[Speech of John Winslow, in the capacity of presiding officer, at
the eighth annual dinner of the New England Society in the City of
Brooklyn, December 21, 1887.]
GENTLEMEN OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN, GUESTS
AND FRIENDS:--This is the eighth anniversary of our Society and the
two hundred and sixty-seventh of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers. It
will please you all to learn of the continued growth and prosperity of
our Society. There is in our treasury the sum of $14,506.21, and we have
no debts. [Applause.] This shows an increase of $1,266.26 over last
year. As occasion requires this money is used for charitable purposes
and in other useful ways, as provided by our by-laws. Such a gathering
as we have here to-night is an inspiration. It must be especially so to
the distinguished gentlemen, our guests, who will address you. So it
comes to pass that you are to have to-night the advantage of listening
to inspired men--an advantage not uncommon in the days of the prophets,
but rare in our times. [Laughter and applause.] It is proper and
agreeable to us all just here and now to recognize as with us our friend
and benefactor and president emeritus, the Hon. Benjamin D. Silliman. [A
voice: "Three cheers for that grand old man." The company rising gave
rousing cheers.] He is with us with a young heart and a cheerful mind,
and continues to be what he has been from the beginning--a loyal and
devoted friend of our Society. [Applause.]
We are here this evening enjoying the sufferings of our Pilgrim Fathers.
[Merriment.] Their heroic work takes in Plymouth Rock, ours takes in
the Saddle Rock. They enjoyed game of their own shooting, we enjoy game
of other's shooting; they drank cold water, because they could no longer
get Holland beer. The fact that they must give up Dutch beer was one of
the considerations (so we are told by one of their Governors) that made
them loath to leave Leyden. [Laughter.] We drink cold water because we
want it and like it. The Pilgrim Fathers went to church armed with
muskets; we go to church with our minds stuffed and demoralized by the
contents of Sunday morning newspapers. [Laughter.] The Pilgrim mothers
went to church dressed in simple attire, because they could afford
nothing elaborate and because they thought they could better catch and
hold the devotional spirit. The Pilgrim mothers of our day go to church
with costly toilets, because they can afford it, and are quite willing
to take the chances as to catching and holding the aforesaid spirit.
[Laughter.] The Pilgrim Fathers, when they made the compact on the
Mayflower, planted the seeds of constitutional freedom; we, their worthy
sons, commemorate their work; try to perpetuate it and enjoy the fruits
thereof.
It is sometimes said the Pilgrims were a solemn people; that they were
not cheerful. Well, in their severe experience in England and Holland
and at Plymouth, there was much to make a born optimist grave and
thoughtful. But it is a mistake to suppose that they could not rejoice
with those who rejoiced as well as weep with those who wept. Take, for
instance, the first Thanksgiving festival held by the Pilgrims. The
quaint account of this by one of their Governors is always interesting.
This first American Thanksgiving took place at Plymouth in 1621, only
about ten months after the landing. It was like a Jewish festival,
continuing out of doors for a week. The Pilgrim writer, Governor
Winslow, describes it thus: "Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor
(meaning Governor Bradford) sent four men out fowling, so that we might,
after a special manner (meaning doubtless a gay and festive manner)
rejoice together after (not counting chickens before they were hatched)
we had gathered the fruit of our labors." Now, listen to this: "They
killed in one day so much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the
company almost a week." What this "little help beside" was, is not
stated. In our day it would mean that the hunter and the fisherman made
heavy drafts upon Fulton Market for meat, fowl, and fish, to supply what
was short. "At which time," says the writer, "among other recreations,
we exercised our arms"--this probably means they shot at a mark
[laughter]--"many of the Indians coming among us"--they were not the
mark, at least this time--"and among the rest, their greatest king,
Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and
feasted." Think of that; feasting ninety Indians three days, and the
whole colony besides. What New England Society has ever made so good a
showing of hospitality and good cheer? [Laughter.] "And they" (the
ninety Indians), "went out and killed five deer."
Now, I submit, we have here a clear case of the application of the great
principle of honest, even-handed co-operation, no modern device in that
line could surpass it. It is true the Indians were not an incorporated
society, and so there was no receiver appointed to wind them up.
[Laughter.] "Which they brought," says the writer, "to the plantation
and bestowed on our Governor" (meaning Governor Bradford), "our captain,
and others." Governor Bradford, in speaking of this, tells us that among
the fowl brought in "was a great store of turkeys." Thus begins the sad
history in this country of the rise and annual fall on Thanksgiving days
of that exalted biped--the American turkey. After this description of a
Pilgrim festival day who shall ever again say the Pilgrims could not be
merry if they had half a chance to be so. Why, if the Harvard and Yale
football teams had been on hand with their great national game of
banging each others' eyes and breaking bones promiscuously, they could
not have added to the spirit of the day though they might to its variety
of pastime. [Laughter.]
It is interesting to remember in this connection that in the earlier
years of the colonies, Thanksgiving day did not come every year. It came
at various periods of the year from May to December, and the intervals
between them sometimes four or five years, gradually shortened and then
finally settled into an annual festival on the last Thursday of
November. A few years ago two Governors of Maine ventured to appoint a
day in December for Thanksgiving. Neither of them was re-elected.
[Laughter.] The crowning step in this development, which is now
national, was when the fortunes of our late war were in favor of the
Union, and a proclamation for a national Thanksgiving was issued by our
then President, dear old Abraham Lincoln. [Applause.] That the festival
shall hereafter and forever be national is a part of our unwritten law.
[Applause.] It will thus be seen that we, the sons of the Pilgrims, may
fairly and modestly claim that this feature of our national life, like
most of the others that are valuable, proceeded directly from Plymouth
Rock. The New England Society in the City of Brooklyn, will ever honor
the work and the memory of the fathers. As in the sweet lines of Bryant:
"Till where the sun, with softer fires,
Looks on the vast Pacific's sleep,
The children of the Pilgrim sires
This hallowed day, like us, shall keep."
[General applause.]