Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-11-18

Nevertheless, Plymouth began relatively TO ioSe
ground. Whole communities came over IN Oouy'
bringing all classes from laborers to physicians
and clergymen; but few went to Plymouth. Inc
Pilgrims had constituency Their Dltler op-
position to the established church and to the Purl
tans, and their desire to be let alone, enectuaiiy
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 Tar as the Con
necticut river, on the Sound, and even over OIL
Long Island powerfully reacted on the little group
Up to 1880 Plymouth was the dominant force
in the New World. After that men and events
swept past her and around her until in 1911, sne
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
triumph The Pilgrims had conquered spiritual
y. The New England churches were ruled by the
congregations. What they called popish practices
were everywhere ended.
Plymouth, losing her civic independence became
first a general possession of all New England ana
then a tradition of the nation.
The little Mayfower band had become mighty
-
individual rights, and lattery 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, so unimportatt that II
was scarcely noticed by the authorities, at hrst
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 the 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 bar,
harians and full of terrible monsters. Colonial
+ion had previously been failure because it had
lacked knowledge and a right purpose. The I'M
cbarted western seas and the unexplored western
world were almost mysterious IN 1879 as tney
had been in 1892 The economic success OF Plynl-
outh dissipated the mystery and made the contl>
nent land for citizens rather than for adventur-
ers. for workers rather than for profigate peers
Eurone's attitude was Immediately changed, and
the New World was slowly transformed from 4
BOTANY bay into place of illimitable opportunity.
The Pilgrims we're politically impracticable and
remained economically unimportant to the END.
They were spiritually brave, but as Dody apart
thev were impossible to live with. They agreed
With few and few agreed with them; but they
made the great demonstration they and not COL
umbus made the great discovery
A ancient legend tells us that the two great
ol-e standing one on the southerly point of
cnoin the other over against it on the northerly
noint of Africa, torn asunder by Hercules
- admit the Atlantic and form the Mediterranean
COO This beautiful old myth, as 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
+ho riddle over which Europe had gravely pom
dnred for more than hundred years. They lifted
the curtain which for six hundred years had con-
cealed the great mystery. With their feeble hands
thev erected pillars that marked the entrance to
new continent through which speedily poured
the flood of life that has given America 10 Tue
world.