New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-27

plored, and made again
THE PLYMOUTH IDEA AND MAYOR HOFF-
MIN
Nobody celebrates the anniversary OF the
discovery of America, though it was an event
of some physical and commercial importance.
Nobody commentaries the landing OF Capt.
John Smith at Jamestown, or the arrival of
Hendrck Hudson, or the Dutch settlers, ut the
mouth of the Hudson River, or even the set
Element of Pennsylvania by one of the purest
representatives of the purest of sects. The
personal character of Penn, the adventurous
heroism of Smith, the entire responsibility OF
the founder" of Hudson's river, so-called,
are all conceded but the events which have
rendered their names most lustrlOus create
no enthusiasm, and incite to no annual com
memoraton. They preceded the landing OF
the Pilgrims, and led to the founding of COM
mOnweaths of more wealth and physical I'M
portance than Massachusetts. But III ideal and
religious significance Plymouth Rock Overtops
them all and endures, while the breakers, surfs,
sprays. or sands, amid which the other events
occurred are aforementioned in song or story.
There are Plymouth churches and associations
III nearly every tll1, anu thAVu5h""' N"A A'i'''
tutions customs and literature, there is GER
tain abstraction, which assumes many concrete
forms and which we can only define IA the
Plymouth Idea. This Plymouth Idea Is es-
sentially religious, missionary. aggressive,
phianthropic toward all suffering, except suffer
ing oppressors, firm against tyranny, inter
meddling or public-spirited to the extent
necessary TO enable it to find out whether
the world is right. and, if not, TO set it right
in short, il is Purtanism, in the pulpit, i'll
politics, and in the world.
Purtanism is masculine. energetic, theO-
logical ism-hard-featured In its serious moods,
more given 10 sound doctrine than % gentle
o,,ioh;l;ti.. and ...s.-- uppreclatlVe OF ottho-
i0xy than of art. We are outgrOwing its pri-
NAL adherence Of elegant temples, stained
windows frescOes, statues, carved work, organs,
and instrumental and unregenerate music. The
Plymouth church of our leading Western
city is the most elegant ecclesiastical parlor in
tho county. There is a strong tendency III
tbi, modern age. fostered by our best and hui
manest writers. to place the human sympatmes
on a par with human creeds as means of re-
timing and elevatng the race. The aesthetic Is
taking It's proper place beside the theological
An these softening influences are seen nowhere
in greater fullness to-day than among the
descendants and admirers of the Purltans them
selves. Nevertheless, the Plymouth Idea, soft
eled and refined 10y the mcllowing influence OF
time is still a power in the land Its fund
anental truth, viz: that men are not merely
to seek their own comfort and let their neigh
bus alone, but are to intervene in every rela-
Il. g., 8 tla
the deliyerance of the oppressed, and the adj
vaacement of mankind Is a wholly true and
noble one and, when duly softened and relieved
by lender human sympathies, and profound re-
ganl for the delicacies snd prophecies of life,
il forms. perhaps. the leading idea of our age
and civilization.
II is to be expected THAT Mayor Hoffman,
owing his election to the ant-Puritan elements
of New York, would not be a warm admirer
of that which. wherever it comes into power,
leaves to men like him no alternative but
repentance or obscurity. Nevertheless. in con-
sentng to appear rs guest at public dinner
in honor and commemoration of the Landing of
the Pilgrims, few men would have displayed the
bad taste of sheering ut New England ideas and
institutions in company assembled to honor
them. Mr. Hoffman is reported as saying at
this New England dinner:
He never heard OF but canal built by a New
Highlander and that at Dutch Gap, and did MT turn
out great success He hoped when the New Enganders
went down South, and took their pianos, which Mr..
BoecAer spoke or they would Mt take any that they
Drought away from there"
Gfaap allowance should be made for all men
whom our pGli-@eH system Of universal suf,
frage lifts info positions Of prominence, but
fails TO endow with the good taste which such
positions call for But he who would turn New
England anniversary into an occasion for fling
ing at an audience Of gentlemen the SANDER
appropriate enough in u Five Points primary
meeting, viz: That the New-Engand troops
and officers stole pianos from the Southern
Chiyalry during the war has simply shown
himself regardless of those gentemanly instincts
which we must presume him to possess, and to
be capable under less trying circumstances, OF