The Snowflake herald., 1921-11-18

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. The
Pilgrims had constituency Their bitter Op-
position to the established church and to the Pur-
tans, and their desire to be let alone, efectuaily
isolated them from their sister colonies.
In the next two decades Bradford, Brewster, and
Standish died and Winslow returned to England
The creation OF thriving towns all about Massa-
cnusetts bay and to the west as far as the Con-
necticut river, on the Sound, and even on
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 1891, she
was swallowed up by Massachusetts.
Their absorption into the Massachusetts colony
was easy and natural. In 1891 their creed did not
differ materially from that Of the churches founded
In Salem and In the later colonies. All the New
England churches completely separated
from the established church as Robinson
could have wished
The political extinction Of Plymouth really
triumph. The Pilgrims had conquered spiritual
ly. The New England churches 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 atterly 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 thst 1t
was scarcely noticed by the authorities, at arst
registered merely protest against established er-
ror and power. Then, with little conception OF
the significance Of their acts, the men who led
that revolt became the most successful adventufers
In all history.
Europe generally regarded America much as
the Greeks regarded all the world beyond the FL
lars of Hercules-as unnhabitable, except by bkr-
barians and full of terrible monsters. Coloniza-
ton had previously been a failure because It had
lacked knowledge and right purpose. The
charted western seas and the unexplOred western
world were almost mysterious in 1920 they
had been in 1892. The economic success Of PlyTa.
outh dsspated the mystery and made the CONT
nent land for citizens rather than for adventur-
ers, for workers rather than for profgate peers.
Europe's attitude was Immediately changed, and
the New World was slowly transformed from
Botany bay into place of illimitable opportunitf.
The Pilgrims politically impracticabe ana
remained economically unmportant to the end.
They were spiritually brave, but body apart
they were impossible to live with. They agreed
with few, and few agreed with them but they
mace the great demonstration, they and not Col-
umbus made the great discovery.
An ancient legend tells us that the two great
rocks standing the southerly point Of
Spain, the other against 1t on the northerly
point Of Africa, torn asunder by Hercules
to admit the Atlantic and form the Mediterranean
sea- This beautiful old myth, is the habit OF
myths fitted Itself to existing facts and explained
a mystery by creating greater mystery.
The Pilgrims did not mystify. They answered
the riddle over which Europe had gravely pom
dered for more than hundred years. They lifted
the curtain which for six hundred years had con-
cealed the great mystery. With their feeble hands
they erected pillars that marked che entrance to
q continent through which speedily poured
the food of life that has given America to the
world -.