Smyrna times., 1920-12-22

1t has been asked by many people
during the past season
WHAT is THE TERCENTENARY?
In order to answer this query, it
would seem necessary to turn back
three centuries, and state what = =.
events were that have led up to it.
God sifted a whole nation that
He might send choice grain into
the wilderness"
1t so happens that the year 1920 is
doubly significant, historically, in that
three hundred years ago, beginning
the Both of last July, there was being
held in jamestown, Virginia, the first
American Legislative Assembly, called |
by free men, of lawful age, and full |
understanding.
And at the same time, little gr UP |
of English humble-folk, who had fed
to Holland twelve years before, il or
der to worship God as their conscience
dictated, were making ready to go to
America, and establish in the New
World a home of religious freedom.
So one year after the Virginians had
met in General Assembly-July 2Ctli,
1620-these men, women and children
of the Pilgrim band, left Leyden for
Delfshaven, from where they we're to
sail for America by way of Southamp-
ton, and Plymouth in the Mother
country.
BY one of those strange condolences
which sometimes seems to set aside
certain days and endow them with ira
ditional significance, July Both and
November 18th, take on such an en-
dowment, for the first date joins Cav
alier and Pilgrim together, as twin
sources of that high inspiration, which
met in the Convention of the Great
Constitution; and Nov. 18th, is not on
ly the anniversary day of the May
Flower Compact, but is also the mem
orable day of the beginning of that
Armistice, which closed the Great
War, in which the descendants of Pill
grim and Cavalier and their kin
across seas fought and won together.
1t is most interesting to go back and
note the spirit of reverence and belief
in Gods guidance that marked that
first assembling of legislators on
American soil, for it was after invok-
ing the blessing of God, that He would
guide and sanctify the proceedings
that the speaker of this Mother Of
American Parliaments, after twice
reading the "great charter" of "Vir-
ginia Britannia" proceeded to put il
into it's four books, for the use of the
two committees. And again, in the
cabin of a tiny bark lying off the
Massachusetts coast, little band o1
liberty loving men, also from "Britan
nia," drew up, and entered into, ths
May-Flower Compact, with thes'
words "In ye name of God. Amen, ant
IN We presence of God"
The Pilgrims wrote that name large
over all their doings-
In a very true and profound sens
4 the Mayhower carried with her tn
4 moral destinies of the world. Thes
Pilgrims were the pioneers of civil an
religious liberty. They had great an
n nlRu Q1dllIlcSy -IllC SOllQ NlIOuCo "
i which stable commonwealths a,
q founded.
These two historic events marke
the beginnings of that experiment
Il self-govemment, which, after a Gel
tury and a half, was to find final e.
Il preston in the Constitution of ii
4 United States of America.
u These two events, occurring as th'
N did, within eighteen months of ca
other, are both vitally important
s. the history of the country, both we
: foundation-stones upon which has be-
G reared the structure of liberty. T
n Pilgrims were the forerunners, t
entering wedge, so to speak, of tn
great Puritan migration which dete
q mined the character of New nglar
n and so profoundly affected the civil
alton of present day America.
Puritanism was not entirely !
u ligious sect. It was powerful NOV
ment for social and personal reform
concerted demand for political righ
an insurrection against conformity