New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-22
A MONUMENT At DELFTSHAVEN

The recent unwilling Of the monument al
Plymouth has been followed by the happy sug-
gestion that the United States, with the consent
Of Holland, set up similar memorial al
Delftshaven. Everybody will say amen to this.
If Plymouth is entitled to eternal fame as the
place where one Of the most interesting and
momentous of human journeyings had It's ehd'
surely Delftshaven is scarcely less worthy OF
honor as marking the beginning of the historic
exodus. Poetic fitness demands that the har-
Dor from which as well as the one to which the
Pilgrim Fathers sailed should be treated with
distinguished consideration. Obviously there
cannot be too many reminders of an event
which to the end of time will stir the pulses
of all the friends of civil and religious liberty.
Every monument to the Pilgrims is an lnSpiia-
ton to high and unselfsh living; an incitemeht
to the cultivation of the virtues when are 'he
safeguards of popular government.
Deftshayen can not only read her title clear
to the proposed rememblancer but she can FUR
nish the proper setting for the jewel. The spot
where the monument naturally would be placed
is commanding one. Writing on this point an
American temporarily residing in Holland says :;
q" Leaving Leyden, where they had enjoyed SAFE
and hospitable asylum during eleven years, the
Pilgrims travelled by canal through Delft 10
where the canal enters the river Mas anu
hence the town here has received the name OIL
Delftshayen, or the port of Delft VlSlt 10
the place where the canal actually joins the
river reveals the fact that this historic spot IS
one emnently favorable for the placing oil some
sucb memorial. The river with broad sweep
bends around to either side of this point IN
such a way as to make it visible from great
distance up and down the river. Here, too, pass
hundreds of vessels bound to or arriving from
every important harbor of the world 1t t0l-
lows, therefore, that a memorial placed here
would necessarily attract much attention" 80
we have these two facts Delftshsven deserves a
monument from America, and would be enabled
to upraise it where, like city set upon HILL
it could not be hid. That Holland would take
kindly to such a gift is attested by her history.
The shaft would spling from sympathetic soil.
The granite or bronze in all that 1t would
imply could not fail to be precious in the eyes
of people whose chief pride is the unwasted
memory Of William Of Orange and the Dutch
Republic Indeed if Mr.. Depew is trust
worthy historian, the Netherlands are inclined
to hold that the Pilgrim Fathers never would
have lowered into heroes and martyrs but for
the years they spent in Leyden. 1t was Hol-
lands schools and other benefcent agencies
according to Mr. Depew as he once expressed
himself at a Holland Society dinner-which
made them what they were, so that the I'M
mortal voyage from Delftshaven to Plymouth
was in reality an enterprise the glory of which
belongs to the Dutch.
Monuments conserve the truth Of history.
They do 50 by stimulating research touching
the deeds commemorated. The consequence is
that not infrequently a notable chapter is re-
vised. Statements which have long been ac-
cepted are either rejected altogether or modi-
fed, while the entire narrative is illuminated
with fresh light. "The NewEngland Maya
zines for September overfiows with articles re-
ating to the Pilgrims, which were suggested
by the Plymouth monument. 1t is desirable
for many reasons that characters SO strong, so
unique so invigorating should be studied anew
and reported upon from the point Of view of
the Netherlands. A monument at Delftshaven
would be powerful means to that end.