New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-22
ANNIVERSARY OF THE EEW-ENGLAED
SOCIETY.
GRAFTON BY DR.. STORRS.

Osgoods church. The eiihce was thionyei thro1g
cut ard macy Of The audience were unable to OBJ ain
seata After Introductory music and prayer by DR..
Oegood, the Rev. DR.. r. s. SIoRRs, it, of Brooklys,
wss introduced. Mr. Stos said that there vas little
10 his audience or NewYork TO remind them, except
By cen rsst Of the hardships of the Pilgrims. Not
alone they here, however, for tie past but for
tie present ard the future. The most beauteous gar
and they could hang upon the rudiments of the good
were fruit gsrlends OF good deeds. He proposed to
consider the Puritan idea concerning national growth
those which they were accustomed to recognize and
which they strove 70 realize in their own institutions.
One Of their cardinal ideas was that national growth
should proceed from a definite spiritual life, high
ard aspiring religious force pervsdLg their entire
Outward life and bu.iness. The many forms which
they had we're important only manfestng this spirit
of life and quickeIiDg It in Others Their intolerance
even sprsng directly from the fact that they consider-
ed the spirt OF the State 10 be important than
RI, orweath, friendship of reghbors. With al its
faults failures this grand idea State which
should be coextensive with the church and carry il
out III it, natural expansion whithesoever II went was
the ate at which they aimed. Their sunptCsry le~s
ther establishment Of church, their tiot censorship
Of literature their great heroic endsavors TO found
Christian University st Cambridge, and afterward g.
NewHaven gil proce eoed from this ides. In this they
were harmony with the great lave Of history, aad
showed Themselves not mere men OF molten and OF
action. This vigorous sptitusl life dlhused through
fhe State wss better than airy mateisl helps or re-
sources Mr. Stous continued for some time to plead
for that earnest enthusiasm which sought to evolve
toe Puritan State from the Puritan Church He was
spplauded in bis defense Of this principle, which
is 40 vigorously contested by the AutCatholios.
Another sIend principle with them, he said,
wss that the State should be thoroughly
gsn'zed in ts spiritual frame, end grow with steady
crease instead OF rapidly spreadhg-ths! il should
develop itself from within. This, which had been
charged upon them narrowness, wac really par
of their plan; il flIished the mechanism through
which this spiritual life to work. This tended to
the weknit and cose structure OF al org mized and
compact Government, with due and symmetrical
subdivision of psIts. The STATE was q body-not
a mass. On their thsOry-a vital organiam, far-e1
tepdlDg, many membered, cniceItric, and every
where PeIvaded BY one ivi.g sPiIitm ritz me-
have thought il possible TO carry on permanently an
experiment of selfgovernment without sucn catefal
organization. Government by the best was always
their aims The faulty was germensl central in the
Puritan Commonwealth, with the fsther for magis-
tate and minister of God the children and servants
for dscples; and in furtherance OF this we're many
sections Of the early Legislation of NewEngland. The
limits OF parental authority were patiently Defined
ard while the intelligent precsutIon was taken to
withhold from father such powers as might prove
pItjuoical to the development Of the life OF his de-
we've equally wen defined. Being made re.
sponeible for the training of bic household, he was
invested with corresponding powers and big supreme
cy within his own mouse was liked 30 tae family was
tue zeal lfdry IN WHICH tue
and leaoerships should be imsged, and from whic,
sbOuld proceed the practiced minds and disciplined
wills 70 direct and administer her public affairs They
made each household an Independent communl-
ty an actual central, selfdetemined cou monwealth,
where the proper authority Of law should be reoog-
nized where men should learn to command ia after
life by having been taught to obey in their youth.
The family sffection he inculcated was to be the
germ of patriotism efterward, and the habit OF COM
mapd in The parent himself was to fit him to s,harge
high public trusts other part OF the Puritan plan
equal In Importance to ths-fhe assldious Protec
ton Of the family. The moment We passed this We
came TO the principle of alliance and confederation,
equally familiar TO the Puritan communities and
winch gave them conference with a capacity
fixed limits composed the town and the heads Of these
house holds were the recognized electors aud govern
ors Of the town, by whose free choice It's operations
were directed, and from Whose intelligent suffrage
each election proceeded IL the family Appropriated
TO limited monarchy in its constmtion-the author
ty of the parent being presumed TO be limited by viz
dom ana love-the town, on the other hand, approx
mated n lite constitution aud government to democ-
raoy the right Of voting beir limited to those VINO
weie presumed to be qualified for tin some
instances to church members ana IN others to elected
freemen-the vote Of each man beng equal IN the
count to that of his older Weather neighbor.
The same idea cultivated in children toward their ps
rents was inculcated in the inhabitants toward the
authorities OF the town; and it was carried 10
such am extent as would in our days Of official
delinquency, seem ridiculous. The many towns
coDfedersted again, and all, represented IN gen,
eIal couLcis, made up the State. They egitims'ed
government, appointed is oihcer., tTaned ne
Legislation and they were competent to revise the
very organic law which chapel them. The STATE did
no org the towns but the towns prang up them
selves around each church and made the general gov
eminent for their minister. In plymouth for eeAily
twenty yesrs the whole body OF male inhabitshts o.
lawful AGE composed the Legislature; they decided
juocial and executive questions there; they were IN
fact and in law, the Cover nment with nothog aooye
them nearer than the stare. And when after1ara oy
their Increase this came to be impossible, the
representatives of the towns succeeded 10 their power
Again the principle OF alliance ana confederation was
ma urally extended from one colony 10 announcer, ana
made in 1913 the whole Of the NewEngisnd colonies
10 be as oue Again this principle was vigorously ap-
Piled linking towns with another IN great body
nposte sheterng each, renewing its force by auy-
ing Il with the rest-makiDg all the separate arows one
sheaf And again. the great principle OF the rghuu au
thority OF the Govern 'rs IN the Town was no
the elders and go repeated in the state This secured
for their officers degree of intelligence and honora
bic respect which would be impossible at the present
day. II was not designed to make all men voters, II
respective Of character but only those wno were
qualified TO vote and ii still encouraged IN no degree
their unorganzed hasty action. Its legislators ana
magistrates were accepted as officers OF the STATE ana
reverenced accordingly. And never In any monarchy
or republic had the structure OF government Deen
closer, more firmly aud finely knit together than In
these new States where the people ruled all, where
the Judges themselves were elected every year, ana
where il held to be species OF treason 10 appear
from the Commonwealth to the Crown. Au this was
the effect of definite purpose, that had its POUNDS.
ton in no traditon-iey were severed from that and
those ears that had heard the prosecuting shears snap
ping around them closed to the voice OF Inc pasI
This name of government had IFS sorng IN thelr own
intelligent Judgment it was carefully planned ana
firmly ordslneo to secure the prevalence Throughout
these Few States of that high and positive spftiai
life of which have spoken as the power TO when
the Purilars locked for s their success and Gil t1er
adyance-to work this into the government OF the
-hAxA aH- ~frx mi nar a