New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-28

II a 1890 -"
II in 1890 on board The Maydower, drew a
and signed . compact for their govern
! ment in the New World they were about
inhabit, that contained the germ of tn
: present constitution of the United States
The occasion referred to was the celebra
, ton at Delmonico's, in New York city, o.
the twenty second instant of the sixty
| eighth annual festival of the New Englan,
Society, in oommemoration of the tw'
hundred and fifty-third anniversary of tn
landing of the Pilgrims. There were owe
. two hundred distinguished persons pres
emit, and among them men noted for thei
great scope of intellect, learning and bril-
liant wit. It must indeed, have been al
intellectual treat of rarest kind to have
been present upon the occasion and list
ened to the eloquence and wisdom of suct
men as Sumner, Beecher, Judge Davis
who recently presided at the trial of Tweed
Sherman (the Lieutenant General of the
American army, the president of the
society, Hon. Elliott c. Cowdin, and
Mayor Havemeyer, of New York.
In response to the first toast of the eve
ning-"The day we celebrate" the pre-
sident arose and addressing himself to the
gentlemen of the New England Society,
said they had again assembled to indulge
in pleasing "reminiscences; and after offer
ing sentiment of gratitude and rever-
ence in memory of our forefathers, said it
become his first duty to extend, in the
pane of the society, a cordial greeting to
the distinguished guests present at what
he denominated the cherished love feast
of the sons of the Pilgrims. The presi-
dent regarded the warm salutations, the
genial companionahip, the interchange Of
opinions, the solid instruction, the bril-
liant wit which have characterized the
annual gatherings Of the society, as some
thing to make them the most delightful
GASES If life. He referred gracefully to
his retirement from the presidency and
concluded with the following just and
eloquent allusion to the few indomitable
heroes, who first planted the seeds of civil
and religious liberty upon this continent:
The Plymouth Pilgrims were both the
conscious and unconscious actors in one of
the grandest dramas yer performed upon
the stage of life. What intelligent observer,
wherever born, has not felt the molding in
fluence of New England ideas, of the in
alienable rights Of man, irrespective of con-
dition. race or creed; Of the accountability
Of rulers to their constituents; of the con-
sentative tendency of local self. government;
of the safety of universal suffrage; of the
value of learning; of the priceless worth of
common schools; of the duty of federation
in religious matters, and Of the absolute
need, in order to maintain republican insti-
buttons, of the freedom of speech and OF the
press; of integrity and economy in the ad-
ministratiOn of public affairs; of respect for
wise legislators and honest magistrates, and
of reverence for the common Father of all
scan the brief, artless journal of the Pill.
grims and fail to find a single deed serious.
ly detracting from their integrity, their JUS
tice and wisdom. With their Bible in hand
and their simple laws; with their churches
and school houses, they were true to the
teachings OF the learned and pious Robin
son, from whom they parted at Leyden.
and OF the noble and enlightened Brew ster,
their companion and guide till his death
Though they exiIed themselves from their
native soil, they left behind potent incen-
tives to duty; aye, those precious influences
which formed the character, inspired the
genius, and aroused the patriotism of
Cromwell, Pym, a Hampden, Milton, a |
William of Orange. The spirit of puritan
ism in the mother country has given her the |
gradual elevation of the laboring classes,
the more thorough education of the common |
people, the abolition of the slave trade, the |
nj rvOhf o(
senters, the emancipation of the Catholics, |
the relief of the Je VS. from civil disabilities. |
the repeal of the corn laws, and finally, in |
our own day, wide enlargement of the |
electoral suffrage.
When we thus turn backward in the |
epoch Of the Pilgrims, even in the full blaze
of the lights of the present century, how
much we find to admire. and how little to
condemn IN their entire course. Forever |
honored be their memory! We look around
us, we survey the goodly heritage we en-
joy, we behold cities and States springing
into existence almost as rapidly as were
reared the first rude habitations of our tore
fathers. We worship at affairs supported
BY voluntary contributions No proud pre-
late stands between ourselves and our Ma
kerr We obey rulers chosen BY our own |
free ballots, and submit to laws Of our own
making. NOsovereign sends us his mandates
from over the sea. No foreign foeman dares
pOllute our soil. Everywhere throughout
the civilized world our starry fag-the ever
lasting symbol of liberty and law, of equal
ity and justice-is honored and respected.
And when we seek the source of our fran
chises, the origin of our liberty and great
ness, we lind 1t in the ever memorable lines |
traced by few heaven inspired men in the |
cabin OF frail vessel anchored on an inhos-
pitable cOast-the brief compact of the Nav
lower was our Magma Charta; a little band
Of pilgrims the founders of our glorious re-
public. loud cheers]
Here is a picture and truthful one,
every American should be proud
If; that all, forgetting their partisan en-
mites or partialities, can recognize as just
From the landing of the Pilgrim fathers
our country has continued to grow in all
he elements of greatness. 1t is true the
of Pilgrims were forced to
truggle for long time in colonial condi-
ion and under the control of the 'smother
country" but their manhood and love of
had already mapped out
he fate of this country. The wholesome
essons impaired by them to the American
'eople brought about the revolution which |
esulted in the establishment of the repub-
lc, at first embracing but few colonies,
parsely populated, but now composed of 4
early three times that number of large
nd influential States, with combined
opulation Of over forty millions and
asst amount of territory ready to be made
lto States. The seeds of civil and re-
gious liberty have taken such deep root
!, this country that neither licentious {