The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-30
THE GREAT CAPE COD BLUNDER
Further instruction Ter tire historian %
oliver Cr0mwpilv Times.

To THE Enron OF TEE Suv-Sis: Assun-
ing that President Roosevelt's orstoricsl
achievements In literature and history may
be treated without offence otherwise thsn
by the sounding Of sackbuts and timbrels
demanded for his acts Of Government pslicy.
I ask attention to something in bis Province
town address scarcely noticed In the rrer.
outside Massachusetts,, and there very gin
gerly By the Administration papers.
The most tenaciously heid Of all the mis-
understandings OF well established facts
prevalent among intelligent people. tnclud-
ing the general run Of Journalistic, ministers
and public takers. 10 the superstition that he
Puritans and the Plymouth Pilsrtms we're
identical In character. behavior and religious
class. To most people IL IL such an astound-
ing assertion TO say that the Pilgrims were
not Puritans that disbelisvers are advised TO
inform themselves from 0odwfn's Common
wealth OF England" Meals History Of the
Puritanu,s pacon's Genesis OF the New Eng
land Church, or Senator George y. Hosr's
grafton at Plymouth on December II. 1925.
For Q concise exhibit of religious sad po,iti-
Hoar's grafton oughtto be sufhcieut. IT'D also
clearly indicated In John Boyle O'Rsiily's
verses on the Pilgrims. read By him On an
earlier occasion; hkswiss In Oliver Wendell
Holiness poems The Pilgrims Vision and
Robinson Of Leyden.'
The Boston Globe 40 the time Of previous
conspicuous exhibition Of Ignorance on the
subject said; The c~onfounding Of Purt-
tans and Pilgrims IN bad enough among
everyday folk. but Il 10 simply unpsrdonsbie
in clergymen. who are supposed to know
something Of the early political and ecclesias-
tic history Of thu oountry. and equally % in
Journalistic What it would be in the case
Of q President Of the United States the Giobo
had no occasion at that time to say: but its
= - L. ---.I
reading: The Pilgrims were q kindly peo-
pie. long suffering and slow TO anger. But
they could not forget the Puritan persecu-
ton that drove them out OF England and yer
set the machinery Of the law ct work to pre-
vent their escape. The Purttans we're. at
Ssd' c SltS q, pt scs S ssS; q t e.. c SSnseRd e.:
cept i'm this: that they Joined them heart and
hand In per~secuting The sepaIatists. as the
the resources aTcs Of their genius IN dsvisinS
methods OF cruel punishment for them.
pi II sSsi d. Standardization ecis9a., o. e sSd sSsSrd hi
Ss.lus,ieoeay that ,sff aged aF 10 &. ' PS9i. sas SETTLEMENTS
% : Ss issset e estert II sSssas's and fs ee6sr places ssa
s:y e. : lSSs 4 SS$sIs:s: s !. %sSS %Si s,RSs ss::s::;i
sc;Risssly SscsivsS and rso.iSsS |: Ss.n ds:
first landed at Provncetovn and tsrded
there some weeks before settling Ct Plymouth.
The Puritans' did not come scroes the sea
till some years later. and took up their abode
Ss f.r down = Boston; The President made
the cornerstone OF z monument to be erected
in honor Of the Pilgrims. and before the
assembled multitude Of people OF that region.
settled by the nlErims. President Roosevelt
through The fnst third Of his addrsss ttSs
rest OF Il was RiVen to present public Al ARA
the President attributed TO the Puritans ali
the forutude. heroism, moral power and
results OF the Pilgrims daring voyage and
csnpsign for Freedom to wcrship God"
You sons OF the Puritans-
The coming hithor of the Puritan three Centuries
The Puritan has stamped his influence % deeply
We need have but scsnt patience with the men
who now rsi At the Puntan's faults.
Inc spirit OF the Puritan vas . spirit which never
the P~prltsn's task was TO conquer a continent.
This shrine q PuritaDIsm ID one AZ which we ell
gather 10 pay homage.
Apd 40 In eleven other naminss Of the
Puritans and. their descendants the President
asoribsd 70 them al the honor and glory due
DI. g: on on piISim soil And be q hIsscrian
tiers and public taikers"-to quote nv own
words In this screed-who Oh courss viii
continue stoIidly IN their psryerxon OF 3
historic truth. the best thing they cen say
e for mat sSsy ~ ils az ss Z i. sS%% SSs s ss:.', q ar ISin,
AMSTERDAM, N, Y. August Is. ~