Evening star., 1909-07-06
FREEDOM OF WORSHIP
President Taft Rejoices in the
Progress of Religious Liberty.
SPEAKS AT NORWICH, CONN.
Advance From the Intolerance of
Our Ancestors.
FIGHT FOR SELF-G0vERNMENT
Declares That Attainment Has Been
the Result of Struggle of
Thousand Years.
SPEAKS AT NORWICH, CONN.
FIGHT FOR sELF-G0vERNMENT

NORWICH, Conn.,, July 6.-Presiden1
Taft was the chief figure in the celebra-
tion of the 2a0th anniversary of this old
New England town yesterday. In the ad-
dress he delivered, after the military pa
rade and civic display. he found theme
in the influence religion had i'm the
growth of Norwich, and took occasion te
express his pleasure at the liberty of re-
ligious belief
The President urged that every man
should be allowed to worship God in his
own way, and declared. amid laughter
that though the first settlers in America
professed to come to escape religious in
tolerance, as a matter of fact they were
determined to follow their own religious
ideas in their own way, and had large
degree of intolerance toward any other
form of belief
Right to Free Worship.
'We have passed beyond that now,'
Mr.. Taft went on, "and are coming more
and more to realize the right of the in
dividual to worship God as he may
choose"
In his address the President referred to
the wonderful history of Norwich, the
Rose of New England and dwelt par
days of the Rev. James Fitch.
THE state was behind him, and the
men and women of the community were
obliged to conform to rules of morality
and life which he laid down." he said
we speak with great satisfaction of the
fact that our ancestors came to this
country to establish freedom of religion
Well, if you are to be exact, they came
to establish freedom of their own religion
and not the freedom of anybody efse's
It,rto to- tl,,t ~ hoe 1,x-
such a thing as freedom of religion was
not understood. We look with consider
able horror on these particular denenina-
tions that punished our ancestors because
they wished to have different kind OF
religion, but when our ancestors got here
in this country and ruled they intended
to have their own religion and no other.
But we have passed beyond that. We
have developed freedom of religion that
came naturally as we went on to free In
stitutions. The Rev. James Fitch could
not look upon any other religion in this
community with any degree of patience
but his descendants, as firm in the faith
as he was, now see that the best way t6
promote Christianity and the worship OF
God is to let every man worship as he
chooses.
Fight for Self-Government.
The President also spoke of the diff
culties of self-government, and said:
Some people so construe the Declara-
ton of Independence that they would
make it mean that any body of men Ii
born with the instinct of self-government
That is not true. Self-government ha:
been fought out in the history of this
world, and by certain races has beer
hammered out by thousand years OF
struggle.
What was true with respect to oul
ancestors is also true with respect te
many races in this world today. They
have to be led on and taught the principle
and lessons of self-government. Our an
cestors by a wise negligence in the home
government for nearly 200 years came te
be the best prepared people there were II
the world for self-government.
After luncheon the President reviewed
a parade. and rode for time at it's head
Immediately in advance of the battalion
of midshpmen. who had left their ships
at New London to attend the celebration
When the parade was over Mr. Taft ad
dressed the people from the reviewing
stand, held reception in the Buckingham
Memorial and witnessed display of fire
works.
Later in the evening Mr.. Taft left fol
Albany on his way to the tercentenary
celebration on Lake Champlain.