The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-12-23

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guished the enterprise of the Pugilnis .i lD. a'i
others, and which well worthy ol ron''.Iou ,I
remembrance In founding then eolopy sney
sought neither wealth nor conquest but oiiy peace
and freedom They asked but region whefe 1hey
could make their own laws and worship etoa ac-
cordinp to the dictates OF their own consclehces. |
From the moment they touched the shore, tney
abored with orderly, systematic and perseVefing
indnatrv They cultivated, without murmur,
nonr and ungratefu soil, which even now yields
but a stubborn obedience to the dominion oil the
plough They made search for gold, nor tor
ured the miserable savages to wiring from them
the discovery Of imaginary mines. Though landed
by a treacherous pilot upon barren and lnhosp-
table coas they sought neither richer helds nor
more genial climate They found liberty, and Tor
the rest it mattered little. For more than eleven
years they had meditated upon their enterprise,
and it was no small matter could turn them from
its completion On the spot where first they rested
from their wanderings with stern and high resolve,
they built their little city, and founded their young
republic Their honesty, industry, knowledge and
piety, grew up together in happy union. There,
in patrarchal simplicity and republican equality,
the Pilgrim fathers and mothers passed their non
oracle days, leaving to their posterlty the invalu-
able legacy of their principles and example.
How proudly can we compare their conduct with
that of the adventurers OF other nations who pre-
ceded them How did the Spaniard coonize
Let Mexico Peru and Hispanola answer He
devouring pestilence His cry was gold gold
pold!! Never in the history of the world had
the sacra fumes @urG exhibited itself with
such fearful intensity His imagination maddened
with visions of sudden aud boundless wealth, clad
in mail be leaped upon the New World, an armed
robber In greedy haste he grasped the sparkling
sand then cast it down with curses, when he found
the glitterng grains were not OF gold.
Pitiless as the bloodhound by his side, he plunged
into the primeval forests, crossed rivers lakes and
-. 4 I'D 20 stan.r heoNV NVrffI
continent No region, however rich in soil, deli.
cious in climate luxuriant in production, could
Tempt his stay. In vain the soft breeZe of the trop-
cs laden with aromatic fragrance, woosd himto
rest; in vain the smiling valleys, covered with
spontaneous fruits and flowers invited him to peace
full quiet. His search still for gold the ac-
\ cursed hunger could not be appeased. The simple
natives gaZed upon him in superstihous wonder,
and woIshppsd him as god and he proved to
them a god but an Internal one-terrble, cruel and
remorssless With bloody hand he tore the orna-
Inents from their persons and the shrlnes from their
aiars he tortured them TO discover hidden trea-
sure, and slew them thai he might search, even in
their wretched throats, for concealed gold Wen
might the miserable Indians imagine that race Cf
| evil deties had come among them, more bloody and
relentless than those who presided over their own
sanguinary rites.
Now lei US turn to the Pilgrims. They, too,
were tempted; and had they yielded to the tempta-
ton how different might have been the destnes of
1 this cOntinent-how different must have been our
| own! Previous TO their undertaking, the Old
| World was filled with strange and wonderful ac-
| cunts of the New. The upbounded wealth,
| drawn by the Spaniaris from Mexico and South
America, seemed to afford rational support for the
| widest assertions. Each succeeding adventnrer,
i returning from his voyage, added to the Arabian
tales still more exiravagant story. AT length Sir
Walter Raleigh, the most accomplished and disliu
guished of all those bold voyageu.-, announced to
| The world his discovery of the province of Guiana,
and its magnificent capital, the farfamsd city of FL
Il Dorado. We smile now at his account of the
" great and golden city, and 6 the mighty. rich
| and beautiful empire. We can hardly imagine
/ that any one could have believed, for moment
in their existence. At that day. however, the whole
matter was received with most implicit faith. SiI
Walter prolessed 10 have explored the county, and
thus glowingly describes it from his own observa'
ton,
al never saw more beautiful country, nor more
lively prospects, hills so raised here and there ove
the yaileys-the river winding into divers branches
the plains adjoining, " thout bush or'stuFble-al
fair green grass-the deer crossing in every path
the birds, towards the evening, singing on everl
| tree with a thousand several tunes-the air fTesl
with gentle easterly wind and every stone tina
we stopped to take up promised either gold or sll
| yer by its complexion. For health, good air
| Measure and riches / am resolved it cannot b.
equalled by any region either IN the East or West
The Pilgrims were urged in leaving Holland, T.
| seek this charming country and plant their colon
l among Its Arcaulan powers. w eli iSlL Llb poo
| wanderers cast a longing glance towards ITS happ
valleys, which seemed to invite to pious contem
| pation and peaceful labor. Well might the gree
grass, the pleasant groves the tame deer and IN
singing birds allure them to that smiling Ian
t beneath the equinoctal line. But while the
doubted not the existence of this wondrous regior
thew resisted its tempting charms. They ha
resolved to vndioate, at the same time, the
' | patriotism and their princpes-to add dominion
their native land, and to demonstrate to the worl
1 | the practicability Of civil and religious hbert
g After full discussion and mature delberation, the
determined that their great objects could be be-
c accomplished by settlement on some portion
+ | the Northern continent, which would hold out I
+ | temptation to cupidty--no inducement to persec
! | ton. Putting aside, then, all considerations
y u wealth and ease, they addressed themselves wi
q | hiph resolution to the accomplishment OF the
= noble purpose. In the language of the historic
II Trusting to God and themselves" they embark
Is upon their perilous enterprise.
% AS said before, / shall not accompany them
e their adventurous voyage. On the 22d day OF ID
le cember, 1920, according to our present comput
on their footsteps pressed the famous rock whlt
k has ever since remained sacred to their venerat
e. memory. Poets, painters and orators have taskt
sr their powers do justice to this great scene
to deed, ii is full of moral grandeur; nothing can
m more beautiful, more pathetic or more subhn
le Behold the Pilgrims, as they stood on that &C
tn December day-stern men, gentle women, and fl
of cheerful thanksgiving to the Good God, who
nd conducted them safely across the mighty deep a
tn permitted them to land upon the sterile shore.
as how their upturned faces glow with pious cor
es dence which the sharp winter winds cannot ch
IL nor the gloomy forest shadows darken-
- ''Not as the conQueror comes,
They, the true. hearted came;
ST Not with the roll Of the sti ing drum,
he | Nor the trumpet, that sings OF fame
T. | Nor esthe flying come,
Ih In silence aud III lear
M | They shook the depths of the deJest gloom
he | With their hymns OF lofty cheer
nj Noble and pous band! your holy confidence '
ely not in vain your hymns OF lofty cheer find e
nat still in the hearts of grateful millions, Your
Bile scendants, when pressed by adversely, or w
Ter addressing themselves to some noble action, t
her to the landing of the Pilgrims" and find heart
ina any fate-strength for any enterprise
lrst How simple, yet how instructive, are the an
ed, of this little settlement In the cabin of the
xu- flower they settled general form of governm
lef upon the principles of pure democracy. In
ia thev published declaration of rights, and es
da- lis6ed body of laws. The first fundamental
poh Gle was in these words " That no act imposit
pGs- g law or ordinance be made or imposed upon III
tmo ; present OF to come, but such has been or
5nS be enacted by the consent of the body Of free
mid or associates, their representatives legally as:
,hty bled, /" etc.
Here we find advanced the whole principl
=, oc the Revouton-the whole doctrine of our re
ssnd lican institutions. Our fathers, hundred y
Ena before the Revolution tested successfully, as
,miet they were concerned, the principle of selt-go'
- | ment and solved the problem whether law