The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-25
DAY OF THE PILGRIMS
They Landed Among COrnfields
and Running Brooks.
THEIR HARDsHIPs EXAGGERATED
Judge Swan Traces Thanksgiving Back
TO the Old Harvest Feast of
New England.

Sound Congregational Club on the 18th
instant as the roth anniversary OF the
landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth.
have always understood from my child
hood, as has every other Massachusetts
man, that the Forefathers' day anniver-
sary is on the I'D day of December, and
that the anniversary of the battle oil
Bunker Hill is on the 18th of June, both
anniversaries being peculiar to and reiig-
iously observed as peculiarly Massachusetts
holidays. 1 think, perhaps, that the Con-
gregational Club have somehow got these
two dates transposed.
In order to prove my position | viii
quote from Elliott's "New England His
tory" published by Charles Scribner, 1857,
chapter VI, page 81, on 1.-THE Landing
which says "Forefathers' day" is the 18th
of December, 1920 (old style). I'D Decem-
Der (new styIe) "On Monday" says the
old chronicler, 1--WE sounded the harbor
and found it very good harbor for our
shipping; we marched also into the land
and found divers cornfelds and little run
ming brooks, place very good for situa-
ton, so we returned to our ship again
with good news to the rest of our people,
which did much to comfort their hearts. y
Foretathers' day. 1t is hallowed time, and
the ground they trod is holy ground.
Forefathers' Rock, on which the Pilgrims
landed, is now enclosed with wharf.
The upper part of it was drawn to the pub
lie square of Plymouth, on the 4th of
July, 1884, and was removed TO Plymouth
hall, where 1t now rests.
The student of history may well afford
TO remember the day and mark the spot
where the Pilgrims landed. On the wild
shore of continent they planted the
small seed of q new idea and new en-
pire: the idea of individual liberty, and
an empire in which neither force nor fraud
rule, as in the old world, but where the in
dividual is supreme and every man SOW
ereign. The extent and duration of that
Kingdom no man can yet measure, nor can
altogether foresee its dangers.
We are accustomed to listen to recitals
of the terrible sufferings and grievous
hardships of those old Pilgrims, but
think the tates of the early pioneers TO
this state, whether they crossed the plains
or came around Cape Horn, could recount
more of suffering, more privations and
hardships than they endured. Here is
their own account of the Plymouth land
ing: This harbor," they said, sis a bay
greater than Cape Cod. comprised with
goodly land, and in the bay two fine
islands uninhabited, wherein are nothing
but woods, oaks, pines, walnuts, beech,
sassafras, vines and other trees which we
know not. This bay is most hopeful
place, innumerable store of fowl and excel
lent food; and of fish in their seasons,
skate, cod, turbot and herring, abundance
of mussels, the greatest and best we ever
saw; crabs and Holsters in their time, in
finite. 1t is fashioned like sickle or fish
hook. The land for the crust of the earth
is a spit's depth, excellent black mold, and
fat in some places, and many others that
we know not. Many kinds of herbs we
found here in the winter, as strawberry
leaves innumerable, sorrel, yarrow, carval,
brook lime, hverwort, water-cress, great
stores of leeks and onions (Cdilium Cana
densc) and an excellent strong kind of
fax and hemp, and the best water we ever
drank"
They had determined to look for the good
rather than the evil of their new portion,
and they found it, and life was thus made
easier. The Pilgrims had put into Cape
Cod harbor and sent boat with party to
look for better place, as Cape Cod was n
barren sand beach. The boat made their
first landing on the 18th of December
60. 81 (22d n. S. }, and the ship arrived in
the harbor on the 10Th (27th n. So. On
the 25th of December 90. So 18th of Janu-
airy, n. S. they began to build the first
house.
While their ship, the Mayfow er, was
at anchor in Cape Cod bay before land
m had 10 IL
brated compact was made. There had
mutterings been heard from SOME of the
smaller grains of this ''choice seed" before
it left the Mayhower Some of the more
ignorant souls said: at is all very well
but when We get ashore there is plenty of
room and one man will be as good as an
other, and II we have no voice in ordinary
matters we can step out into the woods
and order things to suit ourselves" Such
was the talk which reached the ears of the
leading men. Bradford Brewster and
Carver were not only men of justice but
men of sense, and they saw that to deny
these men, though they were Servants. -
voice IN directing their own common af-
tairs would be not only unjust but unwise.
They toresaw the evils and dangers of
divisions to the infant colony. and they
decided To anticipate them; not TO wait. as
most men do, till the people, stuug to mad
ness, rush into mischief
The whole body of the settlers was there
lore convened in the cabin of the Nav
flower as she lay within Cape Cod. An
were serious, wondering what was now 10
DC done, for II was evident that in taking
thls second great step some important plan
was atoot. Slowly and clearly the follow
ing slmpie compact was then read:
In the name of God, Amen We. whose names
are unoerwrltien. the loyal subjects Of our dread
sovereign, King James, by the grace of God etc
having undertaken for the glory OF cod
aud the advancement of the Christian faith. and
TIE honor of our king and country a VOYAGE IN
pant the nrst colony in the northern parts az
Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and
mutually In the presence OF God and % one
announcer, covenant and combine ourselves into n
civil body polite for our better ordering aud
preservation and fuFtherance of the ends aEor,s-
said aud by virtue hereof 10 enact. constitute
anu frame such just aud equal laws. ordinances
acts. constitutions, and Offices. from time to
time as shall be thought most meet and eonVen.
lent for the general good OF the colony unto
dcnce
In witness whereof we have hereunder sub.
scrihed our names at Cape Cod. the nth day OF
November 90. 80 e. \. So in the year of the
reign OF our sovereign lord, King James of Eng.
land, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, ana
OF Scotland the ffty-fourth, Ammo nomiui lh1N
Each man was asked 70 sign this instru-
ment, and thus, by granting To each his
just right, all ground for discussion and
revolution was removed. The compact
was signed by forty-one men. who. With
their families, constituted the ''iOa the
proper democracy" that arrived in New
England. This, says historian. "was
the birth Unpopular constitutional liberty. -
This was the birth Of individual liberty az
democracy. and thus were organized the
rights OF man. Each man. master and
servant, thenceforward was recognized as
3 man. his voice counted as onel The