The daily gazette., 1879-12-29
FIRST EDITION.
From the N. Y. Herald.
B0asfful NesO England.


edge OF American history from the
speeches made at the annual New Eng
land dinners would get the impression
that the Massachusetts, PuricAns were the
source Of all that is valuable IN our in
stitutions and that the greatness Of our
country Is wholly due to them. New
England has, indeed, done her part, but
her sons go further than facts will war
rant in setting up for the Purtans apre-
tentious and preposterous claim to pri-
macy in intellect over the rest Of the
country. The customary exaggerations
having just been rehea arsed in this city
IL may not be out of place TO inquire
whether the other parts OF the county
have not something which may be put
into the opposite scale TO redress the
balance.
We will not disparage the Putitans !;
their virtues have our sincerest admi-
tration. They were sturdy, morally
heroic, God-fearing, but mOrose and
narrow-minded people, who never finch
ed. They did their duty according to
the lights given them and left Tightly
gasconading and other worldly vanities
TO their descendants. The claim that
New England stands to the country In
the relation OF the head to the rest of the
body 10 q later invention, for which the
robust and genuine old Puritans cannot
be held responsible.
II is not true that New England has
done the chief part in shaping our insti-
tutiOns and making our history. Among
the highest names in our annals, New
England can claim but one-that Of
Franklin. But no great American was
more free from the Puritan spirit than
the naturally sceptical Franklin. He
emancipated himself from Purtanism in
bOyhood and took an evident pleasure in
telling, In his charming autobiography,
the story Of his asking his father TO say
grace over the barrel of pork instead of
repeating the ceremony al each meal.
Though born in Boston he emigra ed
from that city in early youth. The in
. nuences by which his character was
! fo med did not come from the Puritans.
He had native largeness of mind which
revolted against the narrowness of that
. sect, and, though intensely patriotic, his
mode of thinking was cosmopolitan
With the exception OF Franklin all ouI
first class men have been born out o
New England--meanng by first class
men those who have LETT a great marx
on events.
n The highest of our great names that
4 of Washlngton-was born by a Virgin.
h ian. The Declaration of independence
!, expressed the general determination o
. the country, but It was drafted by JET
:, ferson. The greatest event OF our history
the formation of the federal constitution
= was not of New England origin. Th'
, minds which gave inspiration and i'm
e petus to that most important movemen
g we're supplied by New York and Virgin
70 la. In the framing and advocacy of thu
constitution New England has no name
which can be ranked with those o
Madison, Hamilton and Jay. The govern
nent was set in operation and its prac
!. tical methods shaped by statesmen
among whom New England had no dis
v. tinguished representative. Washington
n- Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison wer
the controlling minds duringthe critlca
is period when the new government wa
set in operation and tested. Chief Justic
" Marshall, the greatest of our jursts, lai
-, the foundation stones and reared tn
>" structure of onr federal Jurisprudence
n The vast additions 10 our territory, b
w which our country was expanded |
imperial dimensions, were made by Je
y ferson against the resolute oppositio
Nv of New England.
Descending 10 later periods. we nm
that the great names and the gre;
et things have not been Of New Engla1
paternity. New England opposed IL
b. second war with Great Britain, whi(
brought great harvest Of national r.
at nown, andiopposed the war with Mexlc
ng which enlarged our national are
Neither General Scott nor General Ta'
4. Ior, tho heroes OF the. Mexican war, al
m more than General Jackson, the hero
=. the second war with England, we
he New Euglanders. The New Englande
~, have been great sch Dolmasters, but n
~ great men Of affairs. Tho most illustrio
y, names Of our civil war tell the san
or story. President Lincoln was neither
~ Yankee nor Puritan. The great ge
ar erals Of the recent war were not II
~, nished BY New England.
y" In other departments Of exertion Ne
~ England has been equally eclipsed. WI
~ of f1er sons can be hamed with De "
ot Clinton or Robert Fulton? She u
n. given us great orators, but none W
~ e0ualled Patrick Henry with natl
nv genius, and for spoken as distinguish
h. from written eloquence Clay was G
lie teemed by his contemporaries a mo
on effective speaker than Webster.
he have not space to pursue this line
on illustration, but trust we have 80
',u ,nOnph to prove that the New Engla
~ boasts are not supported by history.