The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-09-29
WASHINGTON, ID. G.
EMBARKATIoN OF THE PILGRIMS.

sears 1urnlsned the lOHOWlng original nymI
for the occasion:
Beneath the hallowcd ground where now We tread
New Engand's first and hottest martyrs sleep;
And ocean waves to celebrate the dead,
Lift the eternal anthems of the deep.
And here their mighty spirits lnger long;
They walk abroad through all the hallowed air.
And where pulse for freedom beats more strong,
Know We that Pilgrim blood is cOursing there
oh We whose sacred dust on Bunker Hill
Kind mother Earth in holy trust contains
Above the cause We loved keep watching STILL
Aud roll your fire through all our languid veins
Then from New England's hills, afar and near,
light shall stream in columns to the skies
And like new Aurora shall appear
Where r a race in chains and darkness lies
Hon CHARLES SUMNER was called to re
spOnd to the toast to the Senate of the Unite
States. He said
MIR. President, you bid me speak for tn
Senate but cannot forget that there is an
other voice here, of classical elOquence, whcl
might more fifty render this service. AS on
of the humblest members of that body and as
ISOLATED with the public councils for Il brie
period only | should prefer that my distln
guished colleague, whose fame is linked with /
long political life, should speak for it. AnC
there is vet another here, Mr.. Hale, who
though not at this moment member OF tn,
Senate. has. throughout an active and brilliant
career, marked by rare combination of abii
ty. cloquence, and good humor 80 identified
himself with it in the public mind, that he
might well speak for it always and when he
speaks all are pleased to listen. Applause
Bat sir. you have ordered it otherwise
From the departure at Delft Haven-irOm
the deck of the "MayflOwer from the land
ing at Plymouth Rock to the Senate OF the
United States, is a mighty contrast, covering
whole spaces of history-hardly less than from
the wolf that sucked ROmulus and Remus to
that Roman Senate which, on curule chairs,
swayed Italy and the world From these OBJ
scure beginnings of poverty and weakness
which you now piOusly commemorate, and on
which all our minds naturally rest to-day, you
bid us leap to that marble Capitol, where
thrty-One powerful States, bound in ndissou.
bic lnon-a plural unit-are gathered togeth
er in legislative body constituting a part Of
one government which, stretching from ocean
to ocean and counting millions Of people be.
meath its majestic rule, surpasses far, in wealth
and might, any government of the Old World
when the little band Of Pilgrims left it, and
which now promises to be clasp between Flu
rope and Asia, bringing the most distant places
near together, 80 that there shall be no more
Orient or Occident. Ii were interesting TO
dwell on the stages of this grand procession
but it il enough, on this occasion, merely to
Glance Mt them and pass on.
Sir it is the Pilgrims that we commemorate
to day-not the Senate For this moment ut
east, let us tread under foot all pride of EN-.
pre--all exultatiOn in our manifold triumphs
of industry, of science of literature-that We
may reverently bow before the fOrefathers. The
day il theirs. In the contemplation of their
virtue we shall derive lesson, which, like
truth, may Judge ~ sternly but if we can
really follow it, like truth, it shall make us
free. For myself, | accept the admonitlons of
the day. 1t may teach US all never, by word
or act-although We may be few in numbers
or alone-tO swerye from those primal princi-
pies of duty, which, from the landing at Ply
mouth Rock, have been the life of Massachu.
sets. Let me briefly unfold the lesson.
Few persons in history have suffered more
from contemporary misrepresentation, abuse
and persecution, than the English Puritans
At first small body, they were regarded with
indifference or contempt; but by degrees they
grew in numbers, aud drew into their company
men of education, intelligence, and even of
rank. RciOrmers in all ages have had little Of
blessing from the world which thoy Fought to
serve; but the Purtans were not disheartened
Still they perscvered The obnoxious laws of
conformity they vowed to withstand till, in the
fervid language of the time, they be sent
back to the darkness from whence they came"
Through them the spirit Of modern Freedom
made ltSolf potently felt, in its great warfare
with Authority, in Church, in Literature and
in the State IN other words, for religious in
teoctnal, and political emancipation. The
Purtans primarily aimed at religious freedom
for this they contended in Parliament, under
Elizabeth and James for this they suffered ;
but so connected are all these great and glor-
Gus interests, that the struggles for one have
always helped the other. Such service did
they do that Hume, whose cold nature could
not sympathize with their burning souls, IL
obliged to confess that to them alone {" the
English owe the whole freedom of their Con
stitutiOn."
As among all reiormers, 80 among them,
there were differences of degree Some con.
tinued within the pale of the National Church,
and there pressed their Intellectual attempts in
behalf of the good cause. Some Mt length
driven by conscientious convictions, and unwil-
ling to be partakers longer in its enormties,
stung also by the cruel excuses of magsterial
p0wer--Openly disclaimed the National Estab-
hshment, and became separate sect-frst,
under the name of Brownsts, from the person
who had led in this new organization, and then
under the better name of SeparatidS. After
long struggles, in Parliament and out of it. in
Church and State, continued through success
i've reigns, the Purtans finally triumphed, and
the dcspised sect of Separatists, swollen in
numbers and now under the denomination OF
INDEPENDENTS, with Oliver Cromwell n,
their head, and John Milton as his Secretary
ruled England. Thus is prefgured the fina
triumph Of all, however few in numbers, whC
sincerely devote themselves to Truth. lad
plause.
The Pilgrims Of Plymouth were among tn
earliest Of the SeparatistS As such, they knew
by bitter experience all the sharpness of perse
cuton Against them the mon in power raget
like the heather Against them the Who'll,
fury OF the law was directed. Some were i'm
prisoned, all were impoverished, while thei,
name became byword of reproach Foi
safety and freedom, the little band first sougb
shelter IN Holland where they continued il
indgence and obscurity for more than ter
years, when they were impelcd to seek HON,
IN this unknown western world Such. il
brief is their history could not say more 0
1t, without intruding upon your time coul,
not say less, without injustice to them
Rarely have austcre principles been express
ed with more gentleness than from their lips
ny covenant with the Lord, they had vowe,
to walk in all his ways, according to their hes
endeayors, whatsoever Il should cost them an,
also to receive whatsoever truth should b,
mace known from the written word of God
Repentance ana prayers, patience and tears
they, 4" as with other men whom small tb;ng
can discourage or small discontentments cans,
10 wish themselves at home again And vc
these men, with their sublime endurance ant
with their lofty faith, are among those ,,h,