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savage　not　only　disdain　the　virtues　and　enjoyments　of

civilization　himself；　but　shall　he　control　the　civilization　of　a

world？　　Shall　he　forbid　the　wilderness　　to　blossom　like　a　rose？　

Shall　he　forbid　the　oaks　of　the　forest　to　fall　before　the　axe　of

industry；　and　to　rise　again；　transformed　into　the　habitations　of

ease　and　elegance？　　shall　he　doom　an　immense　region　of　the

globe　to　perpetual　desolation；　and　to　hear　the　howlings　of　the

tiger　and　the　wolf　silence　forever　the　voice　of　human　gladness？　

Shall　the　fields　and　the　valleys；　which　a　beneficent　God　has

formed　to　teem　with　the　life　of　innumerable　multitudes；　be

condemned　to　everlasting　barrenness？　　Shall　the　mighty　rivers；

poured　out　by　the　hand　of　nature；　as　channels　of

communication　between　numerous　nations；　roll　their　waters　in

sullen　silence　and　eternal　solitude　of　the　deep？　　Have　hundreds

of　commodious　harbors；　a　thousand　leagues　of　coast；　and　a

boundless　ocean；　been　spread　in　the　front　of　this　land；　and　shall

every　purpose　of　utility　to　which　they　could　apply　be　prohibited

by　the　tenant　of　the　woods？　　No；　generous　philanthropists！

Heaven　has　not　been　thus　inconsistent　in　the　works　of　its

hands。　　Heaven　has　not　thus　placed　at　irreconcilable　strife　its

moral　laws　with　its　physical　creation。　　The　Pilgrims　of

Plymouth　obtained　their　right　of　possession　to　the　territory　on

which　they　settled；　by　titles　as　fair　and　unequivocal　as　any

human　property　can　be　held。　　By　their　voluntary　association

they　recognized　their　allegiance　to　the　government　of　Britain；

and　in　process　of　time　received　whatever　powers　and

authorities　could　be　conferred　upon　them　by　a　charter　from

their　sovereign。　　The　spot　on　which　they　fixed　had　belonged　to

an　Indian　tribe；　totally　extirpated　by　that　devouring　pestilence

which　had　swept　the　country　shortly　before　their　arrival。　　The

territory；　thus　free　from　all　exclusive　possession；　they　might

have　taken　by　the　natural　right　of　occupancy。　　Desirous；

however；　of　giving　amply　satisfaction　to　every　pretence　of

prior　right；　by　formal　and　solemn　conventions　with　the　chiefs

of　the　neighboring　tribes；　they　acquired　the　further　security　of　a

purchase。　　At　their　hands　the　children　of　the　desert　had　no

cause　of　complaint。　　On　the　great　day　of　retribution；　what

thousands；　what　millions　of　the　American　race　will　appear　at

the　bar　of　judgment　to　arraign　their　European　invading

conquerors！　　Let　us　humbly　hope　that　the　fathers　of　the

Plymouth　Colony　will　then　appear　in　the　whiteness　of

innocence。　　Let　us　indulge　in　the　belief　that　they　will　not　only

be　free　from　all　accusation　of　injustice　to　these　unfortunate

sons　of　nature；　but　that　the　testimonials　of　their　acts　of

kindness　and　benevolence　toward　them　will　plead　the　cause　of

their　virtues；　as　they　are　now　authenticated　by　the　record　of

history　upon　earth。



Religious　discord　has　lost　her　sting；　the　cumbrous　weapons

of　theological　warfare　are　antiquated；　the　field　of　politics

supplies　the　alchemists　of　our　times　with　materials　of　more

fatal　explosion；　and　the　butchers　of　mankind　no　longer　travel　to

another　world　for　instruments　of　cruelty　and　destruction。　　Our

age　is　too　enlightened　to　contend　upon　topics　which　concern

only　the　interests　of　eternity；　the　men　who　hold　in　proper

contempt　all　controversies　about　trifles；　except　such　as　inflame

their　own　passions；　have　made　it　a　commonplace　censure

against　your　ancestors；　that　their　zeal　was　enkindled　by

subjects　of　trivial　importance；　and　that　however　aggrieved　by

the　intolerance　of　others；　they　were　alike　intolerant　themselves。　

Against　these　objections；　your　candid　judgment　will　not　require

an　unqualified　justification；　but　your　respect　and　gratitude　for

the　founders　of　the　State　may　boldly　claim　an　ample　apology。　

The　original　grounds　of　their　separation　from　the　Church　of

England　were　not　objects　of　a　magnitude　to　dissolve　the　bonds

of　communion；　much　less　those　of　charity；　between　Christian

brethren　of　the　same　essential　principles。　Some　of　them；

however；　were　not　inconsiderable；　and　numerous　inducements

concurred　to　give　them　an　extraordinary　interest　in　their　eyes。　

When　that　portentous　system　of　abuses；　the　Papal　dominion；

was　overturned；　a　great　variety　of　religious　sects　arose　in　its

stead　in　the　several　countries；　which　for　many　centuries　before

had　been　screwed　beneath　its　subjection。　　The　fabric　of　the

Reformation；　first　undertaken　in　England　upon　a　contracted

