FN915; 10,28.38 : 20M i i t n THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT. On the iith day ot November, 1620 (old style), there was drawn on the lid of a chest on board of the Mayflower in Plymouth harbor, and signed by forty-one of the principal men of the first band of Pilgrims, a platform of government known as the Compact, and which gave to these people the claim of being the first "signers" of this great and free United States of America. THE COMPACT. The following is the full text of the compact : In Ye Name of God, Amen. We who!? names are underwritten, the loyall fubjects of our dread fovereigne Lord, King James, by ye grace of God, of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, King, defender of ye faith, etc., have- ing undertaken for ye glory of God and advancemente of ye Chrif- tian faith, and honour of our King and countrie, a voyage to plant ye firft colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by thefe a prefentf folemnly, and mutualy, in ye prefence of God, and of one another, covenant and combine ourfelves togeather into a civill body I politik for our better ordering and prefervation and furtherance of ye end aforefaid, and by vertue hearof to enacte, conftitu.e and frame fuch juft and equall lawes, ordinances, acts, conftitutions and offices from time to time, as fhall be thought moft meete and con- i venient for ye generall good of ye Colonie, unto which we promife I i all due lubmiffion and obedience. In Witnef whereof we have I hereunder fubfcribed our names at Cap-Codd ye II of November, I in ye year of ye raigne of our fovereigne Lord, King James of Eng- land, France and Ireland, ye eighteenth, and of Scotland ye liftie. fourth, Ano Dom. 1620. .I0I1 11 Carver, Kdnaril Tilley, Deirory 1'rlost, William Bradford, John Tilley, Thomas A\ illiniiis. Kdward Winslow. Francis Cooke, Gilbert winslow. "William Brevrster, Thomas Holers, I '.il 111 11 ml MiirKi-min, Isaac Allerton, Thomas Tinker. l'eter Bf•*fB, Myles Standish, John Kigrdnle. Itteunril Hrl 1 1 it I«!b<\ John Alden, Edward Fuller, GeorR/e Soule, Samuel Fuller, John Turner, llioluird Clarke, Christopher Martin, Francis Eaton, Itlcliitrd Gardiner. William Mnllins, June! Chilton, Jolin Allerton. I William White, John Crackston, Thomas l\intll-li. Richard Warren, John IlilllnKtoii. K.dwurd Dolcjr, I John Howland, Moses Fletcher, Lunard !.i«.n-r. John Goodman, Stephen Hopkins. j COPYRIGHTED, 1S9G, BY THE MAIL AND EXPRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY. it - V PART I. Signers of the Mayflower Compact. JOHN CARVER, First Signer. There seems something strange and elu- terms "under his hand and seal," the poor the people by the way and see to the dis- sive about the fact that so little is known pilgrims, weary and discourgaed, were pensing of their possessions and such like of Gov. Carver, and yet from the outset driven to bay. affairs." next pleaded their cause with the he held the most important places of trust They THE START. Dutch traders to Manhattan, but, as there- and authority among the Leyden Pilgrims. suit shows, all they did was to acquaint All preparations being made, the vessels One of the oldest of this little band, he them with both plans and hopes, and as a pronounced ready for sea, they sailed Aug- must have acquired the traits of character return reap their reward in deceit and ust 5, 1020. Before the start was fairly that inspired confidence iu his ability, in double dealing. What wonder that, dis- made the Speedwell was reported leaky. This seemed but a trifle, and both vessels some broad field, where education and the couraged on all sides, they turned to one returned, the Speedwell was repaired, anil friction of intercourse had developed him Weston, who appeared on the scene express- ing kind sympathy with the situation, of- again, August 21. they put to sea. Their until he became a ruler of men. troubles fering his services and means for their ben- were not over: the history of the "John Carver, Sonne of James Carver, Speedwell was repeated and, though de- efit, that they should, as the result of his no fects were revealed on Lincolnshire, Yeoman, called by ye grace of counsels, place themselves in the hands of the second search, the whole thing God Governor of our Colony, Dec. ye 10th, some seventy English merchants, known as was attributed to general weakness, and she was the "Merchant Adventurers," and accept, condemned as unfit 1G20, for one year," came to the Leyden for use. though they did it very unwillingly, their Colony unannounced, so far as the records "Twenty of the