The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-26
SOME NEW BooKs.
A New American Historian.


out that tho negative branch OF tho author
exposition must be regarded as decisive. W
qcahnot undertake TO follow tho account OF tn
rise of civilization in tho Netherlands and tn
history OF Puritansm in that country and Il
England although TO these subjects arc dc
voted the greater part Of tho thousand page:
which mako up tho book before us. We pas
Mt once TO tho concluding chapters OF tho sec
ond volume. In which tho Affirmative positions
OF tho author are made good: where. in othe
words. he demonstrates that our most char
ncteristic institutions had countcrparts in TIL,
Low Country at the time OF tho settlement o
tho American colonies. That is to say. havinf
started with the proof that what wo have mos
cnuse to valuo in our institutions Is not o.
English origin. Mr.. Campbell ends with prov
ing that we are indebted for it to tho Dutch.
II is not denied by tho author OF this history
that It was the exceptional character Of the
men who founded New England that made
their experiment OF soli-govcrninent succeed
while It failed so dsastrously mt home. 1t Is.
however. his purpose to demonstrate that
there was something In tho equipment OF these
men beyond their superior education and
their moral qualities which must be kept in
mind II We would understand the develop
made 30 deep an impression. That feature Of
their equipment was their knowledge and APP
preciation Of the institutions Of tho Low
Country and their readiness to reproduce
them. 1t is truo that in our day En- glshmen
are taxed with an unwillingness to accept ideas
from other nations and many shortcomings
Of contemporary England are thus explained.
But. as Mr.. Campbell reminds us. this
criticism. whether now Just or unjust. is GER
tainly not applicable to the period between
the Reformation and tho overthrow Of tho
Commonwealth. In the reiEns of Elizabeth.
James l.. and Charles l., EnGlishmen evinced
wonderful power Of assimilation. and this
capacity was exhibited in every direction. re-
lgious literary. legal. commercial. industrial.
aud social. Tho English thinkers of that time
literally ransacked the world for iiens with
which to improve their native country. They
found them mainly in tho Dutch republic,
which was then owing to its peculiar situa-
ton. the great in electual and institutional
storehouse Of the world Unfortunately those
thinker could make little impression or tho
mass Of the English populace. and much Of
their work died with the collapse Of the Com
monwealth. On tho other hand, in New Eng
land thinkers were predominant and long con-
tinued to rule tho State. What it was that these
thinkers brought over from the Netherlands
chapters OF Mr.. Campbell's second volume. In
the nineteenth and twentieth charters is set
forth the condition Of tho Netherlands with
regard to free schools. free press. free re.
.iglon. and an enlightened prison and hospital
system, at tho time when tho New England
and Middle colonies were founded. In the
twenty second chapter arc described the pro-
totypes OF other institutions of great value,
which were brought over by tho early set
tlers. and existed in the Netherlands three
centuries ngo. while mono of them was
then known in England. Before examining
these in detail. let us follow tho author while
lie traces the direct channels through which
the institutions Of the Dutch republic passed
to the United States.
No reader can need to be reminded that the
State Of New York was settled by the Dutch
soon after the discovery OF the Hudson River
and remained a Dutch colony till 1854 Joined
with 1t was the adjacent territory forming the
eastern section Of what is now tho State OF
New Jersey. Here Dutch laws and institutions
reigned supreme for more than half u century.
The next settlement in order OF tins was that
OF Plymouth. in 1920. Here also the first em!-
grants came directly from Holland, and all
that was best In the new additions to this |
colony for several years came from the
same country. In 1923 Salem was set
tied. and tho colony OF Massachusetts
Bay entered on its memorable career.
Most OF the men who founded this colony
emfgrated from the eastern and southern
counties OF England. in which hundred |
thousand Netherland refugees hal taken up |
their residence half q century before. and |
which always had the most intimate relations |
with the Dutch republic. All OF these men |
were acquainted with Nethcrland institutions, |
and some OF them had passed years in IIol- |
and Gov. Dudley, for instance, had been a |
soldier in tho Dutch army. and tho famous |
clergyman. Hugh Peters. presided over IL con-
sregation at Rotterdam from 1923 to 1856
No doubt the great majority Of the settlers of
Buy were Erglishmen. who
,ame directly from their native land. But
hey were Puritans. tho clearost headed
Ind most advanced members OF thcir race.
md therefore peculiarly capable Of appreciat-
ne and approprinting tho civil institutions OF
he Dutch republic. though they wero loss lib
'ral In religious matters than those Of therfe!-
ow Engllshmen who had actually lived in Uol-
and. On the other hand. Roger Williams put
n operation at Providence the principles Of
eliGious. as well as civil liberty. " hich he had
earned from the Dutch ALabaptists Pro-
ccding westward. we and that in 1888 little
detachment from Plymouth carrying Dutch
IDEAS some OF It's members having doubtless
WE'D In Holland sailed up the Connecticut
liver and established a settlement at Windsor,
Shortly aftcrwarl two parties Of cm:Grants
rom Massachusetts, founded Wcthcrsield and
Hartford. In 1888 these three towns asso-
lated themselves in ono body polite by n
Tritten instrument inspired. II not framed,
y Thomas Hooker. who had gone to Holland
q 1850 and remained there FIR thrco years in
barge Of a congregation in tho city o! Dcln.
WAS because no was dissatisfied with the
liberal spirit displayed in Boston that he led
ito tho wilderness tho men o! broad idens who
ettlcd Hartford.
HnriA. demonstrated by His review .! tho
ewEngland colonies how tho institutions Of
10 Duteh republic might havc found m On.
ance In TIM quarter. Mr Campbell passes to
10 great middle province Of PENNSYLVANIA.
hich under the grant from Charles III. in
uded what Is now tho state Of Delaware. Tho
ct Is Justly pronounced significant that tho
other OF william Penn MAS Datch woman
ON Rotterdam and ono eminent in her gon-
alton. His own peculiar religious lons worc
,rivcd from his mothcr's country, 10 trav-