The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-02-03
DEGENERATION OF THEIR PROGENY
%me Harsh Things Said of the
Best Unitarians.
The LEADING MEN AXE CHARLATANS
Charles Sumner Belonged to the
New England Sect.

Two hundred and sevcnty-nine years
ago this week the Mayilower cast an
chor here for the purpose of discharg-
ing one hundred contract laborers sent
from England at the expense OF John
and William Pearce, two London mer-
chant adventures, who lost $4,000 by
the venture; for the Pilgrim Fathers
had conscientious scruples" against
paying for their passage in work or
kind, and after they had eaten the food
and drunk the ale and rum that came
out in the Mayhower, they kicked over
their contract and shifted for them
selves, says G. W. P. in letter from,
Plymouth, Mass, to the Philadelphia
Standard and Times. During the first
winter half of the poor creatures died
OF hardsllips and disease. OF the re-
mainder two were hanged for murder
and one was murdered by brother Pill
grim Father. From the forty odd men
and women who survived millions claim
descent The truth seems to be that
there are not more than 10000 living
persons who are descendants OF the
Pilgrim Fathers, and most of them are
scattered about this state.
A few days ago great many profes-
sional speakers and writer's, whose
board, bed and washing has been paid
for years by the exercise OF vivid im-
aginations in talking and writing about
the Pilgrims, met here to dedicate a
church, which they claim is the original
Pilgrim church and has existed as a
religious body from the time OF the Pill
grims. The building is in the school OF
architecture which Thomas Carlyle de-
nominated COW house Presbyterian.
1t cost about as much as the cheap
and temporary churches which are built
by mission priests when establishing
parishes in manufacturing towns. 1t is
feeble in numbers and influence.
counted six times as many souls coming
out of St. Peters Catholic Church here
after high mass as came forth from the
Pilgrims Church, or more properly
speaking, meeting house.
Some of the descendants OF the best
families of Pilgrim days are Catholics.
Bishops Cheverus, Fenwick and Fitz-
patrick were very successful in convert
ing descendants of the Pilgrims and Of
the Puritans who landed at Boston.
Rev. Father Bodfsh of this diocese is
direct descendant of governor of the
Plymouth colony. Archbishop Bayley
was of the same stock, and in several
Catholic parishes of Boston and New
York there are nearly 200 descendants
of the Pilgrims. If the New England
historians would revise their books and
write the truth about the Pilgrim Fa-
theirs, their writings would be vastly
more interesting as showing how a
flock of honest laboring men and wo-
men, pitclforked helter-skelter on a
leaky ship and compelled to herd with
rascals and bad women who were the
scum OF England, pulled themselves to-
getler on bleak shore, ridded the COL
ony of the worst members, compelled
the idle to work and the vicious to keep
within bounds, and built up a sober and
thrifty community wherein men and
women OF opposing religions and an
tagonistic races managed to pull to-
getllcr on many issues for the common
welfare. But instead of writing the
cold facts, the Yankee rolnancers have
filled books with faschoods about the
pilgrims fleeing from religious persc-
cution to found a church without a
bishop and state without a king" and
their canting phrase goes.
Talking with Unitarian minister
whom I met at the hotel to-day, said
it was strange fact that the so-called
Pilgrim church here to-day, which he
claimed is the legitimate parent church
of the Pilgrims, maintains creed and
sets forth an Interpretation of the Bible
which if professed or set forth in the
hearing of the Pilgrims and and their
descendants, until century ago, would
have consigned the holders of such
views to the fangman, the Jail and the
pillory. The minister said that my con-
tention was absolutely correct, but he
maintained that if the Pilgrim Fathers
were to-day on earth and in touch with
the progressive ideas and high culture
of our times, they would reject the
Anost1ee' creed and hold Nth The IYn;