El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-08-24
Dutch Haze Inspired
Much of Our Freedom
Our Declaration or Independence
Is Modelled After Declaration
or Union OF Utrecht and
Our COlOrs Are Those or
Netherlands Republic.
BY MADISON c. PETERS.


hFANT Dutch portraits might be
w hung in the fame hall Of American
patriotism-lIke those daring generals
Of the revolution. Philip Schuyler and
Pierre Van Cortland that broad and
safe president, Martin Van buren, and
that peerless pleader for posterity-
Theodore kOosevelt-but / think of
the historic due TO Ia Dutch as Of
principles rather than men.
Holland was for zoo years the great
est republic in the world. iustructing
the nations in the arts and sciences.
outstripping all other peoples in COM
merce and foremost in manufacture,
living in luxurious palaces when Eng
lands yeomanry lived in huts and
never ate vegetables.
Electric Light OF Civilization.
At time when there was no light
for man anywhere in the world. HoI-
land preserved the principles Of civil
and religious liberty; when learning
was dead or buried in the monas-
Leries. Holland had her asyIums her
Libraries and her universities: at a
time when bigOtry crushed out all ex-
preston OF conscience and individual
belief, Holland was the worlds INTEL
lectual camping ground lberty's|
storehouse, the safe deposit vault of
the rights Of man, the electric light
which Illuminated the world and
saved mankind.
Produced First English Bible.
HOLLAND was first TO give the Eng
fish speaking people the Bible in their
own lanEuage-the first complete
English Bible was the work OF Miles
CloVerdale. who was employed by ia
cob Van Meteren, OF Antwerp TO make
the translation from the Dutch AMI
Latin, printed in Holland and sent TO
England
The 100000 Dutch. who. during the
persecution OF Phillip II and the duke
OF Alva, crossed the channel and made
their homes in the souths sn and east
ern counties Of England. intermarry-
ing with the natives, teaching them
agriculture, banking, commerce. edu-
cation, politics. social service and re-
uglous refOrm-frOm this stock grew
the English commonwealth. whence
CrOmWsls army was mustered. I'M
pressed by the ideas Of the Dutch re-
public influencing that great English
exile 20 America-the Puritan exodus, I
which made New England. This is
Hollands contribution 10 America
The DutcLnan Iberalized the Pill
grim during his u years residence in !
Holland. taught him and his children
the merits OF universal education. I
showed him what the common school, I
religious tolerance and the rights OF !
the individual man could do and then
filled with democratic ideals came I
straight from Holland TO Plymouth I
Rock.
The Dutch republic hewed and
shaped and gave US those granite /
blocks which were swung into the /
foundations OF our republic-the Eng ]
nsh Puritaus and Pilgrims.
1 w0Ild not detract from other ma /
uonalities that have contributed 70 I
our conglOmerate republic, but il can
easily be seen that the superior quail Z
tiles OF other nations have had large /
intusions Of Dutch virtue, as, for ex-
ample: William Penn, son Of a Dutch |
mother, drafted the code OF Pennsyl- |
Fania according TO the laws OF his ]
mothers republic; Roger Williams, :
the Nelshman- founder Of Rhode /
Island. originator Of the American I
doctFine Of the absolute separation Of I
church and state. was so full Of Dutch I
democracy that be taught Milton, the /
poet Of freedom, the Dutch language,
and Thomas Hooker, an English refu-
gee. came direct from Holland 70 I
found the colony Of Connecticut, a
government based on the consent Of !.
the governed, the beginning Of Amer I"
lean democracy I"
Napoleon crushed the republic by E
the Zuyder Zee, but before il expired I:
1t safely handed the torch OF liberty. (:
---- ---~=AA+AE AAAA " VI ~ ~ me new
republic across the sea Z
When the English fleet in a time
Of peace captured New Amsterdam as
New York was then called and the
flag Of the Netherlands was hauled
down, II was the flag Of q republic
that was trailed in the dust. But the
spirit Of Dutch freedom was keptl
alive for 100 years and when the new
republic was born, IL declaration Of
independence contained the senti-
menrs and many Of the phrases trans
lated from that older declaration Of
independence Of the union OF Utrecht
200 years before, and the federal con-
stitution OF the new republic took its
guide and model Of the constitution I,
Of that older republic, and 10 and be-
hold when the standard Of the new
republic was raised to the flagstaff.
the red, white and blue Of the flag Of
the United States Of the Netherlands
were the only colOrs in the flag Of the
-nited States Of Americai