Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-12-25

4
ment Of Boston was changed from town
to city only after repeated str1ggles and
almost in.urmountable opposition. The
first Mayor found the place almost too
hot to hold him, 80 jealous we're the
people of their ancient Democratic priv
ileges OF town meeting. Let these ex
amples be set against the nndlgnlfied
and unintelligent haste Of Western vii
lagos, containing few hundred people,
to organize on the representative sys-
tenn with Mayor and Aldermen. They
showed their regard for the masses IN the
administration of their Democracies.
The ''Selectmen," chosen each year,
were select. The humblest office it was
for the best citizen neither to solicit or
refuse. l may not be believed when l
add that the love Of places and honor
was so unknown, that many good men
avoided being qualified as citizens, lest
they should be elected to something.
The term "office-seeker" was foreign to
all the Puritan dictionaries. They COM
bined radical Democracy in Church and
State, with a delicate respect for the
rights of al, and especially those en-
trusted with influence. They were Re-
publicans, because they rose from the
masses, being "of every rank, but mostly
Of 'the mercantile classes in the towns,
and small proprietors in the country
the great middle class, the body Of the
masses. Allies ef rank came to their
side in Parliament after 1920. (Macau-
lay, 1857, Palffey) An American writ
er, not of Puri an blood-(DeBow's
Review,) avows monarchism recently in
these words: "The standard Of capacity
for governing wisely, is reached and
maintained with more difficulty on the
part Of a whole people than on the part
of the representative OF a line of sove-
reigns, and the wisdom of the king is
r.ore reasonably to be expected than
that of the mob" If there be any truth
in this, the Puritans provided against it
when they ordained that the whole peo-
pie should be educated by the free
school and the parish systems, in ,ntelli-
gence and virtue.
They ,cere octuated in all this by the
highest Of motives and labored in noble
sebserviency to the highest Of human an
terests. Their monument now rising at
Plymouth, is to be surmounted with a
colossal figure of Faith. 1t is fitting.
Liberty with them did not mean mere
freedom of industry" as an element Of
political economy-Pul itansm as q
school of thought and action, was spirit
ual before it was political. Its adhcr-
ents began in 1.-The upper register OF
human sentiments" to sing their immor-
tai song of freedom. 1t was religious
enthusiasm upheld the long contest for
popular rights. The Republicanism
they spoke and suffered for was "the last
word of Professionalism" To the at
tempted enforcement Of form Of wor-
ship in Scotland, Mr.. Macaulay says
England owes her freedom. Out Of that
came the Long Parliament, the Round
heads, the Revolution, the sway of the
House of Commons. "Out Of the Ref
ormation in Europe Of the 10th century,
came the American Revolution" But
it came through Plymouth and the Pur-
itans. Wise's "Way of the Churches
indicate J." wa hand book with our
politicians before and after the Declara-
ton of independence. The questions
between the Puritans and the Crown
were at the start, questions of religion.
| The ecclesiastical habit, the crucifix
candles at the altar, fines and imprison
ment for variation from the royal service
book, silk hoods and SUPPLIES, croser
and mitrc, the struggle about all these
was one not Of will but of duty. The
Puritan would not kneel in the sacra.
ment-would not tolerate the sign OF
the cross in the other He rejected the
ring in marriage, and denied that to be
a sacrament. 1t was rag of the scar.
let woman He resisted these symbol,
of gorgeous superstition, as Garlbaldl'.
soldiers would refuse now to follow the
Papal standard, with its crown and
keys. He opposed two successive and
opposing hierarchies-opposedt the whole
principle. He could not bear to SET
the Lords House turned into house o.
lords. at is commonly said,' observe.
Coke, upon LittIeton) 'that three thing.
be favored in law, life, liberty and dow
er." The Puritan would add fourth
conscience. The vind,cation between
Gods law and mans, and between &C
tive and passive obedience, revised III a
later age, was already in the writings o
his leader, John Robinson, and in the
petition of the Leyden Pilgrims to tn,
Council Of England for patent. IL
defended freedom Of speech as mora
privilege. He labored for the masses in
the spirit of missionary. He labored
for education that the Scriptures nigh
be understood, and IAN able ministry
enjoyed. He would have every soul the
subject Of God rather than Of man. HI
embarked in the Mayfower not only
"to enlarge the dominions of the Eng
lish State, but the church Of Christ also
If the Lord had people among th'
nations whittier he would bring them.
The wealthy fur,hcrers Of the colona
enterprise in England, would have gladly
had other settlers than these tough ano
stubborn schismatics, but none others
had the fibre for it. Others landed years
before them in New England, the Cab
OTIS, Verrazano, Capt. John Smith, Rich
ard Vines. Bartholomew Gosnold
named Cape Cod, Thomas Dermer wa.
at Plymouth five months before The