orations-第4章

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selected　for　this　honorary　distinction？



In　reverting　to　the　period　of　our　origin；　other　nations　have

generally　been　compelled　to　plunge　into　the　chaos　of

impenetrable　antiquity；　or　to　trace　a　lawless　ancestry　into　the

caverns　of　ravishers　and　robbers。　　It　is　your　peculiar　privilege

to　commemorate；　in　this　birthday　of　your　nation；　an　event

ascertained　in　its　minutest　details；　an　event　of　which　the

principal　actors　are　known　to　you　familiarly；　as　if　belonging　to

your　own　age；　an　event　of　a　magnitude　before　which

imagination　shrinks　at　the　imperfection　of　her　powers。　　It　is

your　further　happiness　to　behold；　in　those　eminent　characters；

who　were　most　conspicuous　in　accomplishing　the　settlement　of

your　country；　men　upon　whose　virtue　you　can　dwell　with

honest　exultation。　　The　founders　of　your　race　are　not　handed

down　to　you；　like　the　fathers　of　the　Roman　people；　as　the

sucklings　of　a　wolf。　You　are　not　descended　from　a　nauseous

compound　of　fanaticism　and　sensuality；　whose　only　argument

was　the　sword；　and　whose　only　paradise　was　a　brothel。　　No

Gothic　scourge　of　God；　no　Vandal　pest　of　nations；　no　fabled

fugitive　from　the　flames　of　Troy；　no　bastard　Norman　tyrant；

appears　among　the　list　of　worthies　who　first　landed　on　the

rock；　which　your　veneration　has　preserved　as　a　lasting

monument　of　their　achievement。　　The　great　actors　of　the　day

we　now　solemnize　were　illustrious　by　their　intrepid　valor　no

less　than　by　their　Christian　graces；　but　the　clarion　of　conquest

has　not　blazoned　forth　their　names　to　all　the　winds　of　heaven。　

Their　glory　has　not　been　wafted　over　oceans　of　blood　to　the

remotest　regions　of　the　earth。　　They　have　not　erected　to

themselves　colossal　statues　upon　pedestals　of　human　bones；　to

provoke　and　insult　the　tardy　hand　of　heavenly　retribution。　　But

theirs　was　〃the　better　fortitude　of　patience　and　heroic

martyrdom。〃　　Theirs　was　the　gentle　temper　of　Christian

kindness；　the　rigorous　observance　of　reciprocal　justice；　the

unconquerable　soul　of　conscious　integrity。　　Worldly　fame　has

been　parsimonious　of　her　favor　to　the　memory　of　those

generous　companions。　Their　numbers　were　small；　their　stations

in　life　obscure；　the　object　of　their　enterprise　unostentatious；　the

theatre　of　their　exploits　remote；　how　could　they　possibly　be

favorites　of　worldly　Famethat　common　crier；　whose　existence

is　only　known　by　the　assemblage　of　multitudes；　that　pander　of

wealth　and　greatness；　so　eager　to　haunt　the　palaces　of　fortune；

and　so　fastidious　to　the　houseless　dignity　of　virtue；　that

parasite　of　pride；　ever　scornful　to　meekness；　and　ever

obsequious　to　insolent　power；　that　heedless　trumpeter；　whose

ears　are　deaf　to　modest　merit；　and　whose　eyes　are　blind　to

bloodless；　distant　excellence？



When　the　persecuted　companions　of　Robinson；　exiles　from

their　native　land；　anxiously　sued　for　the　privilege　of　removing　a

thousand　leagues　more　distant　to　an　untried　soil；　a　rigorous

climate；　and　a　savage　wilderness；　for　the　sake　of　reconciling

their　sense　of　religious　duty　with　their　affections　for　their

country；　few；　perhaps　none　of　them；　formed　a　conception　of

what　would　be；　within　two　centuries；　the　result　of　their

undertaking。　　When　the　jealous　and　niggardly　policy　of　their

British　sovereign　denied　them　even　that　humblest　of　requests；

and　instead　of　liberty　would　barely　consent　to　promise

connivance；　neither　he　nor　they　might　be　aware　that　they　were

laying　the　foundations　of　a　power；　and　that　he　was　sowing　the

seeds　of　a　spirit；　which；　in　less　than　two　hundred　years；　would

stagger　the　throne　of　his　descendants；　and　shake　his　united

kingdoms　to　the　centre。　　So　far　is　it　from　the　ordinary　habits　of

mankind　to　calculate　the　importance　of　events　in　their

elementary　principles；　that　had　the　first　colonists　of　our　country

ever　intimated　as　a　part　of　their　designs　the　project　of　founding

a　great　and　mighty　nation；　the　finger　of　scorn　would　have

pointed　them　to　the　cells　of　Bedlam　as　an　abode　more　suitable

