The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-22
plymouth Rock, or the 'sBlarney Stone
of America"

of Americas
Two important events win have occurred
within the last and the coming twenty
four hours-:o wit: the festive gathering
OF the descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers
at plymouth Rock, in the Commonwealth Of
Massachusetts, and the eclipse of the Sun. 1t
Is question which will disturb the Earth's
surface the most-the pork and beans iunket-
ing at the 'blarney stone" or Luna's
dash-upon the face Of Old Sol. n ANYTHING.
the interest Of the world is more likely to be
centred upon the former occurrence than the
latter, inasmuch as the one happens at the
Club of the Universe" and the other is OBJ
servable only upon portion Of the Earth's
surface.
Seriously-which does not mean that we in
tend to be funny-this annual celebration
Of the anniversary Of the landing of the Pill
grims at Plymouth Rock assumes an unusual
feature the present year; and, as will he
seen from our extended report Of the proceed
ings yesterday on the sacred rock itself, our
Now England brethren have been especially
glorious in commemorating this anniversary OF
What memories arise while contemplating
tnat immortal day! What revelries sur
round the recollections Of the achievements Of
that stanch old Puritan soldier, Captain Miles
Standish, the founder of the institution known
throughout New England, even to this dav. IA
'baked Indian!" Without getting chronology
rather mixed let us pause while we reflect
upon subsequent occurrences. To rem ember
how our liberal Puritan fathers, who had fed
from cruel religious tyranny in the old fogy
world, hanged Qnakers and witches in the
same breath and upon the same branch for
uncongenial religious belief and PRACTICES
how King Philip, the gentlemanly savage OF
Mount Hope, founded Narragansett Trotting
Park, on Narragansett Bay, and made the
best time of the period-how that celebrated
trotter was followed by tribe of his white
fellow citizens, who finally brought him to the
score by making daylight appear be-
tween his ribs and his vitals Let
us recall the scene when Bartholomew
Gosnold and the warlike Captain John
Smith had trial Of the ''manly art to ascer-
tain who had the best right to the hand of the
beautiful Virginia princess Pocahontas (not
Bonners fast one), about the time Powhatan
founded the Manhattan Club, or some other
club that frequently attempts to smash politi-
cal states as the Indian King wished to smash
poor John Smiths head-how the frogs
frightened white settlement in Connecticut
just as the Prussians are frightening the frogs
in poor, poor France at the present day
how the Puritan abolitionists began to rock
the ''Cradle of Liberty" until the vibration
shook the Csntinent-how Cotton Mather
poured hot birthstone upon the heads Of I'M
believers, and how Jibb e-je-noisy, chief Of the
Massasoits, or some other mild-tcmpered indi-
vidual, broled speckled trout and Puritans on
the banks of the Merrimac-how from the
loins of these Pilgrim Fathers, assisted by
intermarriage with the squaws Of the period,
sprang that race of noble republicans whose
descendants ill at once the best pages Of
our country's history and most Of the fat
Offices!
Therefore, is not this day that ought to be
celebrated Precisely.