The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-10-03
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON
ksa HE various tercentenary


IL I'M the historical events of
NIN long ago, and have
M brought again to the
attention of Americans
the names of many men
who are all but forgotten. Some one
has suggested that the Bay State
might we'll round out its tercentenary
program with one more celebration of
an important event which took place
300 years ago. Such a celebration
would be held next February, for it
was in February, 1851, that a man
named Roger Williams arrived in Bos-
ton from England.
The only trouble with that sugges-
ton is that Roger Williams is man
whom Massachusetts is little likely to
honor with any special ceremonies.
even though it would seem that after
three centuries had passed all ancient
prejudices should be dispelled and the
considerably softened. At least, one
might logically draw such a conclu-
sion from these facts:
In 1886 the Great and General Court
Of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
wrote upon its records the following:
whereas, Mr.. Roger Williams, one
of the elders of the church of Salem,
hath preached and divulged divers
new and dangerous opinions against
the authority of magistrates and also
writ letters of defamation, both Of the
magistrates and churches here, and
that before any conviction, and yet
maintaineth the same without any re-
traction; it is therefore ordered, that
the said Mr.. Williams shall depart out
of this jurisdiction within six weeks
now next evening, which if he neglect
to perform, it shall be lawful for the
governor and two of the magistrates
to send him to some place out Of this
Jurisdiction, not to return any more
without license from the court"
In 1928 the Massachusetts house of
representatives accepted without de-
bate report by the judiciary commit
tee recommending leave to withdraw"
On a bill by Representative John w.
Hawkins to revoke the sentence of
Punishment of Roger Williams. Thus
the Bay State passed up its chance to
make a graceful gesture which would
show that the spirit of intolerance
which once characterized Massachu-
sets, the colony, had been succeeded
by a more generous spirit in Massa-
chusetts, the state, and il missed an
opportunity to utter even this smallest
thanks for Williams service when at
the greatest risk to himself, he dissu-
AIDED the Narragansett Indians from
joining in the Pequot war against the
colony which had expelled him from
its borders.
But, quite aside from this question
of whether or not the Massachusetts
of today is likely to pay belated hon
or to the man whom the Massachusetts
of 300 years ago considered dangerous,
feared and sent into exile, is the ques-
ton which one might logically ask as
the result of recalling the name of a
man who has been gone from the
American scene these PAT years
"Why is the arrival of Roger Williams
on the shores of New England impor-
tant enough to justify celebration
300 years later?"
The answer to that question may be
found in these words Roger Williams
was the first prophet of freedom in
America, the land of the free,' man
whose liberalism was not confined to
religion alone but who stood staunch-
ly for civil liberty as WELL" Surely
in these days when Americans are be-
coming concerned about the liberties
guaranteed them in the foundation
stone of our Republic, the Constitution.
to know something of such a man is
worth while. Recently there has ap-
peared a biography of him which
brings out strongly the Importance of
this man in American history. 1t is
"Roger Williams. Prophet and Pho
neer." written by Emily Easton and
published by the Houghton Miffiin
company"
If Roger Williams had been no more
than the pioneer. he would still be in
teresting and worthy of study. But it
is in Roger Williams, the prophet of
freedom, that our main interest lies,
and with him in this role his new BIZ
ographer is chiefly concerned. The
year of his birth is uncertain. 1t was
probably 1902 or 1903. The scene was
In London onstDe edge of Smithfieid
where were held both the fairs and
the executions of the day. His father