Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1876-12-21
REaRMBER OuR sIRES

REMEMBER our sIRKS
Two hundred and hity-six ysars ago
to-day the corner ton Of the American
Republic Was laid. On that day . band
Of weary pilgrims, driven from their
native home BY religious persecution.
landed on Plymouth Rock. Massachu-
sofia, and established there colony.
The patty comprised one hundred and
one souls. all told. They came tot
Wild, strange land. among strange. saw
age, people. trusting not to themselves
bu, 70 their God for protection. They
came with hands willing to work. and
stout hearts 10 support the hands.
They came with but one idea. to found
n colony in which rsligisus liberty
should BE- the cornsr-stens. and the
rights Of humanity the supsntrueturs.
wsarisd and exhausted - hey were by
the long sss-voyass in the Msyhowsr.
they we're not dishsartsnsd. Faith In
the God whom thsy v~onhipped upheld
them. They co uld not forssss the slo-
riou. future which awaited the country
in which they had landed; but they
sosii forssse peace TO themselves, and
security 10 the exercise Of the religious
obssrvancss which they held to be Q
part Of their duty u men.
On the 2lst OF December. 1870. the
Pilgrims landed ON Plymouth Rock.
They we're not the hrst TO form n colony
in America. Enslishmsn had also set.
tied at Jamestown. Virginia. some years
before. But the colony at that place
had been founded simply from selfish
motives. Every man wa for hinsslf.
and no man for his nsighbor. The re-
suit was that disssnsiona soon arose.
Man fought against man. and woman
acains, woman. The Indians. who were
disposed at Arst to be friendly. o be-
came hostile. ON account OF repeated
ou.rag.s psrpstratsd BY the whites. and
the colony. hsrrasssd By the savsgss
from without. and disturbed BY inter.
nicins disssnsions. 500 frittersd away.
and became but . settlement - men
and women. with no material prosperity
to gladden. them and no hopes % the
future : cheer them on.
The pilgrim fathers. on the other
hand. had . eommon u TO bind them
together. They had come from England
with bat enc object: to seeurs TO them.
selves the right to worship God In thsir
own way and according to the dictates
Of their own conscisncss. To secure
this right they had bravsd the dangers
Of the sea, and we're prepared to brav.
the h~ardships Of . now country. The
little baud consisted Of nineteen fami-
lies. They went tn work bravsly in the
wilderness ami built log houses. II was
In the dead Of Winter that tasy landed.
ani Winter in Massachusetts, mean
cold. ami snow. and ice. But nothing
daunted the brave souls OF these sturdy
men. They passed through many a day
and night Of suffering. but they took ii
all as q providence Of God, and r-joiced
rather than grisved that they were
esteemed worthy to sufier In the cause
Of their Savior.
And what 10 the RESULT A land over
flowing with milk and honey. The Plym.
outh Colony Vas the nrst In this e%ountr,
which held together. and by its irmness
and strength Of purpose made the
American Rspublica possibility. Itwss
the nucleus Of that grand galaxy d col.
eaiss. which finally eliminated In III,
New England confedsrscy. which re-
sisted British oppression, presipitatsd
tie Revolution. and insuguratsd on the
American Continent the greatest nation.
based on free principles. which the world
has sver seen. Truly In this centennial
year. when the Rspublio il celebrating
its triurnphs Of . hundred years, IL Is
well to look back upon the Pilgrims,
the virtual founders Of the nation, with
that respect and veneratiou which 10 due
from the son to the father. We are
their sons in every sense Of the word.
and but for them the United States OF
America might not Be in existence.
In Massachusetts, I" Forsfathsrs' Day
IL always celebrated with becoming sol
emnity. II il right that IL should be.
Here in Nevada. while ws do not pub
licly celebrate the anniversary. We can
at least remember the men who made
the celebration in any Paat Of the soun
try n possibility. Prom their hrn at
tachmsut to principle We can learn a
lesson; from their sturdy courage In thu
presence Of what sesmsi to be insur'
mountabls difficulties. We can learn q
lesson. We can look back upon ,h-ir
lives on this day. and draw from the
story lessons which will 10 OF benefit TO
ourselves, and our children. On this
"Forsfathsrs' Day" let US give on.
thought Z O the men who laid the found.
atoms of the fr-s government, the
blessing. OF which We now enjoy.