The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-24

ten, InlS DOok was rlb Dy OOeIner
William Bradford, and gifen to his
son, Mayer William Bradford, and by
him to his son. Mayer John Brad
ford, rit by me, Samuel Bradford,
March 20, 17O5."
Ever since the discovery of this
log in London, in 1916, there have
been attempts on the part of various
descendants of the Pilgrims in New
England to recover this precious relic,
but they were unavailing until few
weeks ago. The log was handed
down by successive bishops of Lon
don and such was the interest of
Americans in this famous relic that it
was kept in secret drawer to which
the Bishop only had the key. The
movement to recover it, which has
just resulted successfully, was begun
by Senator George F. Hoar, who,
while in London last summer, called
upon DIR. Temple, then Bishop of
London, and was shown the diary.
The Senator suggested that the true
place for this most precious relic of
the Pilgrims was in Massachusetts,,
in which opinion Bishop Temple
agreed, but that as it was part of
the property of the church it would
be necessary to get the consent of the
Archbishop of Canterbury. Not long
after Archbishop Benson died and
DIR. Temple was chosen to succeed
him. The Consistory Court of the
Diocese of London was at once pet
itioned by the American Antiquarian
and Massachusetts, Historical So
cieties, the Pilgrim Society of Ply
mouth, and the New England Society
of New York, to restore the log, and
their petition was reinforced by the
request of the President of the United
States, the new Bishop of London,
and, backed up by the consent of the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the res
toration of the famous relic to Amer
lea was determined upon.
At solemn meeting of the Court,
Ambassador Bayard, by Arnold
Stratham, his representative, present
ed petition in behalf of the Presi-
dent and citizens of America, setting
forth how the book probably came
into the possession of the diocese, and
undertaking to safeguard the log and
place it in Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth,
or some other place of safety selected
by the President of the United States.
The chancellor, yielding to the plea
of the petitioners, based his act upon
the old custom of transferring the
registers of birth, death and mar
riage when a new diocese is offset
from an old one. Massachusetts for
merly belonging to the diocese of
London. The chancellor, therefore,
ordered as follows 81 order, on the
undertaking given by Mr.. Bayard to
place thelog in fit place where per-
sons concerned can have access there
to, and proper certified copy being
deposited at Fulham, that the origi
nal be given up to Mr.. Bayard for
transmission to the President of the
United States and that the copy of
this judgment under seal be sent
with the book whenever Mr.. Bayard
or some one of the United States
embassy can attend. In the mean
while it will remain in the diocesan
strong ROOM"
The English papers generally COM
mented upon the graceful act of in
ternational courtesy and friendship,
the London Times adding that =" it is
the more necessary to claim full cred
it for such acts of courtesy and friend
ship because the act of the American
Senate renders it impossible to draw
the countries together by the stronger
bonds which our government has
shown itself ready to FORGE"
The bringing of this precious vol
ume across the seas, therefore, con-
stitutes another link binding not only
the New England to the old but the
Americans to the English people.
Could the American Senate be
brought to appreciate the full
strength of the ties which thus bind
the two countries together, ties of
language, brotherhood, literature,
history and civilization, it would not
spend its time in destroying by
amendments the great treaty of arbi
tration between England and Ameri-
ca now before it for consideration.
Sentiment is stronger, not unfrequent-
ly, than laws, and blood is thicker
than water. 1t is time that the embit-
tered feelings of a century ago be-
tween England and America should
die out and the ratification of the
treaty of arbitration would rapidly
hasten their demise.
CHICAGO, April II.