for　hatching　vain　empires　than　the　solitude　of　a　transatlantic

desert。



These　consequences；　then　so　little　foreseen；　have　unfolded

themselves；　in　all　their　grandeur；　to　the　eyes　of　the　present　age。　

It　is　a　common　amusement　of　speculative　minds　to　contrast　the

magnitude　of　the　most　important　events　with　the　minuteness　of

their　primeval　causes；　and　the　records　of　mankind　are　full　of

examples　for　such　contemplations。　　It　is；　however；　a　more

profitable　employment　to　trace　the　constituent　principles　of

future　greatness　in　their　kernel；　to　detect　in　the　acorn　at　our

feet　the　germ　of　that　majestic　oak；　whose　roots　shoot　down　to

the　centre；　and　whose　branches　aspire　to　the　skies。　Let　it　be；

then；　our　present　occupation　to　inquire　and　endeavor　to

ascertain　the　causes　first　put　in　operation　at　the　period　of　our

commemoration；　and　already　productive　of　such　magnificent

effects；　to　examine　with　reiterated　care　and　minute　attention

the　characters　of　those　men　who　gave　the　first　impulse　to　a

new　series　of　events　in　the　history　of　the　world；　to　applaud　and

emulate　those　qualities　of　their　minds　which　we　shall　find

deserving　of　our　admiration；　to　recognize　with　candor　those

features　which　forbid　approbation　or　even　require　censure；　and；

finally；　to　lay　alike　their　frailties　and　their　perfections　to　our

own　hearts；　either　as　warning　or　as　example。



　

　Of　the　various　European　settlements　upon　this　continent；

which　have　finally　merged　in　one　independent　nation；　the　first

establishments　were　made　at　various　times；　by　several　nations；

and　under　the　influence　of　different　motives。　　In　many

instances；　the　conviction　of　religious　obligation　formed　one　and

a　powerful　inducement　of　the　adventures；　but　in　none；

excepting　the　settlement　at　Plymouth；　did　they　constitute　the

sole　and　exclusive　actuating　cause。　　Worldly　interest　and

commercial　speculation　entered　largely　into　the　views　of　other

settlers；　but　the　commands　of　conscience　were　the　only

stimulus　to　the　emigrants　from　Leyden。　　Previous　to　their

expedition　hither；　they　had　endured　a　long　banishment　from

their　native　country。　　Under　every　species　of　discouragement；

they　undertook　the　voyage；　they　performed　it　in　spite　of

numerous　and　almost　insuperable　obstacles；　they　arrived　upon

a　wilderness　bound　with　frost　and　hoary　with　snow；　without

the　boundaries　of　their　charter；　outcasts　from　all　human

society；　and　coasted　five　weeks　together；　in　the　dead　of　winter；

on　this　tempestuous　shore；　exposed　at　once　to　the　fury　of　the

elements；　to　the　arrows　of　the　native　savage；　and　to　the

impending　horrors　of　famine。



Courage　and　perseverance　have　a　magical　talisman；　before

which　difficulties　disappear　and　obstacles　vanish　into　air。　

These　qualities　have　ever　been　displayed　in　their　mightiest

perfection；　as　attendants　in　the　retinue　of　strong　passions。　

From　the　first　discovery　of　the　Western　Hemisphere　by

Columbus　until　the　settlement　of　Virginia　which　immediately

preceded　that　of　Plymouth；　the　various　adventurers　from　the

ancient　world　had　exhibited　upon　innumerable　occasions　that

ardor　of　enterprise　and　that　stubbornness　of　pursuit　which　set

all　danger　at　defiance；　and　chained　the　violence　of　nature　at

their　feet。　　But　they　were　all　instigated　by　personal　interests。　

Avarice　and　ambition　had　tuned　their　souls　to　that　pitch　of

exaltation。　　Selfish　passions　were　the　parents　of　their　heroism。　

It　was　reserved　for　the　first　settlers　of　new　England　to　perform

achievements　equally　arduous；　to　trample　down　obstructions

equally　formidable；　to　dispel　dangers　equally　terrific；　under　the

single　inspiration　of　conscience。　To　them　even　liberty　herself

was　but　a　subordinate　and　secondary　consideration。　　They

claimed　exemption　from　the　mandates　of　human　authority；　as

militating　with　their　subjection　to　a　superior　power。　　Before　the

voice　of　Heaven　they　silenced　even　the　calls　of　their　country。



Yet；　while　so　deeply　impressed　with　the　sense　of　religious

obligation；