Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1921-11-17

Nevertheless, Plymouth began relatively to lose
ground. Whole communities came over In body,
bringing all classes from laborers to physicians
and clergymen; but few went to Plymouth. Inc
Pilgrims had no constituency. Their bitter op-
position to the established church and to the Puri-
tans, and their desire to be let alone efectualiy
isolated them from their sister colonies
In the next two decades Bradford, Brewster ana
Standish died and Winslow returned to England.
The creation Of thriving towns all about Massa-
chusetts bay and to the west as far as the Con-
necticut river, on the Sound, and even over OH
Long Island, powerfully reacted on the little group.
Up to 1880 Plymouth the dominant force
In the New World. After that men and events
swept past her and around her until In l69l, she
was swallowed up by Massachusetts,.
Their absorption into the Massachusetts colony
was easy and natural. In 1851 their creed did not
differ materially from that of the churches founded
In Salem and in the later colonies. All the New
England churches were as completely separated
from the established church as even Robinson
could have wished.
The political extinction Of Plymouth was really
a triumph. The Pilgrims had conquered spiritual.
ly. The New England churches were ruled by the
congregations. What they called popish practices
were everywhere ended.
Plymouth, losing her civic Independence became
first general possession Of all New England ana
then tradition of the nation.
The little Mayfower band had become mighty
host, steadfast always in the maintenance OF
individual rights and latterly stout defenders OF
religious liberty.
There are now more sons Of the Pilgrims in the
Mississippi valley than In Massachusetts, more on
the Pacific coast than In Plymouth
The revolt at Scrooby, unimportant that It
was scarcely noticed by the authorities. at first
registered merely protest against established err
ror and power Then, with little conception of
the significance of their acts, the men who led
that revolt became most successful adventures
in all history.
Europe generally regarded America much as
the Greeks regarded all the world beyond the FL
lars of Hercules-as uninhabitable, except by par
harians and full of terrible monsters. Colonial
tion had previously been failure because it had
lacked knowledge and right purpose. The un-
charted western seas and the unexplored western
world were almost as mysterious III l6zo as they
had been in 1892. The economic success OF Piym
outh dissipated the mystery and made the cohti
nent a land for citizens rather than Tor adVentur
ers for workers rather than Tor pronigate peers
Elrope's attitude was Immediately changed, ant
the New World was slowly transformed from
Botany bay into place of illimitabe opportunity
The Pilgrims were politically mpracticaDe ant
remained economically unimportant to the enc
They were spiritually brave, but as Dody apar
thev were impossible to live with. They agrees
with few and few agreed with them; but the
made the great demonstration, they ana not vi
umbus made the great discovery.
An ancient legend tells us that the two gtea
rocks standing one on the southerfy point Q
Spain, the other over against 1t on the aortnsrl
noint of Africa, were torn asunder py Hercue
~ adm,+ tho Atlantic and form the Mediterranean
sao This beautiful old myth, as is the habit Q
MYTHS. fitted itself to existing facts and expaine
mystery by creating greater mystery
The Pilgrims did not mystify. They answere
the riddle over which Europe had gravely POI
dered for more than a hundred years. Ihey lifte
the curtain which for six hundred years had co.
oao,ed the great mystery. With their feeble hand
thew erected pillars that marked che entrance
new continent through which speedily poure
the flood of life that has given America to IL
world.