The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-01-24
The Puritaus.


The Puritans.
In an article yesterday we ayerred that the
Puritan pretence Of coming TO this country for
freedom 10 worship God was an unmitgated
humbug. They enjoyed the most perfect free
dom of conscience in Holland, TO which country
they had removed from England and where
they remained for eleven years. They were
tolerated, in Holland but watched" quantity
observes the phiiosophic authorof European
Settlements" They always have required
watching, and never more than now. They
did not leave Holland, however till they had
failed IN sundry efforts 10 undermine its insti-
tutions, nor even then till, after repea ted mis-
sions to England, they had succeeded in driv-
ing favorable bargain with company OF
merchants, who had more capital and as much
sharpness as themselves, and till they obtained
under sign and seal charter, which in its
magnificent endowments and grants rivalled
the powers of Parliament and every court
within the realm.
The company in England with whom the
Puritans had leagned themselves under the
shade OF whose princely privileges th~y expect
ed TO grow from mustard seed TO 1.-THE creates I
of trees were incorporated as The Council
established at Plymouth, in the county of
governing New England, in America" 1.-The
territory, conferred on the patentees in abso-
lutte property, with unlimited jurisdiction, the
sole powers of legislation, the appointment OF
all officers and all forms of government" ex-
tended in breadth from the 10th to the 4Sth de-
gree of north latitude, and III length from the
Atlantic to the Pacific--that is to say, nearly
all the inhabited British possessions in the
north of the United States, all New England,
New York, half OF New Jersey, very nearly
all Pennsylvania and the whole of the coun-
try west of these States comprising, and at
the time believed to comprise, much more than
million of square miles, capable of sustain
ing far more than two hundred millions of in
habitants, We're, by single signature of King
JAMES, given away 10 single corporation
within the realm, composed of but forty indi
viduals. The grant was absolute and eXcln-
sive; 1t conceded the lands and islands, the
rivers and harbors, the mines and the fisheries.
Without the leave of the Council of Ply
mouth, not a ship might sail into harbor
from Newfoundland to the latitude of
Philadelphia not skin might be prr-
chased; not a fish might be caught on the
coast not emigrant might tread The soil
The patent left the emigrants at the mercy of
the unres trained power of the corporation ;
and ii was under concessions from that plenary
power, confirmed, indeed by the English
Monarch, that institutions the most favora-
BILE TO colonial liberty We're established. This
last hint is corroborated by Mr. GRAHAM in
respect TO King CHARLES l., also. - 1t is, in
deed, a strange coincidence, that this arbitrary
prince, at the very time when he was exercis-
ing the strictest despotism over the royalists
in Virginia should have been cherishing the
principles of liberty in New England" For
this charter they expended two thousand
guineas in brbing the Government, the only
English colonists who were ever pious and
spiritually minded enough TO engage i'll such
transaction.
1t so happens that the Puritan emigranis
never gave the reason themselves for their re-
moval from Holland which is set forth by
their descendants. NATHANIEL MORTON, Secre-
tary to the Colony established ut Plymouth,
set forth an "Apologetical Narration" in
which he gave five reasons why the precious
freight of the Mayflower transferred itself to
this country. The first was because, in ten
years time, whilst their Church solourned
among the Dutch, they could not bring them to
reform the neglect Of observation Of the Lord's
day, as n Sabbath, or any other thing o,aiss
among them 1t was not enough that the
must do as they chose also, or else there was
an " irrcpressible conflict" which would not
allow them both to live in the same country,
The Dutch had given them protection, peace
and liberty ''they did" as the Secretary him.
self confesses, .'quietly and sweetly enjoy
their Church liberties under the States" but
they must compel their entertainers to conform
TO their notions. Nor did they complain that
the Dutch neglected 10 observe the Lords
Day, but that they neglected to observe II as Il
Sabbath, aud awaited themselves of the opin-
ion OF LrTHEa, CALVIN, and other continental
reformers, that innocent amusements are
permissible after the religious services Of Sun
day The second reason of the Secretary
was that the country was so hard to live
In, that their countrynen were forced 10
return back to England, or 10 live very mean
ly," which shows that the exaggerated perse-
cutions Of England were not so hard to bear
as the deprivation of creature comforts ,
This reason, however, like the others, was in
some degree pretext, for according TO Pres
byterian contemporary, many of them there
"hved in safety, pompe and case, enjoying
their own Wages and freedcme." The third
reason for removing was the wickedness and
dissoiute habits Of the young Dutchmen, who
led astray the more godly sons Of the Puri-
tans, 80 that neither Prelacy nor Presbyte-
rianism brought forth fruits of grace fit for
their pIucking. Reason four: They Were
afraid " their posterity would become Dutch
and NO lose their interest in the English ma
ton they being DESTROYS rather to enlarge his
Majesty's dominions, and TO live under their
natural prince" Excellent souls. Why didn't
they stay under their natural prince" and
why 10 anxious TO "eDlarge the dominions
of that prosecutor Of the saintsg The fifth
and last reason for their removal, ga great
hope and increased zeal they had of laying
some good foundation, or, at least, to make
some way fhereunto, for the propagating and
advancement OF the Gospel OF the Kingdom Of
Christ, In those remote parts Of the world
yea, although they should be but stepping
stones unto others for the performance Of a
great work" The Gospel of Christ" In
their opinion, rssidsd with them alone, and
the way They Z propagated IL was by killing
and ensiasfng Indians, burning witches. and
hanging QnskeFs, None Of these reasons set
forth that they CAME to America for liberty
of conscience. On the contrary, the Secretary
himself says expressly they enjoyed complete