The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-22
THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY.
Forty-Eighth Anniversary Cclcbration-Ser-
vices at tho Church Of the Messlah-Oratlon
by william M. Evarts. Esu.. &c., xkc.

cey Of the city Of New York. celebrated by appro
pirate exercises at the Church of the Messiah Broad
way, last evening The church about half filled.
The exercises commenced by the singing Of the
solo and chorus, (prayer from Moses in Egypt, SLOW
down thine ear, Lord" by Miss DrsaLEr, Mr.. CARKEr,
and selec. choir.
Prayer was then offered By the Rev GARDENER SPRING,
D. D.
The ode" Landing OF Columbus
Awake the sounds OF glory,
Over the ocean rolling
The Heavens our way controlling,
We strike the Western shore, &C.,
then sung by Mrs. BRISKERHorY and the choir
The annual grafton was delivered by WILLIAM NJ.
EvARTs, Esq He said:--The custom by which cele-
hrate this anniversary would find sufficient in
ancestral glory The glory of the fathers is their
We examine the lives of their ancestors and jealous
to that malignant distortion shall appear in the
record Of their acts The elements of government,
which have prevented the transmission of rank, and
made ridiculous feeling of pride of family have not
weakened this feeling And If the event which is
this day celebrated had not brought about any
great results we should still meet, in .
deeds Of the Pilgrim exes. But great events have
flown from their action, and still greater are yet to
come. The landing of the Purtans had influence
the worlds history which has been felt all the
world. II was New England sho founded, built
up and as she is-mother Of men, nurse of great
principles battle ground of great deedsthat cee
brate in this commemoration. Applause And we
exles from the Pilgrim land do not lose brthrght
neither are we strangers here We are here OF right
the South, in the valley of the West and the far
Pacific shorc-all honor this day. New England has
not her territory, but her great increase Of
population spread institutions all parts
that Unon in the founding Of which she took large
part We have nothing here to do with controversial
future fro m the les Of the past brief review Of
the character of the Pilgrims viii be Of personal benefit
to us. The heritage OF the Pilgrims, as We have re-
ceived it from them, and to transmit it to
postcrisy, seems to be dtting theme for
such remarks as the limits of the occasion will per-
INIT. The seed of the movement which to make
all men equal in religion, In England
century before the Reformation but it did not break
until after Luther hadaised his banner and Henry
the Eighth had given to his people comparative religious
independence But Le looked with equal dtrust upon
Edward the church did not receive aid, and when
Elizabeth to the throne there three religious
furtans 1t was hoped that she being Protsstant-it
cxpectedtbat she would favT that persuasion She
had still INFANTS Of tue ancient faith and
crucix in her chapel and refused to allow mixed
marriages. Conformity to the Established Church
demanded from all means OF solution of the relig
distractions The Puritans sternly refused any
compro mise with the Roman Catholic Church, and to
their restance England undoubtedly her present
safety. The Purifans neither small IN number
weakin point of talent, and nearly the parties
divided that in the Convocation Of 1862 proposition
only defeated by one vote In the other reign these
principles directed to political matters and by it
the monarchy was overthrow. But there was still
in any Of its orms-that the prayer book and all
the iorms-ard with the Bible foundation form
Congrega church in Notinghamshre date the
abshment of the colony of New England. And from
Purtans They were drawn from the body Of the Eng.
lsh people, in conradisnction to the nobility and gen.
Try They were eqrsl IN social position. and beng
sober, rejecting, self-dependent turn Of mind which
such pursuits tend to promote They were well aware
invioable threshholdthc right Of representation
in the Commons-these wesesone Of the rights of Eng
them Blu, the chief trait for us to admire in their
character the purity OF their religious belief and the
fervor Of their Christian faith To them all worldly
things-au the pleasures of sense-all magnifcence-
were consider ed by them dust They feared nothing
from enem;es--from fatigue suffering. Their only
to that their steps did not fail in the stern path Of
duty which they marked out for themselves In this age
public discussion some call this feeling spr Of vulgar
fanatacism and others accredit to the Of
religious enthusiasm but we recognize In 1t the
germ Of those principles which founded great State
and preserved it. The church was entirely an indie
pendent and original body Free suffrage was the basis
inculcated. To this church presented the
cruel alternative Of voluntary expatration or abandon
s s
proper place for them and they solicited permission to
to America and here they landed two hundred and
cous mother who had repelled them, we and that this
stone which the builders Of English power aud English
Eugnsn uDerty TelecteQ, become the mead
stone Of the corpcy Of our eonfederated States ZAP
plause) we analyze the character Of these founders
Of the State, we shall End as large share Of all
in human nature The presence of their wives
and children made the wilderness smiling
As they feared not death no danger could
pectahon Of SPOIL no disappointment could weaken
disturb them 1.-THE orator drew vivid picture Of the
things should fail they could stl say will rejoice in
the Lord will rejoice in the God Of my salvation"
they had done with bishops and convocatons, and
courts brought all that civizes and
re6ues daily life-they brought with them leaving
tres-they formed themselves into body polite and
since they and their sons have supported free
The cold eye Of tyranny yet watches for the
time when the storm Of passion or the selfish lust Of
power will break down their system but ii still stands
The Purtans loved liberty better than their vos They
2 law. The mere passion of liberty has over,
thrown many dynastiesi but here its power
elements Of law and duty. We then claim for the
Pilgrim fathers not only devotion TO liberty, but
capable governing themselves were mt to d.
rect the government Of State. They knew that men
strong in their own intelligence would not endure
strong government but the also knew that the power
must be some ~nlte and they found In the Law a
n.araton o. ell In their mutual social duties Their
leaders exhorted them to cultivate broherly feeling
and TO assist each other with their counsel and their
store aud that such principle was the only maker and
conserverof churches and commemorative While such
sSnments are earned there VIII DC no failure OF public
spifft-no lack Of public virtue. RsHcalism. philan.
thropy enthusiasm cannot 90 higher than this It
has been asked where the Purtans learned the great
thoughts OF liberty, much in advance Of English
liberty At thai time One Of your own orstors has
found its germ IN she British exiles OF Geneva Who in
Queen Msry's time, there found church without
a bishop, and State without king He was unwilling
that the fame OF his countfy's freedom should be
lighted anywhere else than In the mother
try But the speaker thought : IL originated
in the Christian scriptures, which they
consulted wrestling with prayer. They were the
bearers or new missiAn. Of the greatest in
the history Of the world They secured the admnsira
tion Of justice according TO tie procedure OF the
law they enforced the observance Of the law they
caused the Bible TO be read in the churches, In the
schools cloud applause), and In The household After
the formation OF the articles Of confederation the
of the Purifsns bore most prominent part In the
Ike movements which resulted In the freedom Of the
Colonies. In the establshment Of freedom religious