The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-11-25

DIOOu OF VI
Nevertheless Plymouth began relatively TO lose
ground. Whole communities came over in body,
bringing all classes from laborers to physicians
ana ciergymen; but few went to Plymouth. The
iilgrims had no constituency. Their bitter OPP
position to the established church and to the Puri-
tans, and their desire to be let alone, effecually
isolated them from their sister colonies.
In the next two decades Bradford, Brewster and
Standsh died and Winsow returned to England.
Inc creation of thriving towns all about Massa-
chusett5 bay and to the west as far the Con
hecticut river, the Sound and even on
Long Island powerfully reacted on the little group.
UP TO 1850 Plymouth was the dominant force
In the New World. After that men and events
swept past her and around her until in 1901, 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 and
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 now of the Pilgrims in the
Mississippi valley than in Massachusetts, more on
the Pacific coast than in Plymouth.
The revolt at Scrooby, so unimportant that 1t
was scarcely noticed by the authorities at first
registered merely protest against established
and power. Then, with little conception of
the significance of their acts, the men who led
81 revolt heeamp the successful an
in all history
Europe generally regarded America much as
the Greeks regarded all the world beyond the Pill
lars of Hercules-as uninhabitable except by bar
barians and full of terrible monsters Colonial
ton had previously been failure because it had
lacked knowledge and right purpose. The I'M
charted western seas and the unexplored western
world almost mysterious In 1920 as they
had been In 1902, The economic success of Plym-
outh dsspated the mystery and made the CONT
nent a land for citizens rather than for adventur-
ers for workers rather than for proflgate peers
Europe's attitude was Immediately changed, and
the New World was slowly transformed from a
Botany bay into place of ilmitahle opportunity
The Pilgrims were politically impractcabe and
remained economically unimportant TO the end
They were spiritually brave but body apart
they we're impossible TO live with They agreed
with few, and few agreed with them; hut they
made the great demonstration. they and not Col
umbus made the great discovery.
An ancient legend tells that the two great
rocks standing the SOuthery point of
Spain. the other over against 1t on the northerly
point of Africa, were torn asunder by Hercules
To admit the Atlantic and form the Mediterranean
sea This beautiful old myth as is the habit OF
myths, fitted itself to existing facts and explained
a mystery by creating a 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 the entrance TO
n new continent through which speedily poured
the flood of life that has given America to the
world.