The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-04-08
Pilgrim ana Puritan.


The Providence Journal draws distinct
line between the forefathers of New Eng
land, saying:
In reality, however, the Pilgrims who
settled at Plymouth were very different
people from the Puritans, who, eight or ten
years later, came to Salem and Boston, and
subsequently spread themselves over what
they called New England. So different
were they that the two would not have
crossed the ocean in the same ship or dWelt
together in the same settlement. The Pill
grims were by far the meeker and more
self-denying people. They had much less
lofty notions of their mission in the New
World. They had separated themselves
from lthe English Church for conscience,
sake, and had ceased to be members of it.
They were not graspiug or domineering in
the exercise Of power. They had gone to
Holland, because in that age they could not
live in England without being prosecuted
as separatists. They came to America in
order that they might be in English terri
tory and within the general protection of
English power, and they might maintain
their own worship and institutions with
out beng mixed with foreigners, as they
had been in Holland. They had no thought
Of using the civil sword in religious mat
tiers.
The Puritans, on the contrary, when they
left England, were still members of the
Anglican Church, though they had long de-
sired and struggled to promote more COM
psete reformation Of its worship and insti-
buttons. They disliked prelacy because
they had suffered from ii they disliked GER
emouial worship because portion OF it had
come from the Church Of Rome, and through
that church, from the pagan mythology Of
earlier ages. But before leaving England
they bad by no means become either Con
gregationalists or Presbyterians. They were
simply party in the Established Church
that had been prosecuted to the limit Of en-
durance by the ecclesiastical and civil tyr
anRy Of their opponents. They still retained
Anglican notions both Of the church and
State, and Of the relations between them.
They had not advanced a step beyond the
Anglican idea of religious freedom, and
did not believe in the essential liberty OF
the human soul. They had not determined
beforehand precisely what religious insti
buttons they should establish In their colo
ny, and il is evident that in some important
particulars they founded their eeclesiastica
ideas from the Pilgrims who preceded them,
and who were far simpler and more Chart
able in their sentiments and beliefs. Neither
of them thought that the church and Stat,
could exist separate from each otner, Du
the Pilgrims were much nearer this idel
than their more arrogant neighbors and
rivals who settled on the shores OF Massa
chusetts Bay, and became the masters o
New England.
L should not be forgotten, however, tina
the MayloWer and Plymouth Rock and III
twenty-second Of December belong exclu
sively TO the Pilgnms. The name Of Puri
tan, unless il be in q very qualified sense
Is not to be used in connection with these
FoEeiatherS Day, as we call Il, had nothinl
10 do with Boston and Salem, and Cap
Anne, bat only with the bleak shore tha
stretches from RoxbuFy to Cape Cod. Tha
alone % the country Of tho Pilgrims. Tia
was the home of Bradford and Carver anl
Brewster and Miles Slandfsh, the first fore
fathers Of New England To use the da,
Of their landing for ealogizing Governo
Endicoit and Governor Winthrop or "a,
PuFilans Of Massachusetts, Bay, IS lust q
much perForsion as L would 81 % devot
/ il to The lTst planters Of Rhode Island Of q
Connecticut.