The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-11-19

remain English, they could not return to England
without risking contamination by contact with
Puritans and Anglicans.
The wilderness Of America, with all its terrors
seemed to offer them the essential conditions.
They early decided not to go to jamestown, be-
cause the Episcopal church was already established
there. They tried to get definite concessions from
the established church as to their own government
and worship, and then abandoned such attempts.
Finally, in June, 1919 they got patent from the
Virginia company. They concealed their real pur-
pose, and got the patent in the name of John Win
cob. They hoped to sail without revealing who
they were and what they purposed Later they
abandoned this patent for another granted by the
Virginia company to John Peirce and associates.
Under this instrument their anonymity was COM
plete
They then negotiated sevenyear contract with
Thomas Weston and a group of London merchants,
afterward known as the Adventures. The con-
tract as first arranged, covered the financing OF
the enterprise and planned to set up trading
post The question then was-how many would
20 across the sea, and who?
It was decided that If majority voted to 60.
Robinson should lead them; if the majority voted
not to go, Brewster should lead those who went.
The majority voted not to 60, and Robinson never
saw the New world
On September 16, 1920, the Mayfower left
Plymouth on her immortal voyage In mid ocean
U>S~.>>-
weaknesses in the ship. Land was sighted on the
nineteenth of November. The sailors said 1t was
Cane Cod so they turned south, as they were
under Virginia patent and must land In territory
controlled by the Virginia company. They quick
" ran into the shoals and breakers that lie about
the cape. and then turned northward.
In doing this they abandoned their patent en-
+,relv The famous compact signed in the May
aower,s cabin before they landed was drawn up
not az kind of earlier Declaration OF lndepen-
dopca as orators time out of mind have SAID, OUT
because some Of the men denied tnat brauioru hiu
anv authority over them after the patent mac Deeh
abandoned The new instrument was INTENDED 20
no a declaration that all stood on an equal 1oothg.
The critical period Of the Plymouth colony was
e-om 1900 TO 1927 In those seven years IT'S round
ers achieved the success and rendered tne UNIQUE
service that have nightly Influenced the suose-
ouent development of the world.
These were not the first religious zeaiots "no
,.-aod in the New World for the Huguenots had
nracoded them; nor was Plymouth the nrst CUT
onv for MANY settlements had been mace carrier
MT thev first interpreted America to europe. Inc
~ - .ho+ Impressed Europe was not the high
.s1s Of tho pilgrims not their religious devotlon'
.ho foct that counted was their economic success.
= 60 NOT easy for us to understand what ~
moan, In those days to demonstrate 70 the O!u
world that men could live, could even prosper AZ
Tho New World, without aid from over the SEQ
No ono had previously done 1t; no one oeieVeo -
...,,d 10 dome The men and women OF Plymoutn
como IN the New World to make homes, to STICK
even though they died in the struggle. They stuck
~ 49,, died IN the first year more than one
half their number died. In the next SIX years. OUT
Of a population Of one hundred and ninety-nne
only six died. ,,,,,, ,ooor IN
Tho great Puritan migration which began 10
.oo- .h,ch d,rectly created Massachusetts,, and
nod an almost Unreasonable influence In founding
New England-was the direct result not OF the
p,,er,ms' religious beliefs but of the economic sue
cess achieved at Plymouth
Six. possibly more, of the guarantors OF the Bay
colony had been members OF the Adventures VINO
purchased the Mayfower and packed inc orlslna
p-.so Tbev knew the whole story intimately
ond nroated by the experience