Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-11-02
OLIVER CROMW ELL.

The London Sun, in rebukins the I'M
serous spirit exhibited by the British
functionaries in excluding Oliver Crom
well from amongst stlie sculptured rep
reservations of the sovereigns of Eng
land, which are to adorn the new Hou
ses of Parliament thus eloquent,
sketches the characte: of that great man;
We have already given publicity 10 the
announcement that mo place is left fol
Oliver Cromwell amongst the sculptiii ed
representatives. Of the sovereigns of Eng
land, which are to adorn the new Hou.
ses of Parliament Such. we presume,
is the determination to which the COM
mittec have come, 10 whom tie super
vision of all proposed internal decola
tons and adornments for the most mag
nificent structure which has been raised
in this couatry since the building of St.
Paul's Cathedral, is confded. The au-
thority; however. of dozen printed par
lianentary papers will scarcely con
vince US that the committee can have.
designed2y. so committed themselves
Such an omission would be scandal up
on the gratitude and iberality of this
age-a libel on the veracity and import
Of all the traditions and written history
Of the first half of the las. two hundred
years. It would involve, if practically
acted upon. slavish and .preposterous
homage to the mere name of royalty. It
would proclaim to posterity the disgrace
full fact, that so overawed were the peo-
pie of England, in the 18th centary, by
the prestige which attends-noot the right
exercise of king'y power, but-the wear
ing of a royal crown. that they thus sig
naIly repudiated tkeif own obligations,
and those of their ancestors. to the man
who, uncrowned himself, advanced this
nation in the 18th century to the fore
most rank among the nations of the world,
and taught The Crowns of other Europe
an nations to recognise and to revere the
paramount authority Of his simple Pro-
tectorate
We know, by fatal experience, what
enormous absurdities the Committee of
Taste (as they are modestly termed in
the parlance of that Parliament which
really dominates them) Invariably CON-
nit. From former associations connec
ted with similar bodies, and their pat
ronage Of Mr.. Wyatt's card-screen Goth
and other mems equally nondescript
caprices, evidenced in the late House Ut
Lords cloisters and facade, the painted
chamber, the restored Courts Of Law
in Palace-yard, &c., &c.-it was not
without apprehension that we observed
the name of Sir Robert Peel attached to
the list of that committee upon whose
rack, and at whose pleasure, the inven-
ton of Mr.. Barry himself, and the de-
signs Of sculptors and painters employed
on the same magnificent work. are LA.
BILE to be distorted, thumb screwed, dis
tended, or contracted, at any time. But
our skepticisni, as 10 the character of
the Premier's taste or Judgment in the
arts, although equal to our skepticism as
to the results of his foreign, or the re-
sources of his domestic policy, extends
hardly so far as to question the sound
ness of his general judgment and stfong
good sense in matters involving no i'm
mediate objects of party or political in
terest, or official administration. We
cannot imagine that a minister, who is
always forward to boast that he carrie In
to public life from the ranks of the peo-
pie, would be knowingly cogliizant of SO
profound an insult to the memory Of him
whom we must emphatically distinguish
in our historic annals as THE man of The
people. For Oliver Cromwell was HE
of almost all the best, and
undoubtedly of some Though but q few
of the worst qualities, moral and physical.
Of Englishmen. In his single individn-
atty were concentrated the sell-examin-
ing, self-coniding, strong willes but
cool-headed, impethous yet dispassionate,
resolute but calculating, daring though
provident, iron-hearted, iron nerved. i
ron headed English commoner, half saint,
half hypocrite, at once preacher and a
soldier, an excited enthusiast and pro.
found politician; a soldier Of Christ, )
as he called himself, aud ol'the Parlia-
ment. as he approved himself; marvel
lous but unconscious instru ment in the
hands of providence for working out the
desti ties Of i marvellous time. He
was, in short, what the circumstances Of
that time made all who figured in the
more important scenes then transacted
in his own country, the creature Of ex-
ternal impulses, whether Of COCA Of Of e.