Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-07-22
AMONG THE DUTCH
WINDMILLS
General Rogers Finds . h of Interest
in tha. Laad .. S,aee.
BYE NJ ROC u
CcOscLuDEp FROM z wrEKo

den, a city of So, 600 pee e, and one of
the most ancient citiS Elm Holland,
located on fifty island 2ade by the
Rhine. In the center OF : very clean
and nice city is ''bu D' said to be
the foundation of an old Roman tower
or an Angle Saxon ''Hengist. 4" This
city heroiely held out against the
Spanish invasion, saved their religious
liberty by eating dogs, cats and even
rats, when carrier pigeons came with
the information that the Prince of
Orange was enroute for their deliver
ance. The banners with the Christ
crucified, a symbol of peace, and the
Virgin, typical of love, halted the wave
of tile Inquisition at Layden. and ever
since Holland has been an asylum for
all who have fled from religious tyranny.
Here the English separatist and non
conformist established place to wor-
ship God, here too, the Walloons erect
ed a church and were unmolested. The
front of this church has monumental
stone, placed by direction of Yale col
lege. and on it is written: ION tits
spot lived, taught and died John Rob-
inson. A chronicler writing at that
time said when the separatists as
sembled at the church for prayers, be-
fore emharking, John Robinson and the
audience kneehng, for two hours John
Robinson appealed for Divine aid, Di-
vine blessings; prayed that the sea
would be calm, the landing safely.
Then William Brewster. the chief eld-
er, prayed one hour. He had left his
birth right in England, gone to land
with strange tongue, and embarked
on the Mayflower for the new world.
He lived iii Leyden from 1909 TO 1920,
when he went to Plymouth. Says a
chronlcler: Their departure was of a
solumn and impressive nature" They
left the old world of reliG ieus intoier-
ance to find freedom, and they them
selves enacted cruel and inhuman laws,
now prohibited by constitution. They
were bigots in many ways, and in the
name af God ruled harshly. Gradually
the softening influence of time lessened
the rigo-s of Christianity by force, and
we look TO the New England, Virginia
and Maryland men of letters, statesmen
and scholars and clergy who broke down
much of the religious severity of that
austere age | visited the university
of Leyden, the first commencement in
in 1874, an institution of learning which
has had influence for four hundred
years, not only in all parts of Europe,
but has circled the globe.
Running to Harlem, we nc,e canals
and windmills; along the shore of the
sea, sand doons thrown up by the
waves. This place was beseiged by the
Spanish army in 1853, and starved to
surrender to the Duke of Alva, who
came with the inquisition and executed
two thousand Hollanders. That horri- |
Bile massacre In the attempt to force
one religion, made Holland ever after
a refuge for all the prosecuted FOR re-
lgious faith.
Amsterdam Is a city of three-fourths
of q million inhabitants, having a large
trade with the interior by canals, cleo
trio and steam cars and many lines of
ocean steamers. Ii is well supplied
with schools, reading rooms, churches,
museums, play houses and palaces.
Around Amsterdam are some stipend
Gus works reclaiming land from the
sea; bringing timber from Alabama for
the purpose of dyking. Fishing in
terests are extensive, many sloops with |
dories 90 out on the sea and anchor, or
driven by the wind, ride out the storm,
fishing for herring
Before leaving Holland we spend a
few Gays in The Hague, the capital of
the Dutch Republic, an interesting city,
with many places of much interest.
The young queen, childless, has her
winter residence here in very plain
palace. Two centuries ago, William of
Orange planted a court of 200 acres
with oak and elm trees, ditched and
made lands, excavated small lakes and
brought aquatic fowls; built palace
and lived there. The present queen
spends few weeks there each year.
We rode on d trolley along a splendid
highway through the forests to the
palace, where the usher for small
fee conducted us through the old Dutch
palace. where Republican Royalty had
held court two hundred years. II was
a charming morning walk through
throne and reception rooms, alon. cor
ridors, rooms filed with art and tapes
try. ball and dining rooms. We see on
the wall a painting of an American
citizen, and learned it was Mot ey, the
historian, who as guest of the king,
lived here seven years, was appointed
historian, and wrote the Dutch Repub-
lie. The queen, for her health and to
crafty the people who wish to see
royalty, rides in state every pleasant
day. With multitude of people we
waited the coming of the royal equip
age, and it was our pleasure to see a
pleasant woman, the Queen OF Holland.
The government has two houses, and
was a delight to take seat in tn
gallery and see the Dutch House of
Commons debating in a language un-
ineligible to me. The Hague has a
fine art gallery, an interesting museum,
a beautiful and large cathedral of the
Dutch Reform. Beautiful stained glass
windows and and an organ of huge pro
portions and thousands of pipes are
to be seen here. For many years, when
the rigid rules of religion were severe |
in Europe, the dissenters found place |
here where God was in love and peace; |
they came TO the Dutch Republic for |
protection, and were received with hos |
pitality They came when Cromwell |
ruled England as Lord Protector; they |
came when Charlie u was re-instated. |
William of Orange, with a small army |
of English and Dutch, left The Hague, |
landed in England and jointly with |
Mary. ruled the British Isles. Holland |
has for three centuries been an asylum |
for political and religious refugees.
Many peace conferences have been held |
at The Hague, in consideration of the
liberal governments Of the Dutch Re
pnblic. Carnegie has given one million
and q half d0llcis for a permanent
peace building to which nations can
send their delegates to arbitrate.
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