The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-17

| There IL almost no form OF fophistry to which
the founders OF Massachusetts, did not have
recourse then. for they sinned against
light. though they deceived themselves while
shining: and there IL almost no form Of
sophistry 10 which the historians Of
Massachusetts have not had recourse
since. really deceivlnR themselves In theit
| attem pt to deceive others. 1t IL to this latter
aspect OF the case which IL not unity de-
scribed as the folio- pietistio historical aspect
OF II, that Mr.. Adams would. In the second
place. address himself Internationally. In
the study Of history. there should be but
one law fer all; patriotism. piety. and
| nlial duty have nothing to do with IL; they
are rather mere SHARES and sources OF delu-
sion. The rules and canons OF criticism APP
plled to one case and to one character must be
| e,ernly and scrupulously applied In all other
| similar cases and TO all other characters; and.
| while surrounding circumstances should. and,
| indeed. must be taken into careful eonsidera-
| ton they must be taken into equal considera-
| ton. no matter who lie concerned. Patriotism
| in the stud, OF history Is but another name for
provincislIsm. To see history truly and cor
rectly. 1t must be viewed ms whole.
III.
Such IL the principle to which the author OF
this volume has coniormed. II a principle.
however, which the Massachusetts, school Of
| historians has Professionally refused to recoR-
nIze The writer's composing that school
have systematically narrowed their vision
and denouncIng the rulers OF Spain and
France and England for bigotry, intolerance.
and cruelty-shuttinR their eyes to Holland,
where Bishop Burnett. as a result OF his own
observation, tells us that federation made all
p,ople easy and happy-seeing only what they
have wanted to see and ignoring whatever
might be inconvenient to admit. they have
pointed to Rhode Island. which they describe
ma n "colluyies" or cesspool. as an example
OF what must inevitably have ensued had the
rulers OF Massachusetts. In its formative
period. not pursued that policy OF which Philip
III. was the great and only wholly successful
expositor In other words. the historians
OF Massachusetts have insisted that. In tho
seventeenth century. federation meant chaos
had our early ancestors placed their gov
ernmcnt on the basis OF liberty for all sorts
OF condolences 1t would have boon In that age
n certain introduction OF anarchy" and. In
proof OF this. they point to Rhode Island
Mr.. Adams suggests that, with equal pro-
priety, they light adduce the case OF Botany
Bay to prove that immigration, having led to
dangerous development Of tho criminal class
in ono part OF Australia. was a certain intro
duction to crime everywhere But, admitting
the argument advanced by the historians. why.
IL Is aSkeu, COulu uOt ~ ehN
and Archbishop Laud. as we'll as Endicott aud
Cotton Mather. point to that "colluvies OF
Rhode Islaud1 How can Massachusetts, claim
a m onopoly In this line VI argumentf
Mr. Adams's fourth lecture onds with the
ayerment that the record opened at Plymouth
in December. 1920. closed rs distinct and in
dependent narrative In April. 1853. SO far as
America was concerned. the long struggle
against caste and superstition. the conflict for
religious federation and the equality OF man
before the law. was over But the purpose OF
this book Is to show that the part borne By
Massachusetts in that dual struggle had not
previously been fully and Overwhelmingly re-
counted; that the spirit OF 6lio-pietism had
perverted the facts and distorted the record
even in so far as tho story had been told. As
Mr. Adams sees 1t and has sought to set 1t
forth the record naturally divides Itself into
four distinct periods; first. the period OF set
Element extending from 1920 to 1887; sec
ondly, tho theological or glacial period ex-
tending from 1887 to 1850; thirdly. the period
OF political activity and organization. extend
ing from 1890 to 1888; and finally. the scien-
tinc or fiorescent period extending from lISS
to 1865. at first slow. then rapid in movement.
OF course, these periods cannot properly be
considered separate from each other. for thoy
all m erge one with another. lust as geological
epochs merge. In spite Of faults" however.
Mr. Adams contends that the original strata
and deposits traceable before 1887 are dis
tinrtly recognizable in the upheavals and flo
re.cence OF 1887. He insists that the one period
becomes intelligibls and significant only
whom observed in the other. but that. when
30 observed. confusion disappears. all
Is logical all is necessary. all 10 the
subject and outcome OF law. This. how
ever, the Massachusetts historians have as yet
Late AR
Mr.. Adams to demonstrate that while in the
great drama OF civil and religious liberty Mas
sachusetts played no insignificant part. yet
Massachusetts cannot claim for itself the
guerdon which the verdict OF history will ul.i-
mately concsds to Holland. that at one time.
and for long time 1t stood forth alone. but
erect In desperate bravery. the sole champion
on earth OF religious federation. as we'll as OF
civil liberty. 1t Is time. as Mr.. Adams said.
that We should be forced to see things as
they are Beyond doubt, Massachu-
sets had it's Ice age. That ice age
sterile, forbiddlnR. unproductive. its his
tory dotted only with boulders and
stunted growth-was like similar ages In other
lands. as in Spain. for instance. whore It has
not yet come to it's close. For Massachusetts.
moreover. such a period was no more
necessity or thing good In itself-as some
historians would have US believe-thAn II
would have been for Holland or England had
Philip IL or Charles l. prevailed. MIR. Adams.
indeed, points out that an exactly similar
period may By IN Q Massachusetts historian
be studied. In all its rspulsive objective
ness. in the development OF Scotland.
But why. in the spirit Of nlial piety.
should it be. no asks. indefinitely urged
through every form OF iteration and
sophistry that what was admittedly bad and
only to be endured elsewhere. was desirable
and indeed. OF ell possible things. the best In
Massachusetts. In the final paragraph OF his
fourth lecture Mr.. Adams appropriately re-
peats what he has elsewhere said: That In
time tho intellect OF Massachusetts, schooled
By self-goVernment to long struggle with
nature and against foreign encroachments.
did work itself out from under the incubus OF
superstition. prejudice. and narrow conformity
imposed upon It by the first generation OF
MAGISTRATES and ministers. cannot be denied;
but II Is certainly going far to infer therefrom
that in this especial case superstition. preiu-
dice. and narrow conformity were helps in
ataAd of obAtaeles" Ii II not easy indeed to