Show The First of Fl rA F o- o or 1 r 4 1 r y q 7 t tM tJ M J 4 a aa Eb E Cc a r f ft fEb t M s WI sWI K f fI I may maya a am 9 m 1 R r Zui P F Pan oln an Chappo 7 9 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON HE liE various celebrations which have hale been held hell In l Massachusetts this tills 5 3 ear 11 ht hi e e a re- re reh re revived h ed public Interest In Inthe Inthe Inthe the historical events cents c ot of long ago and ha base hae lia e brought n again aln to the attention of Americans the names of many men who are all nil but forgotten Some one has suggested that the Bay flay State mIght well round out Its tercentenary program with pith one more celebration of ofas nn as important e event ent which tool took place years ears ago Such i n celebration should be held next 1 for It was as In February 1031 that a man mani named Roger armed ed In Hos Bos ton from t t The ou trouble with Ith that SU lS t tion is that nOel is a m mm in 10 whom Massachusetts is little III el to honor with milt WI any special esen en though It would seem tint th It after three centuries had all ancient prejudices should be dispelled and the harsh judgments of ot those fat fai off on days da g considerably softened At least least one might logically draw such euch a slon from these facts In 1035 the Great and General Court or of the Bay Ua Colony wrote rott upon its records the following follo Ing herens 1 Mr r Roger Hoger one or of the tile elders ciders of the church of Salem hath bath broached and dh divulged dIvers new and dangerous opinions against the authority of magistrates and also writ letters of defamation both of the magistrates and churches here liere and that before any conviction con and Set et the same without ans am re retraction w- w retraction traction it Is therefore ordered that the said Mr Jr depart out t of or this Jurisdiction within six weeks eels now t ne evening which If It he neglect to perform it shall be la lawful ful for the thet and two of the magIstrates to send end him to some place out of this jurisdiction not to return any an more license from the court In ID 10 1028 S the house of es accepted without de debate debate bate a report by the judiciary commit committee committee committee tee recommending leave lease to withdraw on on a bill by Representative e John W to revoke re ole the sentence of banishment of Roger Hoger Thus the Bay Ray State pas passed ed up its chance to tomake tomake male make a laceful gesture which could show that the spirit of Intolerance once characterized the colony had hall been succeeded b a more generous spirit In the time state and It missed misled an n opportunity to utter e even esen en this smallest thanks for tor or Williams sers sen service Ice ss when hen ben at atthe atthe atthe the greatest risk rick to himself he dissuaded the Narragansett Indians from joining in the Pequot war scar nr against the colony which had e expelled him from Its borders But Rut quite aside from thiJs question of whether hether or not the Massachusetts eUi of today is likely likel to pay belated hon honor honor honor or to the mm n whom horn the Massachusetts of years vears ears ago considered dangerous feared and sent into exile Is the ques question tion which one logically ask 1151 as the result of recalling the name of a aman aman aman man who has been gone flom the AmerIcan scene these ears ears- Why is the arrival of Roger ROer Ro cr Illiams on Important the shores of New sess Ingland tant enough to justly justify a celebration SOO years ears later Inter The ans answer er to that question may mav mil be beI I found in thes these words cords Roger Rooer was as the first prophet of freedom In America the land of the free a Il man whose hose liberalism was vas not confined to religion alone but who ho stood staunch staunchly ly fur for ch civil II as well ell Surely In the these e days when Americans arc are be- be beco co concerned about the liberties gu them In the foundation foun stone of ot our Republic the Constitution to know knoss something of such a u man mun Is h orth Recently there has hus ap lea red a biography of him chic h brings out strongly the Importance of o othis f this man In American history It is i I nO Roger Lr Williams Prophet and Plo Pic L V f J I acer neer written by Ludt I aston and published bv bi the time Houghton r If Roger Hoer V 1 hid been no more than the pioneer he lie would still be In fu id Ind orth worthy of study But Rut It ItIs itIs Is in Roger Hoger illiams the prophet of freedom tint that our main interest lies and with Ith him In this tills role his ne new hi is shied chiefly concerned The sear ear of his Ills birth Is uncertain Its It nos s 1 GO or 1603 1003 1 the he scene was In I ondon on the edge of or Smithfield where wore were ere held both hoth the f furs and the e executions of the day Ills His r was as a 11 mel merchant chant tailor but hut oung no Rogor flog flogo flogo o o or cr docs does not seem to hose e Ind hH any Ill de desire desire sire Ire to folio follow in his fathers father's footsteps tie He began the study of stenography R T T lId nid became an un adept at writing short shorthand shorthand hand taking do down don n sermons at Saint Sepulchre s church ind speeches Inthe In Inthe inthe the star tar chamber the awesome a orne and terrible court at Westminster hall hel e against the cro crown cron n were summarily ind secretly v tried Williams talent attracted the atten lion of or Sir Edward d Coke Cole the judge and leader of the Puritans who ho saw v to It 11 that the bo wis wms admitted to the Chatter Chal ter house school In a ahe he received recd ed his degl ee from Pem rol e college Cambridge and ind became chap chaplain chaplain chaplain lain in the country house of Sir 11 lIam llam Naturally 1 a fice fl ice ee thinker think lr he lie allied himself with Ith the most mosi ex es extreme extreme of the Puritans Relief Belief In the separation of church hurch and state st ite pre rented his taking a parish in Ingland and he re oh ed to come to America lIe arrived ed In Boston on February 5 1631 but soon found tint dint lie he was wis no better hetter