The Portland daily press., 1890-03-31
Not Less Than Fifty.
PORTLAND FRATERNITY.
Mr.. James p. Baxter Lectures on "A
Problem to Solve"
Some Good Work Accomplished In
the British Metropolis.


by large congregation gathered to attend
the exercises relating to the anniversary Of
the Portland Fraternity. After a prelude
by the choir, Rev. Mr.. Blanchard read Sc
lections from the scriptures. The choir then
sang Stamer's"Ye Shall Dwell in the Land"
Rev. DIR. Dalton offered prayer and the choir
then sang Gounod's "Glory to Thee" Mr..
James p. Baxter then delivered this lecture.
entitled "a Problem to Solve':
With the accession of Elizabeth to the
throne of Great Britain, began an epoch in
the worlds history, of which all English
speaking people may well be proud; an
epoch of free thought and individual inde-
pendenee Of inexpressible importance to hu
manity. 1t is true that If we ransack the
labyrinths OF history, we shall find in vari-
GUS parts Of Europe previous to this period.
instances of individuals asserting the right
Of free thought. Even In Italy, where
reigned despotism, which ruthlessly
crushed every man who dared to think for
himself. we have an instance in Savanarola;
and so. from time to time, others, braver and
nobler than their fellows, stepped forward
and proclaimed their birthright; but the fate
of Sayanarola was the fate of all.
With this reign, however, began drama
of grander import to mankind than was
realized by men of the clearest sight and
most progressive spirit; drama In which
Saxon and Spaniard str0ve for mastery with
an animosity almost unparalleled In the war
fare Of civilized nations.
The English people recognized the fact.
but imperfectly 1t Is true, that they were en-
gagged in a struggle against despotism,
which would repress every aspiration Tor
freedom Of thought and action, with the fet-
ter, the rack and the faggot, and this tended
to continually emphasize in their minds the
Importance Of principle, which otherwise
would have failed to arouse them. 1t was
only realizing the old saying, that the Inca
ments of Vice often inspire the love OF Vir-
tue; and men who perhaps, but for the agi-
tation which attended the long struggle with
Spain and the discussion of its underlying
principles, in which all participated, would
have gone to their tombs rigid conservatives,
became, almost unconcciously to themselves,
pronounced independents.
the reign Of Elizabeth, that great movement
towards freedom and Independence which
today is so active, assumed form and express
sion Necessarily. it encountered many
obstacles. Royal prerogatlve, ancient pre-
cedent, blind prejudice, pride Of place, and
every adjunct OF ignorance and selishness
stood in its way. Europe did not furnish
favorable conditions for the development of
1t needed virgin soil for its
roots and ample space for its branches, and
at this junctura, Providence threw open to 1t
a continent, which had long been In prepa
ration for its reception.
Courageous spirits who, even in England.
then as now outwardly the freest country in
Europe, but then as now, inwardly the most
slavishly subservient to ancient usage,
found themselves restricted to the exercise
OF the principles, which they believed vital
to their welfare, and. though not undervalu-
ing the comforts OF home and the attractions
of civilized life, ,,they began to regard more
and more fayorably the great wilderness
across the sea, (which, though forbidding,
promised immunity from oppression.
We know the result. bnder the repres-
sive rule of EliZabeth's successor, these men,
among the stanchest In England, found IL
necessary to make choice between conf0r-
nifty to ancient usage or conformity to con-
science, and without hesitation they decided
to brave the perils Of the wilderness. In order
that they might find room for the exercise OF
the principles In which they believed with
sincerity yet unquestioned.
Doubtless their choice was fastened by
the condition of the English people at this
time. Everywhere poverty abounded, and
no methods Of alleviating it existed. Men
who might otherwise have been useful MEM
bers OF society, were driven to exact
tribute from the rich on the public highway;
indeed, thieving was practiced as necessary
means of sustaining life. Men could not oh
tain employment and those who were with
out it were regarded as criminals. To meet
this condition stringent laws were made. III
one seized loaf Of bread TO save the life Of
one dear to him, he paid the penalty, II dis.
covered, to the hangmap. or course shil-
lings were ostentatiously tossed to starving
men by those who had mon0poliZed the
sources OF wealth but to organize any prac-
teal method Of relief for this terrible condi-
tion OF affairs was unthought Of.
Those mnn tharQfOra who had Gonna IN
believe In individual rights, and had resolved
to seek in new world theater for the
prsctice Of their theories, must have felt that
In leaving their fatherland, they were leaY-
Ing behind social conditions Of nature dan
gerous to its welfare; hence the prospec.
which the new world presented to them,
though in many respects forbidding, had
upon the whole its promising aspects, and
they entered upon their heavy task with
hopeful hearts.
Less than three centuries have passed since
these men, with heroic self-saerifce, laid the
Of this republic. Great changes
have taken place during that period, but we
may reasonably claim that American society
Is today largely the result of the labors OF
the founders of New England. The prin-
eiples which they cherished live in our insti-
tutlons and inspire the deeds OF Americans
OF the nineteenth century, and have taken,
world.
1Acoc lH6u TeCOSulLeQ from Jub uTSL LDe
fact that education Is essential to the proper
achievement OF independence; hence the
public school became at an early day type
OF New England civilization, veritabe
Yankee notion, for even In England, a
country whose soil we are apt to regard as
friendly to everything which may noursh
the common veal, the true public school has
yet TO be created; but the fathers of the Re
public had no sooner obtained a foothold in
the land,tthan they began to prepare the
dot nF Ina hntN
Many of them were educated men. and while
living in exile In a foreign land, had been
Obliged to earn their bread with their
hands.
Bradford. grave and wise, wrought at the
cotton loom; Cushmau, sober and austere,
carded wool; the sedate Winslow and digni-
fed Brewster toiled at the printers case,
and Samuel Fuller piled the silk weaver's
shuttle.
These men realized that education was not
that 1t dignifed and ennobled The poorest
drudge and served nightly to open the way
to better condition of life. Family teach
ing was ell that they could enjoy, and this
they practiced while in exile and for some
time after landing on the bleak shores Of
Massachusetts; but as early as 1924 we hear
Bradford declare that the school will soon
take the place Of family teaching. We are
told that in its fifth year Boston had a
school with some sort of public encourage
ment, ana that In New Haven, prOVls-
ion for the education Of the young was one
of the earliest objects Of attention"
Thus we see that the Fathers OF the Re
public made education one Of the corner
stones Of the social fabric. The other, we
know, was religion.
But they went farther than extending the
advantage Of free education to all in the Re
public. With a generosity unparalleled In
human history. they threw wide the doors
of the nation which they had founded, and
invited the world to share the advantages
which they themselves had secured. Their
posterity were no whit less generous and
America soon became the asylum of the
confronts us today Our cities are thrOnged
with ignorant and debased men, who have
fled from tyrannical rule men who are in
capable of understanding the first principles
Of popular government, and who are ready
10 use the knife and torch whenever occasion
serves. These men are a constant menace 10
free government. To them independence IL
license to enact the Pre- mptings of evil hearts
ana tne conceptions of disordered brains.
y Is grave question, and one whose gravity
las lately increased; what shall be done IN
ave ol. institutions from wreck by Ignorant
ind evil men. Evidently there IS but one
,ePy' Eradicate ignorance and evil; i'm
Ssner WORDS, educate intellectually and
morally. This Is a panacea for threatened
lis. 10 apply it, Is carrying forward the
which the founders of New Eng
CONTINUED ON FOURTH rAeEl