Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-13
VOL. XXXIv.
Trouble I'm ihe Camp.

TrOub1e I'm tfIe Camp.
The meetings of the New England So
ciety in the city of New York have in
former times been very jolly occasions.
when the descendants Of the forefathers
met st dinner and congratulated one an
other on their blue blood and enjoyed the
satisfaction Of comparing the country to
Pflourishing potato fleld,p the best part OF
which is underground. These meetings
were marked by one characteristic, which
became so prominent as to attract univer-
sal notice-to wit, the alteration of the pill
grim fathers of Massachusetts. 1t had be-
come so common thing to offer incense
to these men as above all others 'sthe fore
fathers" that descendants of men who
hated and were prosecuted by the Puritans
Wed with the children of the direct line in
praising the virtue and eulogizing the i'm
aginary characteristics with which blind
and ignorant admiration had clothed those
stern old men, So it came to pass, that
having no one to dispute them, the Massa-
meetings. and one would have imagined
that all New England had its birth and
bringing up at Plymouth. Even more
than this, it was regularly and annually
claimed that American liberty and Boston
anti-slavery were originated in the cabin
of the Mayfower; and, in the words OF one
of the orators, iG was taught and believed,
this meeting, that the Puritan fathers were
"cnnsecrated to human liberty" q II
Our, readers will recall tho occasion
which made it necessary for us to break in
on this peaceful delusion which had TAX
en- possession of the minds of the gentle
men thus annually exchanging congratu-
lstions. The exposure of those pages of
history which have so long remained hid
den, the abundant and unquestioned proof
that the Puritan fathers of Massachusetts,
were the first men in modern centuries to
legalize slavery by statute, and that by
long course of terrible legislation and ter
.rible social practices Massachusetts has
done more than any other modern State
degrade the negro and .perpetuaIe
his degradation, the. plain truth
evoked from the gloom of the
seventeenth century. that the Puritans
were bold, iuncompromising enemies of
civil and religious liberty, and that the
men who were seeking to represent them
otherwise, were in reality dishonoring the
graves of their fathers, all this became
necessary because of the vainglory and
aristocracy OF the society. lt was not we,
but they, who were abusing the Puritans.
We represented them as they were, and as
they would desire to be represented to their
children, -, r.. 55,s
The effect of this exposure of the truth
was happy. 1t led to the publication of
Mr.. MoOre's admirable book, which stands
undisputed and acknowledged as truthful
history The last meeting OF the society
in New York presented evidence OF the
good change which has been effected. The
printed pamphlet reporting these proceed
ines has been laid on our table within few
days, and we marvel exceedingly at the
new feature which it presents. The prin-
cipal speech of the evening seems to have
been made by G. w. Curtis; and instead
Id Of hn 81,
Massachusetts fathers, the society were as
founded by this new picture of puritanism.
He says:
.sIf any man prefers to find the represer- =
tatiyes of Puritans in old Cotton Mather
preaching endless sermons aud burning old
women for witchcraft, prefer to find their
representatives in Roger Williams preach-
ing and practising perfect religious liberty,
| from which all other freedom springs. And
| he did this, not because he was a worse
Puritan than Cotton Mather, but better.
For Puritanism was but logical Protestant
| ism, and the most perfect protest against
the eIauthority of Rome laid down to this
day, was that of Roger Williams. And,
! sir with the most perfect Difference to the
| lineal and influential descendants of Gov
ernor Winthrop, of Massachusetts, have
| no hesitation I'm saying that when the rug
| ged old Puritan stock of Massachusetts Bay
shook off old Roger Williams, it shook off
| its soundest and sweetest fruit; and SO, if
any man chooses to find the characteristic
policy resulting from the Puritan policy in
the laws which hung Mary Doyer and crop
pee, the Quakers, and forbade man to kiss
his wife on Sunday, a law which have no
hesitation in saying, in the name of every
married gentleman present, is a law against
which every true descendant of the Puri-
tans lives in a state of chronic rebellion
! tlaughter1 / find the characteristic results
1 -. 70. 1a kha- s,,
energy that tames continent, that cheers
it with churches and schools, that seizes the
water running in the valleys and with it
sets spindles TO humming and shuttles to
| fiying, that talks with the lightning, that
| dives into the sea and into the earth, or
runs over prairies and over or through
mountains, until the great nation of intel-
ligent, industrious and free people seems
to be all the while singing and smiling at
its work" Applause. T.. =.
| Whether they believe it or not feel assu-
red that the ghost of a Massachusetts Puri-
1 tan arose, fierce and trowning, in the back
part of the room occupied by the members
4 of the society, when that eulogy of Roger
Williams was uttered. If they did not see
it, it was only because of the fumes of the
cigars and wine which made the air thick,
and frightened the old fellow off when he
! came up with the dire intent to annihilate
and eXtirminate the men who called Roger
Williams his representative.
/ 1t will not escape observation that they
did not applaud this part of Mr.. Curtis
speech, but they did respond to the cur
I ious tumble which followed, and which
attributed telegraphs and railroads and
cotton mills to Puritan energy. That ap.
plause was characteristic. But think of it
In New England Society meeting, a dis.
tinguished member dares to tell his con-
treres that Roger Williams was better
man than those Puritans who abhorreC
and expelled him from their society aut
country-that "preaching and practising
perfect religious liberty from which al
other freedom springs" was not the char
u acteristic of The Massachusetts Puritans
and was the gift to posterity of Roge
Williams and little Rhode Island. Tha
was a courageous speech, and the onIy
thing to complain of about it is that Mr.
Curtis felt compelled by the old trammel
: to spoil his speech and offend history h!
calling the noble Williams representative
. of the Puritans.
There is deal of history yet to be writ
!, ten about Roger Williams. We trust tina
before long some one will give us the ex
act value of Williams personal efforts an
rivalry in modifying the harsh and har
) course of Massachusetts Puritans towar
| the Indians. But whether that comes OIL
/. or not, we respectfully suggest that tn
. New England Society cannot do a bette
, thing hereafter than to improve this open
: ing, and let some one else tell the trut
{ about the Puritans and the truth abou
: New England fathers who we're not Puri
? tans, the dust of whose shoes no Puritan G
l Massachusetts, was worthy to brush.-N
VI Joarnal Of Commerce.
> REPAVING OF -.
! Satan was lately vexed, Van Demon says
To find material to repair his ways. ...
: BY reason of dearth of Stygian gravel.
The roads in He'll ere dangerous to travel