of oft In e 1 New Tess I 1 England thin In Old So he went ent to Plymouth the pioneer settlement The PI month people could not agree with his strange opinions so sn he be went cot to Salem where here he lie was re repeatedly summoned and finally Inn It was as In Januar January 1636 that Hoger was compelled to len lens leave e a his Ife and babies and through the snout sno Co covered ered forests n He fie e was wis ed through the aid of Indians to tow al d whom hom he lie had e ever eser er assumed a kindly kindland and generous attitude Chief Massasoit of the Pol Indians n gave gale ga e him a tract of ot hind lind on Seekonk rh river riser ere where here he w a is joined by old friends from Salem balem and i set started Rut But upon reeds lag Ing hints that were lIable to arise Ith th tin PI Plymouth month col colon on he mused moved ed to the llie pre present ent site ot of Providence It R I I and In June started the lie settlement that was de des tined to become Rhode Rhodt I sl 1111 1 he heland land thel there e wis glen given gl en lJ bi his old friends 11 und arid III Ml iii sachems of ot the l arnig soon had a chance to re- re return return re return turn good for evil esli e II for such was nas IS hi his Influence over oscr 0 Lr this the 01 rl th Hitt It Ithe he easily prevailed pres ailed upon this tills po erful tribe not to join john the under in their plan to destro destroy till ull the English h settle ments In tint pirt of the country countr Williams in l S assisted J Julia olm Clarke and Coll in pur purchasing purchasing purchasing chasing or Rhode 1st from the ins me lIe He saw sass to It tint that the Indians were not s swindled but lib paid for their holdings In n 1048 IS he went vent to I and ob obi i tamed the llie lie chatter chaiter for tor tl tic e a und nail Rhode Island settlements v hill I there he blos blossomed forth as an un author of some of ot the best sellers cellers producIng lag Ing Key Into Lungu e of ot America The The Blody mody Tenet Teut of Per for Cause of Conscience und and Mr r Cot Cotton Cotton Cottons ton s I etter r P F and Answered Ans ered made such a hit lilt In and that several se members of p Base ga him a letter which w ss is a 11 passport through h Massachusetts up upon upon upon on his return In 1041 J JIn In 1651 he was as obliged to visit in order to obtain th re ment ment of the flue commission of 1 Coddington as ns gO governor of Rhode Is- Is Island Is Island land and Connecticut He lIe not only got what he went aCt after aft r but found 5 d x some sonic time to du llo some ome more writing lIe Ho returned home in 1654 1631 and par In the norg of ot the il gO government and ud accepted the presidency of time the colony winch he held until H 1633 In Ins his lie he heI I obtained for the Quil ers erg who ho were ere then coming to New sew ew I Ingland ng ngI I land i It seems a some somewhat hut strange dos dox tint hit t the settlers of or ss ho fled from from Lag sad ind to secure re religious liberty should become so In Intolerant intolerant intolerant tolerant to toward othel s whose religious ideas lid did not agree with ith theirs nut But It must mut also be admitted tint the Quakers gave gale e them plenty of provocation tion ion for e a the gentle persons whom hom we e are accustomed to toas as with Ith the idea of the Society of Friends today toda the Quakers of the Se century were firebrands and disturbers of the pence where er erthe the went ent himself elt had hall little more use for them them than did the lie PUritans Amongst Jews s ind Turks Protestants and Pagans with Ith all of which 1 I ha hale hae e conver conversed ed he lie wrote rote I never ne met Ith such a judging censuring resit rev re II lug Ing spirit as ag is the spirit of or the time ers But though he disliked dis dl them lie he would not deny them the right to a as they pleased any more than he lie would dens that lint right to my othel s who ho were driven en out ont of Massa because of their belIefs Island Inland had hadel el little trouble the Quakers for the lie simple re rem bon on that lint they the were allowed to talk all the flies v ted to Lease the li Ind hlll d little e e to cause n a disturbance Just the opposite was nas the ease cage ae In Massa Massachusetts lime more they the were per sl scented there and their right of ot free speech pl essed the more inure deter determined determined determined mined times the were ere to exploit e their stews lews l 1 here Is 11 food for thought In those thoe facts In considering so ne lie pres present ent problems in m mot ot Not only did Illiams stand firm for rell religious lous liberty In his huts colony colon but for ch civil 11 liberty astell in well ell lie had re- re re revolted Bolted the acv ruled lEI New l I f and In re he reb lied a the magistrates as ai aswell Lil w LII as n the clergy I ears utter after he lie had founded Ills his 1 is slit letof of nt freedom he could boast In inu inu u II letter lettu to Sir r heir Henr me ine ineVe We Ve hase ha not lIot felt the new ness of time the fresh h nor In this thle colony has rte e hen been be n con consumed with Ith the over o zeal Otis OUi fire re Ire of the lie so 0 Club Chris Christi tl ti in m at ij Sir we e hive e not l 1110 11 now ii an mi L cle L e means ve e ha e has e what hat tithes are en ca enor or t 11 i b Lither either to church 01 tit common commonwealth commonwealth wealth A new lIe ch arter nos gu Rhode Island In This charter uth republican gO eln tent ment that lint the Revolution Hl In 1770 made malic madeno madeno no chane In It and ItIle it was Ile not lIot superceded super s ceded until t 18 1842 For the lie ne next nert t 11 1 years ears he was nas as actively ely engaged eng In pub lie life ilk lime 1 he death of ot this bits remarkable Amerl cnn can pioneer was as announced in this quaint f in a letter written May fn 10 1683 by John Thorndyke of Pro i Pros l dence Bence to Rev Ices Samuel Hubbard The The Lord LorlI hath bath arrested bv by death our an ancient clent and approved ed friend Mr Ir ROC Roke Williams with pith dh divers dicers ere others bEr hire he Q I by W 55 tern per Union w 1 |