germ of the Pilgrim Society. I am a direct descendant, of the fifth generation, from George Watson, one of the early Pilgrims, who came in the Ann, in 1622; he was a merchant, and was a Counsellor in the government of the Colony. He died in 1690, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. I am the oldest living descendant of the Plymouth Watson family, excepting my venerable cousin, Mrs. Priscilla Watson Cotton, now living in her native town of Plymouth, in the comfortable enjoyment of health and of her faculties in a remarkable degree. She is a descendant of the fourth generation from the Pilgrim George Watson. By our maternal ancestors, we are descendants of the fifth generation from the mother of Peregrine White, and the Governor Edward Winslow, our mothers being sisters. REMARKS BY DR. CHARLES T. JACKSON. LAST evening the northeast corner of Coales Hill, near the Linden-tree, was struck by lightning. In ancient times, this incident would have been looked upon as a consecration of the spot by the gods. It is certainly worthy of note that the burial-place of the first of the Pilgrim Fathers should have been visited by fire from the heavens on this first Celebration of the Anniversary of the Embarkation of the Pilgrims from Delft Haven. If the thunder-stricken wolf of Rome and Ariosto's bust were consecrated by the thunder-bolt, should we not regard the graves of Pilgrims as thus consecrated anew by this act of Providence? "Know that the lightning sanctifies below Whate'er it strikes; yon 'hill' is doubly sacred now!” LETTER FROM HON. NATHAN APPLETON. DEAR SIR: Pittsfield, July 28, 1853. I am favored with the invitation of the Pilgrim Society to attend the Celebration of the Anniversary of the Embarkation of the Pilgrims on the 1st of August. I regret that it will not be in my power to be present on the occasion. The emigration of the Puritans to America is one of those events which change the condition of nations, if not of the world. The inestimable boon of freedom of religious opinion may be traced to this event in an especial degree; for although the Puritans themselves were originally unwilling to grant to others what they claimed for themselves, their principles led to this result, and bore this fruit in their descendants. All honor, then, to the pioneer Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth! I hope this occasion will not pass without some measures being adopted for securing and preserving Plymouth Rock, as another and more worthy means for the resort of future generations. To this object I shall be most happy to contribute. I am, very respectfully, your very obedient servant, WILLIAM L. RUSSELL, ESQ., Secretary, &c., &c. NATHAN APPLETON. LETTER FROM HON. ABBOTT LAWRENCE. MY DEAR SIR: Legation of the United States, London, I regret to learn from you that the proposed monument to the memory of those illustrious, I may say with truth immortal, men and women who founded Plymouth Colony, has made "slow progress." I entertain and cherish the liveliest interest in every thing connected with their history, and I cannot doubt that every New England man throughout our Union, when the question is finally laid be fore him, of erecting a monument that shall mark the spot where his ancestors landed, and where the first written constitution was promulgated and established, will respond to an appeal from the "Pilgrim Society." I hope an appeal will be made by that Society without delay, through the various New England Societies now established in many of the States of the Union, and that all the New England States may be addressed upon the subject. My respect and gratitude increase daily for the company that came to our dreary coast in the Mayflower, and I feel it a duty to do something to perpetuate their memory. I will thank you to subscribe my name for the sum of $500, in case the Society conclude to proceed with a work, which, I will venture to say, has been too long delayed. I have the honor to be, dear Sir, Very sincerely, your obedient servant, WILLIAM J. RUSSELL, ESQ., Rec. Secretary of the Pilgrim Society, Plymouth, Mass. PLYMOUTH ROCK IN GARLANDS. [From the Christian Register, August 6.] THOUGH a little one side of the direct route, we could not resist the attraction which drew almost every body to the birthplace of the "Old Colony," on Monday last. So, pursuing a zigzag course over three railroads, we arrived at Plymouth about 10 A. M.; at Plymouth, not as the venerable town usually is, free from bustle, serene andet, but Plymouth in a state of pleasurable excitement, Plymouth with a doubled population, Plymouth in holiday attire, shining and smiling, brilliant and beautiful, with the flashing uniforms of the military and engine-men, the bright floral and other decorations, the