St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-24

themselves as neighbors of the Manhattos, the
Hackensacks and the Puritans. Memories of
. Landing Day." therefore, added to the
zest of the Christmas celebration, and when in
1925, the anniversary came around and Santa
Claus prepared to make his debut on Ameri-
can soil, it was observed with spirit appropriate
TO the occasion. a year had passed end they
were fairly established in their new home, al
though everywhere around them the savages
still held possession. So weak were they num-
erically that they were looking forward with
high hopes and expectations to the arrival of
Peter Minuit and the good ship Sea Melr. with
a reinforcement for the little colony. And
after Minuit came. and thelong-coated, shrewd
Hollanders had succeeded in buying the island
from the Indian owners, theyfelt that they had
indeed home wherein TO spread the cheer of
the 'Kerstrydt," and to make merry withal.
And we may well believe that the Christmas
of 1926 was in many respects the merriest they
had ever known. What fun those days held
for the young folks, skating on the Velch, or
turkey shooting in the forest" and with what
hail Of welcome the great ovens were made to
yield up their meats, and the barrels their
brew, while the4logs cracked on the twelve
foot fire-places and the mighty punch-bowl re-
SAAOAOSO ny mug VI h6nlSUHd anu
roasted turkeys weighed down the board,
As the years passed by, the day became more
and more a social and domestic holiday. with
its gifts, trees. lights, affairs, dinners and
drinking.
For the first century, however. colonial life,
especially in New England had few holidays.
The Puritans hated the English church festi-
walls with such persistent zeal that they
Ill,
Christmas being their special detestation. a
few independent spirits chung TO the customs
of their forefathers and observed Christmas.
but the majority studiedly ignored 1t. Even
when the Church of England succeeded in es-
tablishing Christmas service in Boston, Cover
nor Belcher favoring them, the judge and other
public dignitaTies made open war against it.
AS late as 1853, the only recognized holidays
were Election, Commencement, Training Day
and Thanksgiving. The stern Conscientious
ness that cut down the Maypoles at Merry
mount and Charlestown in 1923 and 1857 and
which held the eating of pancakes on Shrove
Tuesday to be heathenish vanity" could
even less endure the pompous mirth and roys-
tering of the Yuletide festival. Not until the
opening of the present century was it regarded
as holiday in New England, although for
nearly a score Of years before, many families
had made Christmas a two-weeks' season Of
visiting, in which both planters and slaves
participated. Gradually the worlds greatest
festival won its way in American hearts, and
now its observance has become almost general
! in every State of the Union. Stockings are
hanging as refigiousiy in New England homes
for Santa Claus to FILL as anywhere in the civil
lied world, and the exchange of gifts and good
wishes, the giving of dinners and the innumer-
able merry frolics that take place among us,
show that the ancient Lord of Misrule' and
Abbot Of Unreason," who in past generations
dominated the Yuletide revels abroad have ex-
tended their dominion across the ocean and
firmly established their pleasant sway on this
side of the Atlantic.
But Christmas has not always been day of
peace in American history Many times the yule
logs have blazed amid surroundings OF carnage
and slaughter. Some of these days are memor-
able. During the Christmas week of 1874. Jack
son held the approaches to New Orleans with
less than 5000 troops, some small gunboats. and
a few scattered garrisons, against British
feet Of 90 men of war, mounting over 1000 guns,
and with total force of 20,00O men. Cochrane.
the British Admiral, had boosted I" shall eat
my Christmas dinner in New Orleans and the
remark being carried to Jackson, the taciturn
old hero quietly observed: Perhaps SO, but
1 shall have the honor of presiding After
days of desultory fighting, all unfavorable to
the English, Major-genera1 Pakenham famous
soldier and brotherin-law TO the Duke Of Well
ington, on Christmas morning arrived in camp
and assumed the British command. He sue
ceeded in blowing up a couple of gunboats,
while jackson, armed with a telescope which
he had borrowed from an old Frenchman.
watched the operation from the attic window OF
farmhouse. He ate his Christmas dinner on the
field, and Cochrane ate his on his flagship. The
boast OF victory was unfulflled, for the British
flag went down amid smoke and slaughter in
the great battle that followed two weeks later.
Half century afterward-on Christmas day,
1854, the guns of Butler and Porter were thunder
ing against Wilmington, IN an attack that was
repulsed.
Our Christmas happily comes in peaceful
times. Serene both at home and abroad. Uncle
Sam can look over his large and growing family
and with the true spirit Of the day, join in hail
ing the festival of Peace on earth, good will
toward men" We may miss the masks,
mummers, and other disorders - that character
lied the old-time celebration in other lands and
which are still used in Southern Europe we
may even miss the distinctively English flavor
of boar's-head, stuck with its orange and sprig
of rosemary; but we can have thousand better
substitutes from the aff1uent abundance of our
own beloved land. and the joy on our own
hearthE, to make real American Marry Christ
mas. EBEN CLAYTON.