Decorah-posten., 1879-05-21

Christian in Americas lap, and then returned
with the sad tidings TO distant Greenland.
AfIn the year 1905 Leifs second brother Theirs
tein fitted out an expedition which was wholly
unsuccessful; the leader finally died beiofe
reaching the desired land
THE MOST PRETENTIoUs AND COMPLETE ExPEpI-
TON TO vINLAND,
left Greenland under the leadership OF Thorhn
Karlsefne, in the year 1907. IL consisted OF
three large ships, well supplied ana iadeh
with men and women, cattle and utensils, even
two slaves. For three years they. lived IN Fih-
land, cultivating the soil and raising nerds: |
Their place OF abode WAS AROUND buxzaIu . ana
Narragansett Bays. In the year lOos, a son,
| Snorre by name, was born unto karlsefue anu
l his wife Gudrid. The Skrellings were peaceful
at first, and came in large numbers TO trade win
| the Mortimer, bartering skins and furs Tor arti.
| cles OF food and pieces Of clothing the size OF
: the pieces diminished as the supply Diminished,
but the price received continued the same. one
evening while they were thus trading, the nerds
Of the Mortimer came roaring ana Deno~ihB
out OF the woods this frightened the Skreilings
and they rushed to their canoes and rowed away
The next time they returned they came Win
war. A battle ensued and the Sagas report
that Karlsefne's men were rescued by the pray,
cry OF a woman. Freydis, the ~sisterof Len ana
| Thorwald Ericsson, when she saw the men fall
back, cried out why do you run, strong men as
you are, before these miserablecreatur Z, whom
! thought you would knock down like cattle And
II | had arms, methinks | could fight better than
| any OF YOU" They gave no heed to the words
Finding a dead man, she took the sword from
his side, uncovered her breasts, and laced the
savage enemy who dared not attack her. Karl
sefue could then rally his men, and victory
pearched ON the swords of the Mortimer:
THE FIRST VICTORY DUE TO THE vALoH OF
AMERICAS WOMEN
-Karlesfne and his people now thought that
they saw, although the land had many good
qualities, that they still would always be ex-
posed there to the fear Of attacks from the orig
inal jewellers. They decided, therefore, to go
away, and return to their own land.
Iipnn would fuil me To tell of all the eNpetl-
tions 10 Vinland fitted out by the Mortimer
without mentioning other traditions referring
to their voyages farther to the South, to the so
called land of ne white men, perhaps the Caro-
hnas and Florida, where a NofthInan Is SAID 70
have become the prince OF the aborigines. |
can but refer to the poetic and often romantic
accounts Of the Icelandic Sagas. They are now
open to you, and with beckoning arms they in
yite your respectful attention. The voyages Of
the Mortimer were discontinued ana
yISLAsp WAS FORGOTTEN.
What monuments they left behind ON the shores
{ the New World. have disappeared ana iol
lowed the tide Of the irreparHble ages. The few
relics in New England which might point TO the
Mortimer for their origin, are still the bone OF
contention between learned aud unlearned crit-
les. Only the Sagus remain. They give minute
descriptions Of many expeditions and although
they furnish no account of permanent colonies,
they report that in the year ll2i Bishop Fric
Upsi was sent IA u missionary to NtnlAnd.
There may have been permanent settlements,
but they have become extinct. What led to their
| abau1Onlnant anu nnhl EXTINCTION utsu 10 ~
cupy us here. We ask you but To remember
{ the many troubles and disappointments which
later beset, and, for a long period continued 10
threaten with annihilation the early settlers
from England Suffice IL to say that the earlier
discoveries by the Mortimer were forgotten, SO
that tothe brave Genoese navigator. Christopher
Columbus, belong all the honors and all the
E praise OF the new discovery which led to Euro
/. pean occupation Of America, and more distantly
E to the establishment Of this commonwealth, the
4 largest and most entorprising republic which
/ history can boast of.
4 BUT TIMES DO cHAsG
While the savage ambition OF Cortez sacked
burned and murdered In Mexico: while the
tbloodthirsty avarice Of PizZaro pillaged Ano
> butchered in Peru while the barbarie adven
turousness Of DeSoto carried cruel torture and
death and destruction to the Mississippi-p pre-
e parations were being made Tor Il more peacefu
I and lasting occupation Of the land once trod by
z the Mortimer. Religious persecution, the mos
: mean and despicable of all coercion, but tht
which the church in all ages has proved hersel
r too willing to turn to account were alternating
d the better portion OF the inhabitants OF England
e At length, after many troubles and hardshtps
4" thay found a refuge and home on the shores OF
historic Massachusetts. There they laid th'
foundation Of IA culture which has stamped 10
indelable seal upon all the institutions Of the
u new World and whose reflex action is not diml,
visible on those Of the Old. An element NOR
gay had settled in Virginia and the Carolinas.
, THIS JovIALITY OF THE SOUTH AND THE sERI
a BUSINESS or THE MONTH
meta t Philadelphia in the memorable year i77t
/. In the Declaration OF Independence we can So
y the stern puritanism OF John Adams comIninf
At ling with the French revolutionism Of Thoms
d Jefferson. like the iron and clay in the image 9
Nebuchadnezzar And the union Of two so d
vergent tendencies has. on the whole, prove
wholesome and successful. It has tended I
abolish traditionalism, to set aside prejudice'
to tear down the narrow walls OF illiberality an
exclusiveism it has inspired the nation wit
enthusiasm to strive onward to the liberties {
Canaan instead Of looking back " to tn
fesh pots OF Egyptian seryitude. IL has opel
ed the eyes OF humanity TO
"a A BROADER AND SoBLEB VIEW oP LIFE AND RI
LEGION,
" to see that all are liable to error, and hence IL
folly Of relying implicitly on the Interpretation
Of any one. II has taught the individual
sacrifice his own preferences for the more e.
tensive Improvement OF. all 1t has caused U
10 appreciate more fully the common brOthe
hood OF all mankind and mutually TO strive OF
s~~ntri ON the same destiny, e. the sAnss Gu
( where are neither Jews nor Gentiles. bond M
d free. II you are willing 10 go half the way, yo
will find your opponent more willing to advanC
e the other half England, iks enemy OF our \
@ American citizen. the distinguished Cyrus v
: Field OF New York city, is erecting a monumer
to Major Andre. the English officer whom d
Americans hanged ms an complete OF Arnol'
the traitor, during the war OF independence
and in recognition OF Mr.. Fields lberality All
humanity, a society OF Englishmen, In Bridg
port Conn, has gathered subscription for II moi
ument to Nathan Hale, the young American WI
was hanged by the British. Thisis
ir COOPERATIVE FRIENDSHIP
Thus are old preiudices driven away And no
- IL is proposed by American citizens to erect
monument in the city Of Boston TO the memoi
- OF Left Ericsson, the first European aud the FIR
,h Christian who trod the sod Of our beloved Repul
ie lie the man from the North, the man
I" our race, the man Of the race who infused II
warm Norman blood into the veins OF the sta
a -. Ia a. ar H. Al .-..A -