The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-14
LIBERTY'S CRADLE.
Charles H. WinfieId's E1o-
quent Tribute Before the
Holland Society to
the Brave Neither
land States.

one OF tne leading addresses. lie said:-
Whether in the old Netherlands,
the New Netherlands, or South
Africa. the Dutch have ever been
marked by one prevailing characteristic,
one master passion-the love Of liberty.
the instinct of self government. Rest
under political or prelatical tyranny has
never been part Of 5neir inheritance. Ia
their statutes Of old IL was written, 1.-The
frisians shall be free as long as the wind
blows out Of the clouds and the world
stands
The physical situations of their coun-
try. and the necessities growing out of
that situation, developed the manhood
Of that wonderful people. Graded 10
freedom by their conflicts with the ocean,
hardened 10 invincibility by their strug-
giles with human despotism, taught by
experience the lessons OF patience. perse-
verauce and self reliance, they had be-
come a people to whom coercion aud sub
mission were odious terms.
So it has ever been. Contending winds
strengthen the roots and the arms Of the
oak; adyersity develops the hero; per-
secution lifts man close to divinity;
Incidence and luxury weaken aud
waste. In the far past, SO far that
Ornlthologists dare not name the time,
flock of pigeons was carried by the wind
far over the indian Ocean 10 the Island
of Maurltius. On this island were no
reptiles, no devouring beasts aud no
birds OF prey. Tue pigeons were not
forced to save themselves by flight, or go
to distant places for food. Hence the use
of their wings for so long a time and for
so many generations Was neglected, that
they atrophied aud became entirely use
less. The bird ceased to be a pigeon and
became fat, waddling dodo.
A SCHOOL OF LIBERTY.
The people OF the Netherlands taught
in the rough school of experience, when
the conflict between despolism, sacerdptal
and legal and the spirit of human liberty
broke out, were not unprepared to meet
Spaniards. That proud, naughty and
powerful nation undertook to force the
people of the states to accept dogmas dis
tasteful to them. and to make the under
taking successful entered the land
with fire and sword. The contest which
followed between the parties was un-
equal. One was rich and powerful, with
untold wealth in its treasury and count
less soldiers for its armies. The other
was poor In material resources. limited in
numbers. but rich IN men who knew
their rights, and knowing. dared main
tain. The one was intrencned in power,
while the other WAS without recognition.
The one ruled by divine right" tho
other defended human rights. The one
violated oaths. trampled upon constitu-
tionul liberties, burned and sacked cities.
confiscated, hanged, beheaded, burned
and buried alone the innocent; the other
resisted and suffered and waited. 1t was
the old, old story.
Right forever on the scaffold.
Wrong forever on the throne;
But that scafold shapes the future, ---.
For behind the dim and unknown
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His son"
II for centuries the Dutch had fought
the ocean for their country, now they
were ready to fight the devil for their re-
ligion and the Spaniard for their liberty.
For eighty years the struggle lasted.
When 1t ended Spain was bankrupt. its
army conquered, its navy destroyed. The
Netherlands had become the store house Of
Europe. Her merchants were lords OF the
sea and chief traders OF the world. They
had pursued the commerce of spain into
every sea aud every land, destroyed her
vessels and taken her trade. Iu the East
Indies and the Isles of the Orient, the
Dutch were demonstrating to the world
that there were more potent instruments
in parcelling out the globe than capal de-
crees. The sword in the strong hand OF
Dutchman was mightier than the pen in
the leprous hand OF a Borgia. So con-
temtioie had the Spaniards become in the
estimation of the brave hnrghers thattwo
hundred of them were exchanged Tor ssn
Dutchmenl
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. TOO
Along with their commerce they carried
around the world the novel theory and
imbedded it in their treaties with the
nations. that neither power should inter
fere by force with the other in regard 10
religious matters, but that God should De
Judge over them all.
1t was while pushing their enterprises
TO the Indies and the southern ocean that
they looked upon the Cape of Good Hope
as a pfoDer place for a COLONY, and be-
lieved that a trade with the natives in
hides and peltries OF rabbits might be
built up.
la 1850, two years after the close of the
war with Spain, the Dutch East Indian
Company set up n factory in South Africa
TO provision their vessels on their way 10
the Indies. The country was claimed by
the Portuguese. The company declared
war against them, and ordered it TO be
prosecuted in all places within the limits
OF their charter. But TO snow their Hber-
ality to all others, il was directed that
il any friendly nation came TO the cape 10
form an establishment the Dutch were to
remain passive. In 1856 two hundred
French refugels. fleeing from the results
of the revocation of the edict. came TO
this settlement to seek the religious free
dom they were denied in France. The
East India Company gave them passage
TO Cape Colony. Broad in their religious
tolerence, the Dutch carried to their
home the lesson they had learned In the
land of their birth. They welcomed the
refugels, and so aided largely 10 the
good name and enterprise of the colony.
In accordance with the mistaken notion
OF national policy in those days. the set
tiers established negro slavery in tn e
colony. II was grievous wrong, and, as
In our own case. most grevionsiy have
they atoned for it. The homo govern
ment also interfered with the farmers bYi
prescri bing the nature of the crops they
were TO grow, aud harassing them WITH
other exactions tending to discourage in-
dustry and enterprise. In that day the
tillers of the soil had not learned
the utility OF Farmers Alliance in
checking the evil doings of politicians.
But these restrictions made the
farmers restless. They became dissatisfied
and in 1895 attempted TO dissolve their
connection with the home government
and set up a government OF their own.
This opened door for the grasplng
Briron 10 enter aud seize the colony. He
captured il in the name OF the Prince of
Orange, but retained 1t for hiulseIf. By
this simple process of taking and keeping,
which plain people call larceny, England
secured III. 900 square miles of territory.
But the Dutch could not accustom them
selves to the new order of Things. The
yoke of the foreigner was CALLING. They
felt that England had not dealt justly BY
them, and in the administration gave
them no protection. Therefore. in 1856
between 5000 and 6,000 Dutchmen with
Que accord started on their great trek TO
the Northeast. rather than. live under