference to
those who had feared the Lord from their
youth"-whose hoary head was crown OF
glory" because " found in the way Of right
eousness."
i While our pious ancestors sought, on this
bleak coast, an asylum for the full enjoyment
of civil and religious freedom, they came not
for their own sakss only; far from it, II was
truly Missionary enterprize. This country
was known to be all heathen ground. And the
few bold pioneers Of liberty and equality had
respect TO the conversion of the then unnum-
bered wanderers of this wilderness world, !"
as well as to the mighty generations that were
The Chti..ians ~ EGope had long been ac-
customed to pray in their songs
Ozark AMERICA convert,
With every Pagan land"
And, in thinking Of our obligations to Heav-
en- and benighted world, never should it be
forgotten in New England, that we, (like our
British Chisilan blethren,) are on lands rescued
from Pagansln.
1t was not for political immunities nor repub-
lcan institutions chiefly, that the Purltans
came hilher. But. the "love Of Christ con-
straining them" it was for the advancement
Of that Reformation which century after it
had moved all Chrlstendom, was yet but in
small part accomplished, and for the full ac-
compshment of which, in the emancipation
and conversion of all nations, America seemed
to them destined of Heaven to act a most con-
spicuous part. These lofty asplrings OF gen.
erous, scli-sacrifcing ancestry should never be
| forgotten by "children's Children" whose
glory is their fathers"
II In accordance with these benevolent designs,
most of the early charters obtained from the
Crown, contained stipulations In reference to
Missions as also some Of the earliest acts OF
he Colonial Legislatures. And, as results,
some thousands of the Indians were early con-
verted to Christianity. In 1890 there could be
numbered among them upwards OF thirty In
| dian churches.
II The Puritan settlers, first and last, regarded
personal religion also, as the " one thing need
| full" to themselves and posterly. Hence,
they Immediately planted free schools, that all
might be able "to read the Bible;" and with
in ten years from the first landing, they laid
the foundation of University, chiefly with ref
erence to training an enlightened ana Pious
ministry. Along every river, they resolVed'
in humble dependence on God, to have " the
tee of knowledge, laden with fruit which the
children could reach" and, by the side OF IT.,
" the tree of hje," whose " leaves were for
the healing of the nations"
Those labors, those devout aspirations, those
hopes were not vain, or enthusiastic. Then,
as at all times, Heavens richest blessings were
| commensurate with the appropriate, jndicious
II use OF means. For the Hrst hundred and hfty
| years, the family was pre-eminently religious
| nursery for the school, the church, and the
| State; and an infdei, at that period, would
have been regarded " as monster - And IT,
IN few cases, there seemed something like
The spirit of intolerance and persecution, from
which they had just broken away; still, be 1t
remembered, that, in this respect, they were
very far IN adraace Of the age; and, like their
posteri,y. the host tolerant people on the face
of the globe, such beng ever the result OF
pure Christianity.
Dr. Worcester referred, with graphic and
touching eloquence, to num-. ffrir~''
which had prevaded the churches oi Inc htst
centuries after the landing, particularly the
one of l740-il: during which, Of the popu!a-
ton of 300 900. then embraced in the colonies,
upwards Of 80, 900 were judged TO be savingly
4 enlightened Other like scenes o! wonder 10
the wsest, had been witnessed at different Pc
RODS which for want OF magazines and news
papers, had not been particularly hahded down
/ to us.
\ Patriotism, he said, was but another name
for enlightened piety. And those who thought
only of the bold adventure, the chivalrous spir-
liz of liberty, the wise, iar-reaching political
counscs of our Pilgrim Fathers, did them
gross injustice. They thought no institution,
religious or political, safe, only SO far as it was
based upon the Eternal Rock.
II No nation, he said, had ever been favored
like ours, with temporal as well as spiritual
benefits. And when we thought of our 3O,-
900 preachers of the Gospel of various orders
throughout the land, our 1000 Missionaries at
home and abroad, our 30 Seminaries for train
ing others, our hundred Colleges, our Acade-
mics and schools without number, our tens OF
thousands Of volunteer teachers, now instruct
ing hundreds of thousands in the Sabbath
school, our men Of mind on the stretch for i'm
provement in every branch of science and every
field of industry, our Benevolent institutions,
the peculiar glory Of the age, the pioneers of
civilization and freedom, now publishing the
bible and religious books by millions, and
spreading everywhere he light of life-our pc
riodicals and newspapefs, those mighty engines
of moral power, secondlng every worthy effort,
our magnetic telegraph, outstriping the sun by
thousands of miles per hour-when we thought
Of the boundless resources of our country,
Il physical, intellectual, and moral-of the ever
opening facilities for availirg ourselves of all,
and making all contribute to human welfare
and divine elory-how could we fail to be in
spired with fresh courage, and at the same
time, deeply to feel, as a nation and as indivld-
uals, our responsibility to the world, and TO the
God OF our Fathers A. ID.
J. SERIOUS DIrrIcuLrY.- York, Friday,
Dec. GA fight occurred at IL o'clock this
forenoon at the corner Of Walnut and Grand
streets, between three Germans, two men and
one woman, which resulted in the death of the
| men and in leaving the woman in dying con