The Holly chieftain., 1921-11-17


Nevertheless. Plymouth began relatively to lose
ground. Whole communities came over In body.
bringing all classes from laborers to physicians
ana clergymen; but few went to Plymouth. Khe
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, and
Standish died and Winslow returned to England
The creation of thriving towns all about Massa-
chusetts bay and to the west far as the Con-
necticut river, on the Sound, and even over 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 1901. 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 fauaded
In Salem and in the later colonies. All the New
England churches us completely separated
from the established church rs even Robinson
could have wished.
The political extinction of Plymouth was really
triumph. The Pilgrims had conquered spiritual
ly. The New England churches We're 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 Mayfiower band had become mighty
host, steadfast always in the maintenance OF
Individual rights, and latterly stout defenders OF
religious liberty.
There 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 so unimportant that It
was scarcely noticed by the authorities, at first
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 adventures
In all history.
Europe generally regarded America much
the Greeks regarded all the world beyond the Pill
lars Of Hercules-as uninhnbitable except by bar
barnns and full Of terrible monsters. COlonza-
tion had previously been failure because 1t had
lacked knowledge and a right purpose The un-
charted western seas and the unexplored western
world were almost as mysterious In 162O as they
had been In 1892. The economic success of Pym-
outh dissipated the mystery and made the CONT
nent land for citizens rather than for adventur-
ers for workers rather than for profigate peers
Europe's attitude was Immediately changed, and
the New World was slowly transformed from
BOTANY bay into place Of illimitabe opportunity.
The Pilgrims were politically impracticabe and
remained economically unlmpOrtant to the end
they were spiritually brave, but as body apart
they were impossible to live with. They agreed
with few, and few agreed with them; but they
made the great demonstration. they and not Col
uubus made the great discovery.
An ancient legend tells us that the two great
rocks standing one on the southerly point OF
Spain, the other over against 1t on the northeriy
po,nt of Africa, were torn asunder by Hercules
to admit the Atlantic and form the Mediterranean
sea. This beautiful old myth. rs is the habit of
myths fitted itself to existing facts and explained
n 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 the entrance Il
a new continent through which speedily poured
the food Of H.e that has given Amenca to the
world.