The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-06-06

civil and religious despotism and in :
tolerance and the yearning of the
human heart for liberty and indie
pendence of thought ad action and
action was but faint echo of what
was going on across the Atlantic
During the dark centuries of the mid
die ages, when the supremacy OF
government received more attention
than the welfare of the governed
when those at the head or affairs
were selfish, INSCRIPTIONS and thirs
ty for power, intolerance and OPP
preston prevailed in the church and
in the state. But day is sure to fol :
low night, and with the invention O
the printing press and the spread OF
learning, in the light of Luther's Re-
formation, some of the dark clouds
OF ignorance and superstition wer,
dispelled, but not all OF them. When
Bloody Mary assembled the throne OF
England, in 1853, she prosecuted the
Christians who would not worship in
the Catholic fold. In six years, she
drove twelve thousand Protestant
ministers out of their pulpits, and
burned alive two hundred and seventy
persons. When Queen Elizabeth sue
ceeded her, being Protestant, it was
hoped that there would be religious
freedom, so that each one could wor-
ship God according to the dictates of
his own conscience. But it was
otherwise. Elizabeth prosecuted those
or the Professionals who refused to
adopt and worship in conformity to
the ceremonies of the Church of
England. To escape this intolerance
some of her subjects fled to Holland
and from there, in the year 1920
sailed for America, the land of the
Tree and the blessed home of the
brave.
One hundred and one souls sailed
IN the humble ship Mayflower on the
9th day of August. They reached
Cape Cod on the 18th day of Novm
Der, and on that day in the waters
or the great State of Massachusetts
those sturdy, honest, conscientious
and liberty loving men framed and
signed the first written constitution
In the World-the first league of ma
lions. L am sure that it has already
occurred to mary of you that the
armlst1ce in the last great war was
likewise signed on the 18th of No
vember, Great day this, the 18th OF
November The Pilgrim Fathers then
solemnly agreed, for the glory of God
and the spread of the Christian faith
TO form body polite, enact lust and
equal laws, regulations nd constitu-
tons as should be deemed best. and
promised all due submission and
obedience thereto. Out of this
simple compact, signed by forty one
men on board of the Mayfiower, EN-
anated the great Constitution of the
united States of America of which
William Ewart Gladstone of England
said:
AS far as / can see, the America
constitution is the most wonderful
work ever struck off at one time nv
the brain and purpose of a man"
AFTER sailing long the coast, these
rather Ignorant but pious mechanics
merchants, cobDlers and farmers fin !.
any landed at Plymouth Rock on the
Zznd day of December, the shortest
Jay OF all the year, but the longest
uay' the proudest day, and the most
slgnincant in all American history
ihese men built far better than thew
knew. They little dreamed that thew
were laying the foundations of .
sreat republic. They little dreamed
tnat they were really discovering
america, and starting to make if
what 1t has since become-safe for
democracy. They had fed in disgust
ana despair, from a land too much
enurch, or too much government nj
tyranny, intolerance and oppression
Ihey hated with sincere hatred ev.
erythlng that brought these thin
again to mind. They hated the tiara
ol .ne pope, the crown of the mon :
arch, the robes of the arcbbisbon
anu the vestments of the rector
iney mated them. not for their in.
trlnslc worth or value, but on ar
count OF their association. The crown
ol the monarch is only a small thine
IN and of itself. only a band of colo
out IL is associated with great mover
IN one man, with great autboritv
viii autocracy, with subsection, with
oppression.
Inc Puritans believed that those
are governed best who are governed
ieast. They tried to be honest, nm
risht' orderly and religious, so as n
heed no government outside of tbon, :
serves either in spiritual or temnoro,
analrs, but just a self government
Oh the people. by the people and Gov
.ne people. They had their shortcom /.
ings. They lad not developed the
iuea OF liberty to the extent if ia
oeVeioped today. They did NOT al
ways give to others the liberty which
they claimed for themselves Rut to
,helr credit, let 1T be said, that thew
launched the ideas which subsequent
~ developed the principle of univer-
sal freedom. They contended that
oie blDle is sufficient guide ia
uou' that reason and prayer are
sulhclent guides to the Bible. and
that honest souls and virtuous bear !
are sufficient guides to reason How
wen is all this cOrroborated by orr
Keen and sensible Abraham Lincoln
IN MS first public speech on March
y, 1882, wherein he said that educo :
tion furnishes the advantages and
SATISFACTION TO be derived from all
Deing able to read the Scriptures and
other works, both of religions and
moral nature, for themselves"
The descendants and successors of
the Pilgrims declared befora oil ,ho