passengers were put on terms. place him; still, when it wT as necessary to shore, the others, with their worldly pos- Robert Cushman was the one appointed send as envoy to England and the West sessions-, transferred to the Mayflower." for the negotiations, and John Carver saw and the start for the colony they were to Indian Company one who would make their ship out. to fitting the found made, with the knowledge that there interests his own, he was the unanimous The little all of the colony was intrusted must be no turning back. choice, so priceless from and the sequence showed that, for to their care. The money, Upon the defection of the Speedwell of- "Seven hun- the means at his command, he had requited its scarcity, they disbursed. fice sought John Carver, and he was made provisions their trust to the fullest extent. dred pounds was expended in the Governor of the whole colony. pounds and stores, and seventeen hundred The day of the signing of the compact off The die was cast. The rilgrinis, they was the value of the trading venture (\-i|x> Cod John Carver was in weacy with the well-doing that could not confirms! carried." his office of Governor, though both Yonng secure them peace either of conscience or of The failure or success of the enterprise and Belknap state that no oath of oflice and mind, surrounded by foreshadowings of war devolved wholly upon John Carver was required, and he entered upon his ofli- in Holland, the derogatory intercourse with Robert Cushman. No word of criticism eial duties without ceremony or parade. conduct, the people from many lands thrust upon has ever been given of Carver's His term of oflice as chief magistrate, a the Mayflower was finally fitted their children, must make for themselves a but, when I>osition he held without an assistant, was and the requirements of the adven- new home. out of short duration. turers were known, a strong but impotent In four months and twenty days the For this there was but a small fund, and spirit of rebellion was aroused. little colony, April .">. 1681, was called upon only by contract with some company, who Pastor Robinson had never approved of to part with one who had endeared hiuisel: and would surely claim their pound of flesh in Cushman's connection with Carver, by every act to all surrounding him. The deal tor proclaimed that "he was unfit to "good estate he had in England was spent return, could it be made a possiblity. ami other men by reason of his singularity, in his migration to Holland and America." So John Carver and Robert Cushman faithful as a man more facile in talk than He had gone hand in hand with the 1' went forth armed with the authority to in service." grims in all their sorrows, borne the heat terms, seek the King "freedom to out by the make of His strictures seemed borne and burden of the day when the ne. Pilgrims any worship their God unmolested in the New terms, which hardly left the of the situation called him from affairs of is something World, and of the Virginia Company, which personal control; still, there state to work in the field for the means to extenuation, when Cushman was established in 1006, a patent on which to be said in sustain life. claims that it "was one thing to set lie they might settle." The Governor must set an example. lead, themselves in Leyden. and matters among not follow, in the emergencies which v\ ore the other THE KING. quite another to make terms with pressing so hard upon them. side in London.'' That the King should turn a deaf ear to , The fatal first sickness, so much as he with the proceeds of their own estates their petition a matter of course. So, was part of it. was telling seriously upon seemed the merchants to and the assistance of his strength. Work must ho done, hut the Any liberty, even that of thought, if it had mortgaged their lahor and trade whom thev hands to do it were lessening, and those been in his power, would have been denied return for their venture, for seven years in loft were weak and nerveless. provided, one in Holland them. Through 1018-10 Carver and Cush- two vessels were Whatever Gov. Carver's physical condi- tons, called the Speedwell, which man were active in London. The patent of sixty tion, "he was one of the foremost io action, intended to transport some of them was not issued directly to the separatists, was and bore a large share of the sufferings of to America, and there remain for one year (or the colony." True to his life record, his but it ran in the name of John Wincob service for fishing and the natural in their death was caused by overwork and exp-*.