The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-08-01
THE PILGRIMS VS.. THE PUR1rANs

printed the article and circulated it:
Several lawyers of Massachusetts,, Gov
ernor Long among them, have petitioned
Congress to add the statue of Law to the
nearly completed monument to the Pill
grim Fathers at Plymouth, Mass. The
Pilgrim Society has already expended
about $3.50, QUO on the monuments there
-one a small granite canopy over the
Rock itself, the other a more imposing
structure on high ground in the rear Of
Plymouth village. The funds for this
purpose have been raised, partly by pri-
vate subscription from more than $4,000
subscribers all over the country, and
partly by appropriations from the States
of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The
design of the monument is by the late
Hammatt Billings, and consists Of an
octagonal pedestal forty five feet high,
on which stands a colossal statue OF
Faith, thirty-six feet high. Around the
base are four figures, each fifteen feet
high, emblamatic Of Morality, Law, Ed
ucatlon and Liberty. Historical panels
In alto-relief and tablets of Inscriptions
are also provided for. The State OF
Massachusetts, has furnished the figure
of Morality, and Congress is now asked
by members of the Bar to add that Of
Law Tor Justice.)
That the germ of our written consti-
tuition was contained in the Compact
signed on board the May-Flower has al
ways been conceded by writers on our
political history. The Virginia colonists
founded representative government on
the Western shores, the Massachusetts,,
Democratic; and it was more to found
an English colony free from the re-
straints of the English government that
led the Pilgrims to leave Holland and
come to America, than to secure free
dom of conscience. The latter they had
already obtained in Holland, but staying
there they and their progeny would be-
come Dutch, whereas by removing to
America they would still remain Eng
lish. 1t was from motives of patriotism
rather than of religion that they came
here. The Puritans, however, came di
rect from England later and WI re driven
thence because of their differences with
the government in matters partly relig-
ious and partly political. The dispute
which existed on these points is thus
concisely stated by DR.. Leonard Bacon
in his Genesis of the New England
Churches. "The Puritan idea was not
liberty, but right government in church
and state-such government as should
not only permit him, but also compel
other men to walk in the right way"
i. e., his way. Failing to get other men
that is, the government to walk in his
way at the time, (though he did compel
it to, measurably, afterwards), he came
to America. He established the Puritan
colony of Massachusetts Bay by the side
of the Pilgrim colony of Plymouth. The
differences between the two sects, which
in England had been sharp, were soften.
ed by distance from the mother country
and by common dangers and privations.
Still the same characteristics remained.
The Puritans were as intolerant as King
James himself, while the Pilgrim was
liberal like the Quaker The Puritan
was combatant; he belonged to the
church militant. The Pilgrim sought
separation rather than warfare; he lett
the established church voluntarily, rath-
er than quarrel with it. Side by side,
for more than sixty years, the two colo
MES grew and waxed strong, notwith-
standing their marked divergences; and
when the Puritans drove out Roger Will
liams, the Pilgrims took him in, though
with an eye to good fellowship with
Salem, Plymouth kindly asked the fugi-
tive TO move over the river outside their
borders, still befriending him the while.
This he willingly did, and founded the
colony of Rhode Island.t Religious toll
Grafton was cardinal principle with
the Pilgrim Fathers, they being long
way in advance of their age in this re-
spect.
The building of monument to the
founders of the republic, whether at
Plymouth Rock or at jamestown, is
most commendable object; and whether
we are descendants of the Pilgrims, the
Puritans, the Cavaliers, the Huguenots,
or none of them, we cannot view it with
indifference. No American citizen can
contemplate the history of the Pilgrims
or the Puritane without emotion. He
may read Macaulay's well known indict
ment of the latter, believing 1t more
than half true, yet, even if he be but
slightly informed Of their peculiarities,
he will say with the Hon. A. H. Steph-
ems, that "it exhibits the darker side
only of this wonderful people, and shows
nothing of the many fine and tender
traits as we'll as high heroic virtues for
which they are equally distinguished"
He will understand if he thoroughly
contemplates the moving springs OF &C
ton of these two bodies which gave 30
much to America, that in the language
of another, "No higher stake is played
for than the life of body polite; nor
can the most heroic man be moved by
any nobler impulse than the sense OF
patriotic and religious obligations"
The appropriateness of the request to
Congress to place the Statue of Law on
the base of the Monument must be at
once conceded. Rather, since the or
ganic law of the land sprung from the
compact" made on the May-Flower, the
nation should covet the privilege of do.
ing this gracious act as favor to itself,
instead of boon conferred. When, too,
the whole structure is completed, or
even before, another structure should be !
begun, Congress aiding, at Jamestown,
in Virginia, to mark the rise of that 9TH |
er element in our government equally |
potent which, with the New England,
has made us the great Nation we are.
The late Chief Justice Chase at the lay |
ing of the corner stone of the Plymouth |
Monument puts this idea into the fol- |
lowing happy language "And then |
when that is Accomplishment the Plymouth |
monumenD will tell you what should |
like to see-the sons and daughters Of |
New England joining hands with their
brothers of Virginia to build another |
monument at jamestown to comment
crate the settlement there, thus proving |
to them, if we do love liberty and mean |
to maintain it, that we are all brethren |
of common Union, and mean to main |
tam Liberty and Union, one and in
separable, now and forever
'See Lecture. delivered at the Friends Insti. |
tute, London, by Benjamin Scott F. R. A. s.. |
Chamberlain Of the city Of London, on the Pill |
grim Fathers, neither Puritans nor prosecutors"
Jan. Is, 1866.
tsee Arnold's History of R. Island, 1889
All subscribers to the Plymouth Mon
ument who gave $500 or over were
made life members of 1.-THE Pilgrim So |
ciety." The following is theBennington
list OF life members, though some may
have been added since this was made
out Mrs. A. G. Bingham, George S.
Bradford, H. E. Bradford, E. A, Cobb,
John II. Flsgg, A. b. Gardner, l.. r.
Graves, Hiland Hall, Chas. E. Hough-
ton, Trenor w. Park, p. L. Robinson,
Henry G. Root. VIM. S. Southworth,
Charles Thatcher, Jr., E. NJ. yelling and |
Charles NJ. Bliss. The Manchester list |
is Elias B. Burton, Myron Clark, A. L.
Miner. Mr.. J. Wadsworth Wright is
life member from Pownal. Ira Coch- |
ran was the Dorset member. These are
all who became life members in this |
county. There were other subscribers
however. The late A. B. Gardner was
a descendant Of Richard Gardiner, one
of the Pilgrims who came in the May
flower, and the Messrs. Bradford were
descendants OF VIM. Bradford the sec
ond Governor of the colony.
The Derson IN whom more than tn any