The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-01-28
THE COLONISTS OF NEW ENG
LAND.

THE COLONISTS OF NEW ENG
LAND.
The study of American history will
illustrate the exalted virtues Of the early
colonists. They honored the Bible and
observed Gods holy Sabbath. Daniel
Webster gave true estimate OF their
worth in his memorable Grafton deliver
ed at the completion of the Bunker Hill
monument. he said:
The English colonists in America gen
orally speaking, were men who were seek
ing new homes in a new world. They
brought with them their families and all
that was most dear to them. This was
especially the case with the colonists OF
| Plymouth and Massachusetts. Many of
them were educated men, and all possessed
their full share, according to their social
condition, of the knowledge and attain
ments OF that age. The distinctive char
acteristic of their opinions is the intro
duction of the civilization Of Europe into
a wilderness without bringing with it the
political institutions of Europe. The arts,
sciences and literature of England came
over with the settlers. That great por-
ton of the common law which regulates
the social and personal relations and
conduct of men came also. The jury
came, the habeds corpus came, the testa-
mentary power came, and the law OF in
heritance and descent came also, except
that part of it which recognizes the
rights of primogeniture, which either did
not come at all or soon gave wsy to the
rule Of equal partition of estates among
children. But the monarchy did not
come, and the aristocracy did not come,
nor the church as an estate Of the realm
Political institutions were to be framed
anew, such as should be adapted to the
state of things. But it could not be
doubtful what should be the nature and
character OF these institutions. A gener
al social equality prevailed among the
settlers, and an equality Of political
rights seemed the natural, if not the nee
essary, consequence.
1t has been said with much propriety
that the felicity of the American colonists
consisted in their escape from the past
This is true 30 far as respects political es-
tablist ments but no further. They brought
with them full portion Of the riches of
the past in science, in art, in morals, re-
ligion and literature. The Bible came
with them. And it is not to be doubted
that to the free and universal reading of
the Bible is to be ascribed in that age,
the fact that men were 30 much influence
ed by right views of civil liberty. The
Bible is book of faith and book of
doctrine, but it is also book which
teaches man his own individual RESPONSE
bility, his own dignity and his equality
with his fellowmen. Bacon and Locke
and Milton and Shakespeare also came
with them. They came to form new po-
litical systems, but all that belonged to
cultivated man, to family, to neighbor-
hood, to social relations, accompanied
them. In the Doric phrase Of one Of our
historians, "they came to settle on bare
CREATION" but their settlement in the
wilderness, nevertheless was not lodg-
ment of nomad tribes, a mere resting
place of roaming savages. 1t was the
beginning of a permanent community,
the fixed residence of cultivated men.
Not only was English literature read,
but English, good English, was spoken
and written before the axe had made
way to let in the sun upon the hsbitstions
and fields of the settlers. And whatever
may be said to the contrary, correct
use of the English language is, at this
day, as general throughout the United
States, as it is throughout England her.
self. But another grand characteristic is
thatin the English colonies political az
fairs were left to be managed by the colo
nists themselves.
Here, then, are the great elements of
our political system originally introduce
ed, early in operation, and ready to be
developed more and more as the progress
of events should justify or demand.
Escape from the existing political sys
systems of Europe, but the continued en-
joyment of itssciences and arts, it's litera-
ture and it's manners, with series of i'm
provements upon its religious and moral
sentiments and habits; all this disting-
uished the early colonists. Home govern
ment, or the power of passing local laws
with local administration, was one great
secret Of their prosperity.
Equality Of rights;
Representative systems;
Free forms of government, founded
on popular representation, were corner
stones in the structure.