Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-08-26
THE pLYMOuTH MoNuMENT.

THE PLYMOUTH MONUMENT.
We copy from the Boston Egening Cour-
Ter the speech of Mr.. William NJ. Evarts, of
New York, which is pronounced the chief
performance of the recent celebration at the
laying of the corner stone of the Plymouth
Monument. Mr. Evarts, in responding to
the sentment-"The New England Society
of New York"--said
have great pleasure, Mr. President, both
personally and as the representative Of the
New England, Society Of the city ofNew York,
in the acknowledging your courtesy in inviting
their presence here at your solemn festivities
| regret extremely that more of the members
of that society have not had the opportunity,
or their circumstances did not permit them,
to avail themselves of your invitation. have
left them behind, but feel warranted, from
the respect which they have always shown for
their ancestors, and the efforts which they
have made in their annual celebrations to keep
alive their memory, to preserve in that great
centre and pulsing heart of the country, some
thing of the pure current Of the Puritan char
acter, | say feel warranted in saying to you.
in their name, that if the sum of one thousand
dollars will aid your society in the erection Of
the monument, you have it pledged now from
the New England Society Of New York
loud applause, followed by three cheers.)
And although / do this without express
consultation, when | 60 back, Mr. President,
If they do not like it, they may choose another
President. and ! will pay the subscription.
(Renewed applause.)
Our Pilgram ancestors, Mr.. President. werc
not very good geographers if they had been,
they probably would not have landed here.
(Laughter.) They had an underlined notion
about the mouth of the Hudson, and for
long while held the opinion that New England
was an island, separated from this continent
as their own loved England was from the main
of Europe. About all that, in l62l-one year
after their landing here-they had added to
their precise knowledge on this subject, was
to have ascertained as one Of them writes,
''that there was this large arm of the sea
lIIudson's river which entered at about the
10th degree of latitude, and went out either
into the South Sea or else into the Gulf of
Canada" And to show the earnest enter
prise Of these men, and the unquestioning
confidence with which they prefgurcd their
future domination over the continent, he writes,
in December, 1921, about this mystical river
"The certainty whereof and secrets of which
we have not yet so found as that, as eye-wit-
nesses, we can make narration thereof; but il
God gives time and means, we shall ere long
discover both the extont of that river and the
secrets thereof and also try what territories.
hahitations or commodities may be found Ell
ther in it or aboutit."
Now. sir, your own knowledge Of New York
will enable you to see. that when a Griswold
and a Grnnell lead the merchant, when
Beeohor and a Cheever thunder in the pulpit,
Bryant and Greeley lead the free press.
and a Morgan wields the sceptre Of Chief
Magistrate Of the State of New York these
descendants of the Pilgrims have "found the
extent Of that river, the secrets thereof, and
what various territories, habitations or COM
modities may be found in or about it," This
ignorant Puritan, as some men count ignor-
ance, as to geography, was not far out of the
way after all. think the river goes in at
the forte.h degree Of latitude, as he said, but
who shall say where it goeth outs Into the
Atlantic, into the Pacific, into the Arctic and
Antarctic Seas, into the Indian Ocean
Wherever water flows about the earth this
river goolh out. and the secret of II is this
that il is the gateway into the continent Of
America from all the oceans Of the world
lAppause.)
we nave NOT yet discovered all the capaoill-
ties to which their planting foot upon this
continent may be the means and avenue. As
early as 500 a band of the Puritans who
were planning an emigration that was thirty
years afterwards executed, made their petit
ton to the Queen somewhat in this sort
Whereas means is now offered for our being
in foreign and far country which lieth to
the Wost from hence in the province of Cam
ada, whore by the providence Of the Almighty
and Her Majesty's most gracious favor, we
may not only Worship God as we are in con-
science persuaded by his word, but also do