National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-05-10
ROGER WILLIAMS.
His Life and Character.

WASHINGTON, May 8, ISIS.
To the Editor of the National Republican:
SIR: / was astOnished to md in THE REPuB.
11cAN this morning what was intended as
sketch" Of Roger Williams, but might more
appropriately be called an attack upon him. So
ungenerouS are the charges made against this
great ard good man that IL was at first impossible
to subdue feeling Of indignation, but Is similar
charges have been made repeatedly by polemics
who have imagined themselves historians, with
out doubt your correspondent has been led into
error and believed his statements to be facts.
Roger Williams was the "fsunder Of the State
Of Rhode Island" So far your correspondent is
right. cannot confidently say that there was
portrait Of him (Willisms) preserved, but think
that your correspondent is mistaken about that.
A book which was in the possession Of my family
until quite recently contained an engraved poE-
trait which was always assured was copied from
an authentic painting Of him. 1t bore but little
resemblance to the face Of Simmons statue, but
was the face Of genial, amisDle man, and was
Not wishing to take up your correspondents
mistakes one by one, will say that Roger Will
iams was born In the latter part Of the sixteenth
who gave him Q liberal education at Oxford Uni
vsrsity. He came to this country long before hog
ment, and therefore was not 1.-THE companion SOL
der Of Oliver Cromwell" That he was the friend
Of Cromwell and Milton is most probable, but
their Acquaintance could not have been very init
mate, separated as they were from early life by
the Atlantic ocean. The bond which connected
Williams and Milton was one Of sympathy and
community Of principle, but they both belonged
to q denomination which Cromwell prescribed
and debarred from holding ofice as soon as he was
fairly seated as Lord Protector.
Upon what does your correspondent base his
charge that Roger Williams was either 'rell-
gious biEot," "dogmatic" or "dietatorisl?"
thiItIes; neither do liberal governments sprfnE
from bigots or dietstors. The colony Of Rhode
Island, as well as Pennsylvania and Maryland,
scienee, and while we have the governments
founded by them to Judge them BY, we may refuse
to believe that either Roger Williams, William
That Williams was dogmatic is very likely.
Men Of clear convictions are necessarily 50. But
when dogmatism stops at the line Of stesdfastly
ob0ying your own conscience It is q quality which
challenges admiration, not dislike. When VIII
liRms was prosecuted in the colony Of Massachu-
tsI Bay ne sd TO D9t o1 tine nasd q
him there, and he only found among Pagan In
dams the refuge which the pseudo followers Of
TaithfuIness under persecution is not bIgotry.
1t is the spirit which nerTed the noble army Of
martyrs from righteous Abel to ZachRriss, the
Brown. Roger Williams defrauded no man, and
oppressed no man. He kept conscience void Of
orense toward God and man, and to no one more
ngious liberty. i have written his defense in
support Of no dogma or sect, but because the
works and gOOd name Of t5e friends Of mankind
Respectfully, RHYDDERCH.
THE real question at issue is this: Is the force
and Yigor Of the statue commensurate with that
Of the IubjectP The writer Of the criticism u
member by the way Of our regular stan and not .
''eorrsspondent') thinks ii is not. No sketch Of
Roger Williams was attempted in the article,
and his religious zeal was only referred to In IL
Iustration Of the fact that the statue 10 too
tame" The word "bigot" can be dropped out
and no harm done. II is an error, though, to
suppose that there ever was real likeness OF
Roger Williams in Sxistence.-ED REPUBLICAN