The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-12-20
THE Pa IFIC
Commercial Aobrrtiscr
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 20.
Puritans Of 1920.

The Puritans were the last living specimens
OF the chTvalry Of England. They embodied all
that was noble in the romance OF the cheyalresque.
and combined with il = moral perfection. a more
than heruie energy. q eelfsacrIfcing devoting %
faith and principles, which was derived from a
higher source. They were truly free men for
they a knew The truth and the truth made them
free" They differed essentially from most Of
their descendants In this particular that they
would speak the truth, without regard % per-
soual consequences. They were men Of the best
blood Of the best days Of England. In physical.
as we'll asrnOai courage, they never met their
equals Ia warlike force they were inyincible.
The c0nquerOr OF EARNED Puritans had never yet
been seen nor mentiOned,-tbough the slain and
conquered BY them, were counted BY scores Of
thonsADds on she bIoodiest battIe-EeIds Of England,
Scotland, and Ireland.
ssIt would b. as easy % find a specimen Of the
antique Roman, OF HELENE, or an I-raeIite IN
deed, in whom IL no guile, or an original and
genuine . Nazarene,' OF a Goth like Alaric and
Rhodoghaisius, or a Norman like IIrOlf and Robert
the Good, as a man among the pretended prOge-
ny ofthe true Purtans, who can show by be
hfe and actions that the spirit Of the Puritans'
is in bin. When there shall appear another
Oliver Cromwell, another John Milton, another
John RObinsOn, another John Lightfoot, Or
another Andrew Marvel, like thOse who bore
these names m the Puritanic age Of England
there will not be enough Of the rank and file
OF Puritanism to keep them eOuntenance- The
$1,000 Ne@ A&AG W 49, EHAAAA AHG
genius Of a commercial community, and any
and all forms OF mammOn-are wholly incOmpl-
tible With the spirit Of the PurItans.
I" The Puritans were not nOn-residents'- nOt
at all They did not come upon the earth to
send peace, but q sword Whenever there was
q reasonable chance Of SUCCESS they took the
sword and welded iT in every instance till they
had either killed, crushed or subdued every op-
poser. When there was no prospect Of success
full resistance. they emigrated 10 a frigid, barren,
- q unI o - .aWL 49, -
= better their condition. or to make money by
the operation a. their unworthy descendants
and pretended representatives IN this generation
would say,-not to establish demOcratic insti-
tutions in the present American sense,-nOt to
proclaim liberty, equality. and fraternity, TO
and with good and bad alike-not to maintain
or utter the selEeyident absuTdIty that all
men are created equal Not at all. They knew
better. There was not a man among them, fool
enough 20 believe any such thing. They knew
well enough that there were few men in the
world equal > TO them in any particular. They
have proved the decided inferiOrity Of all those
who opposed them, in every contest Of whatever
description. They were no TeyOlted Saxon peas
antry. Ear from il. They were gentlemen by
birth and education ,-superior TO the ever-seryile
mass, in every particular, Of birth, ancestry,
education, principle. association, habits and
feeling. They were no enemies Of art, either
musical or pictorial. though they never spared
those products Of art which administered to
idoIatry with the ignorant and superstitious null
titude.
"The Puritans were sober and earnest men !;
but they were not austeTe and sour men, though
romancers have delighted to represent them as
such and il is bard to say whether novelists and
poets Whose trade il has been to lie) or priests
or preachers (who ought to find it desirable to
tell the truth whether for or against themselves
have worse belied them. Cromwell was a patron
Of art and 90 were his chosen associates. Whether
his Secretary, the author Of 'Cosmus, . IL
Penser0s0,' and other fugitive pieces, not
yet wholly forgOtten-eUeT was an enemy of the
drama or Of music-let his most discerning read
ers decide. Yet Cromwell and bis Secretary
were pure Pufitans of the most straitest sect ,
AS no ecclesiastical historian will deny. OF
all the arts that please, without eorrupting or
demoralizing influence OF consequence, they
were both alike eultivatOrs and factors. They
were wise as serpents in this; and who can
name the Puritan Of that age that was other
wise"