streets thronged with people, the doors and windows of all the houses opened, as if the whole place was, for the time being, one great home, crowded with children of a larger and a smaller growth, bent upon rejoicing together, and having a grand" occasion." And what was the occasion ? A capital motto among the flags and festoons of one of the houses - hardly a dwelling being without its ornaments of bunting, evergreen, and wreaths of flowers- will answer. It ran thus: "The First of August. Forefathers' Day thawed out." That told the whole story. Yielding to a good suggestion, the Pilgrim Society resolved to have one anniversary at a genial season; so, changing from December 22d, the date of the "Landing at Plymouth," they selected August 1st, the date of the "Embarkation at Delft Haven," for commemoration. Energy, liberality, hospitality unbounded, skill, and taste had made all preparations; and the day, preceded by the showers of the night before, to lay the dust and wash out the town, dawned a summer's day, slightly overcast, and duly tempered, just suited to the purpose. The details of the celebration, and reports of what was said and sung, we have no room for, but will just jot down a few things that are as pictures or melodies now in the memory. an And first, a word more about the ornamental part, for it deserves it. We have seen a good deal of decorating for festivals of all kinds, but in our judgment, for appropriateness, almost if not entirely without exceptions, for the doing just enough and not too much, — the decorating at Plymouth was of peculiar excellence. Nothing inconsistent, extravagant, gaudy, or puerile quite likely to intrude as blemishes on such a scene caught our eye; whilst arches, festoons, banners, and inscriptions were symmetrical, and rich, and graceful, and right emblems for the hour. Amidst the profusion of well-ordered and chaste display, one omission instance of the grace of letting alone - was, we thought, very touching and impressive. To a somewhat ancient house, overshadowed by a grand elm, and almost hidden behind the growth of vines and shrubbery, nothing was done, -nature being fittingly left unadorned, since the simple sentence over the gate, " We will keep their memory green," was all that art ventured to do. Leaping, for the moment, from the garlands and streamers of the day, with their historic notices, proverbs, and stanzas, pointing out noted localities hallowed as dwelling-places of the fathers, or tell ing of the father's trials and virtues, the illuminations of the evening turn into a fairy realm the venerable municipality. The windows beaming with lambent light, the colored lamps suspended among the umbrageous trees, with the rushing and flashing rockets that ever and anon, like lightning gleams, revealed the gay concourse listening to the fine music in the Square, taken in connection with absence of all disturbing noises and confusion, made a night to be remembered as a brilliant dream, and gave us an ideal and quite glorified Plymouth. When we add to this, that more than the latch-string out - every door seemed wide open with friendly invitation, and that to some at least sleep was wafted on the airs of a pleasant vocal serenade, the reader will pardon a little enthusiasm in our rhetoric. Indeed, one, if a moment thoughtful, was made rather serious and subdued by the all-pervading kindly feelings and the general delight. But we are beginning at the end, and must retrace our steps. In the morning there were religious services in the First Church. These consisted of a hymn, written for the occasion, by Rev. E. H. Sears; a prayer by Rev. James Kendall, D. D., the venerable, honored, and beloved clergyman, now more than fourscore years of age, who is the successor in office, as he has been in fidelity, of the Pilgrim pastors; the singing of Mrs. Hemans's grand lyric, "The breaking waves dashed high"; selections from Scripture, by Rev. G. W. Blagden, D. D., of this city; a second hymn; and the benediction. - After waiting a weary while for the special train from Boston, -which proved to be specially slow, instead of what it started for, an "Express" with only two stops, but which arrived at length in over-due time, in the neighborhood of high noon, the procession got formed. It was long and large, so long and large that it gathered up most of the people; which fact, together with another fact, that the ladies preceded it to the tent, left it towards the last of the route almost destitute of the essential accompaniment of spectators. However, with music and escort, it traversed most of the streets, marched reverently by the "Rock," crossed the "Town Brook," ascended the hill to the pavilion, within whose canvas walls not less than twenty-five hundred ladies and gentlemen |