The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-26
That Of the MayflOWer
Was Presented Today.
Interesting Ceremony Held at
State House in Boston.
Addresses Made by Senator Hoar
Governor WolcOtt and Others.

| NUN pSl Oi HNlltt EutSlS, tHe bTdufoIu
manuscript was delivered to the state
! OF Massachusetts today by ex-Ambas-
sador 10 England Thomas +. Bayard.
The ceremonies began at II o'clock In
! the representatives chamber at the state
house, the president OF the senate pre-
| siding. After prayer. Mr.. Bayard for
mally delivered the precious documents
| 10 Governor Wolcott, who accepted
them on behalf OF the state. United
Senator Hoar delivered the oration Of the
occasion.
Mr. Bayard, I'm presenting the manu-
script tn the state made a short spe ech
In which he said ne was only an agent
in the matter although willing one
Il have not thought IL best to take a
very prominent part myself. especially
In the speechmaking. The day is
Massachusetts one. The governor, the
legislature in both branches. and the
senior senator will appropriately voice
the sentiments Of the commonwealth.
Senator Hoar has made Il very careful
study OF Pilgrim history. He will tell
you the story Of Bradford. One thing
In particular must stand out in every
body's mind, and that is the courtesy
and good Will on the part of the English
government and people, of which this
is an evidence. There has. been nc
Instance before where England has given
away any OF these cherished relics. Oc-
casionally a will has been allowed TO go
10 another country 10 settle disputed
property claims--the will of Napoleon
Ronaparte. for instance, but as a rule
England guards very tenaciously her
precious trophies" Mr. Bayard then
told the details of the proceedings lead.
ing up TO the return of the manuscript
Senator Hoar's Address.
Senator Hoar's address was in part as
follows:
The first American ambassador TO
Great Britain, at the end Of his official
service, comes 10 Massachusetts, on an
interesting errand. He comes 10 de-
liver to the lineal successor OF Governor
Bradford in the presence OF the repre-
eentatives and rulers OF the body polite
formed by the compact on board the
Mayfower on Nov. IL, 1920, the only au-
thentic history of the founding OF their
commonwealth; the only authentic his
tory of what we have right to consider
the most important political transaction
that has ever taken place on the face OF
the earth.
II has long been we'll known that Gov
ernor Bradford wrote and left behind
him history of the settlement of Ply
mouth. 1t was quoted by early chron-
iclers. There are extracts from IL in
the records at Plymouth. Thomas
Prince used IL when he compiled his an
nails. Hubbard depended on 1t when
he wrote his history of New England.
Cotton Mather had read II or a copy OF
n xrh hp
Ealia. Governor Hutchinson had il
when he published the second volume
Of his history in 1867. From that time
IL disappeared from the knowledge Of
everybody on this side OF the water.
All of our historians speak of IL as lost.
and can only guess what had been its
fate
In 1914 Samuel Wilberforce, bishop of
Oxford, afterward bishop OF London.
one of the brightest of men, published
one OF the dulest and stupidest Of books.
IT Is entitled The History of the Prot
estant Episcopal Church In America"
II contained extracts from manuscripts
which he said he had discovered in the
library Of the bishop of London at Full
ham. The book attracted no attention
here until about II years later. in 1855,
John Wingate Thornton. whom many
Of us remember as an accomplished an
tiquary and delightful gentleman,
happened TO pick up copy of IL while
he was lounging In Burnham's bookstore.
He read the bishops quotations and
carried the book 20 the house of his friend,
Mr.. Barry, who was then writing his
History of Massachusetts" Mr.. Barry
was not at home. Thornton left the
volume with passages marked, and with
note which IS not preserved, but which,
according TO his memory. suggested that
the passages must have come from
Rradford's long-lost history. That is
the claim for Mr.. Thornton. On the
other hand, IL is claimed by Mr.. Barry
that there was nothing OF that kind ex-
pressed In MIR Thornton's note. but in
reading the book when he got back, an
hour or so later. the thought struck him
for the first time that the clue had been
found TO the precious book which had
been lost so long. He at once repaired
to Charles Doane. then, and ever since
down 10 his death. as President Eliot
felicitously styled him, "the master OF
historical Investigators IN this country"
Mr.. Deane saw the Importance OF the
discovery. He communicated at once
with Joseph Hunter an eminent Eng
lish scholar. Hunter was high author
ity on all matters connected with the
settlement of New England. who WIS.,
Ved the palace at Fulham, and estab-
ilsned beyond question the identity OF
the manuscript with Governor Brad
ford's history. an original letter of Gov
ernor Bradford having been sent 10 Mr..
Hunter for comparison OF handwriting.
How the manuscript got to Fulham
nobody knows.
Senator Hoar then told of the nu-
merous attempts 90 secure the return of
the manuscript 20 Massachusetts,. and
the communication OF these efforts by
Ambassador Bayard.
The deN"cry - the manuscript was
made In Joint session Of the legislature
so that the incident would he recorded
In the official history Of the state. twas
previously decided that the papers
should remain IN the archives OF the etate
library