basis；　by　a　capricious　and　sanguinary　tyrant；　had　been

successively　overthrown　and　restored；　renewed　and　altered；

according　to　the　varying　humors　and　principles　of　four

successive　monarchs。　　To　ascertain　the　precise　point　of　division

between　the　genuine　institutions　of　Christianity　and　the

corruptions　accumulated　upon　them　in　the　progress　of　fifteen

centuries；　was　found　a　task　of　extreme　difficulty　throughout

the　Christian　world。



Men　of　the　profoundest　learning；　of　the　sublimest　genius；　and

of　the　purest　integrity；　after　devoting　their　lives　to　the　research；

finally　differed　in　their　ideas　upon　many　great　points；　both　of

doctrine　and　discipline。　　The　main　question；　it　was　admitted　on

all　hands；　most　intimately　concerned　the　highest　interests　of

man；　both　temporal　and　eternal。　　Can　we　wonder　that　men　who

felt　their　happiness　here　and　their　hopes　of　hereafter；　their

worldly　welfare　and　the　kingdom　of　heaven　at　stake；　should

sometimes　attach　an　importance　beyond　their　intrinsic　weight

to　collateral　points　of　controversy；　connected　with　the　all…

involving　object　of　the　Reformation？　　The　changes　in　the　forms

and　principles　of　religious　worship　were　introduced　and

regulated　in　England　by　the　hand　of　public　authority。　　But　that

hand　had　not　been　uniform　or　steady　in　its　operations。　　During

the　persecutions　inflicted　in　the　interval　of　Popish　restoration

under　the　reign　of　Mary；　upon　all　who　favored　the

Reformation；　many　of　the　most　zealous　reformers　had　been

compelled　to　fly　their　country。　　While　residing　on　the　continent

of　Europe；　they　had　adopted　the　principles　of　the　most

complete　and　rigorous　reformation；　as　taught　and　established

by　Calvin。　　On　returning　afterward　to　their　native　country；　they

were　dissatisfied　with　the　partial　reformation；　at　which；　as　they

conceived；　the　English　establishment　had　rested；　and　claiming

the　privilege　of　private　conscience；　upon　which　alone　any

departure　from　the　Church　of　Rome　could　be　justified；　they

insisted　upon　the　right　of　adhering　to　the　system　of　their　own

preference；　and；　of　course；　upon　that　of　non…conformity　to　the

establishment　prescribed　by　the　royal　authority。　　The　only

means　used　to　convince　them　of　error　and　reclaim　them　from

dissent　was　force；　and　force　served　but　to　confirm　the

opposition　it　was　meant　to　suppress。　　By　driving　the　founders

of　the　Plymouth　Colony　into　exile；　it　constrained　them　to

absolute　separation　irreconcilable。　　Viewing　their　religious

liberties　here；　as　held　only　by　sufferance；　yet　bound　to　them　by

all　the　ties　of　conviction；　and　by　all　their　sufferings　for　them；

could　they　forbear　to　look　upon　every　dissenter　among

themselves　with　a　jealous　eye？　　Within　two　years　after　their

landing；　they　beheld　a　rival　settlement　attempted　in　their

immediate　neighborhood；　and　not　long　after；　the　laws　of　self…

preservation　compelled　them　to　break　up　a　nest　of　revellers；

who　boasted　of　protection　from　the　mother　country；　and　who

had　recurred　to　the　easy　but　pernicious　resource　of　feeding

their　wanton　idleness；　by　furnishing　the　savages　with　the

means；　the　skill；　and　the　instruments　of　European　destruction。　

Toleration；　in　that　instance；　would　have　been　self…murder；　and

many　other　examples　might　be　alleged；　in　which　their　necessary

measures　of　self…defence　have　been　exaggerated　into　cruelty；

and　their　most　indispensable　precautions　distorted　into

persecution。　　Yet　shall　we　not　pretend　that　they　were　exempt

from　the　common　laws　of　mortality；　or　entirely　free　from　all

the　errors　of　their　age。　　Their　zeal　might　sometimes　be　too

ardent；　but　it　was　always　sincere。　　At　this　day；　religious

indulgence　is　one　of　our　clearest　duties；　because　it　is　one　of　our

undisputed　rights。　　While　we　rejoice　that　the　principles　of

genuine　Christianity　have　so　far　triumphed　over　the　prejudices

of　a　former　generation；　let　us　fervently　hope　for　the　day　when

it　will　prove　equally　victorious　over　the　malignant　passions　of

our　own。



In　thus　calling　your　attention　to　some　of　the　peculiar　features

in　the　principles；　the　character；　and　the　history　of　our

forefathers；　it　is　as　wide　from　my　design；　as　I　know　it　would　be

from　your　approbation；　to　adorn　their　memory　with　a　chaplet

plucked　from　the　domain　of　others。　The　occasion　and　the　day

are　more　peculiarly　devoted　to　them；　and　let　it　never　be

dishonored　with　a　contracted　and　exclusive　spirit。　　Our

affections　as　citizens　embrace　the　whole　extent　of　the　Union；

and　the　names　of　Raleigh；　Smith；　Winthrop；　Cal