North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-10-25
For the Standard.
ALGERNoN SIDNEY

Iespo"0ence ana f0A!caI WrlHngs. By G. VAN
SANTvooRD. For sale by PoMERoY.
| Among the numerous discoveries we had almost
sao inventions, of the present day. not the least re-
markable are those which historians and essayiss arc
daily making, respecting those characters in history
VINO have rendered themselves famous By their good
or Dad qualities or actions. The readers of Hume are
constantly astounded by some new work which over
throws all their preconceived ideas. Mary, Queen
OF Scots, and Oliver Cromwell, have, we believe,
more han any other historical characters vbrated
tween the Infamous and the injured the military des-
pot and the patriot. Both seem, however, to be at
last finding their proper level, while new and more
PerPiexlng contradictions daily arise. Bloody Mary
elevated, by Miss Strickland, into kind Hearted
suffering saint; the victims of Smithfeld, we are
told suffered without her consent, almost without
her knowledge. Philip ever stands ready like the
scaPegoat to bear her sins into the wilderness, and
we are expected In admiration of her duty and aec-
tlon as wife, to forget her failings as a queen
James the Sc cond, whom we have always been
taught to considers minded bigot, mplacable
IN enmity and faithless in friendship is painted by
her as mild. just tender-hearted king, who sought
only to protect his religion from persecution and
used his power to force it's observances 9TH
ers who differed from him. But of all historians and
essaysts Mr.. Macauley certainly excels in present
ing heroes and sages TO in and often strik-
ing Hght; ne Is ever ready if needfu, to rend the
veil OF sanctity which envelopes the saint or to
prove the devil not so black as he is painted. We
rise from the perusal of his essay Machiavelli,
convinced, Notwithstanding his Prince and Discourses
on LIvy, that s. he whose public conduct
was upright and honorable, whose views of morality,
where they differed from those of the persons around
him, to have differed for the better and whose
only fault was, that having adopted some of the
inns then generally received, he arranged item
LUMINOSITY, and expressed them more forcibly, than
any other writer" Warren Hastings. in his
terly hands, becomes interesting to hero of
romance, and despite the scathng eoquence of Burke,
the cutting sarcasm of Sheridan, and his own
faults, which were neither few small stands
forth on the page of history innocent and perse
cuted man. In both instances, it is true, see at
glance that is the handling of the subject, the
characters of the men, which produces the impress
sion. They seem pure, not from the innate purity of
their souls, but by comparison with minds infinitely
more corrupt. This is not the case, however, with
those characters whom, in his History of England,
he has placed in different light from that in which
they have been heretofore viewed. Many of them
will compare well with the most incorruptble patri-
OTIS whom the world has ever produced, and in this
class we do not hesitate to place ALGERNoN SIDNEY,
whose fair fame, together with that of John Hamp
den, the grandson of the great leader of the long Par
Lament, he has, to say the least, cast slur. We
readily understand why Clarendon and Hume
should have wished place the Republicans of the
age of the two Charles and James, not only in an
odious, but also ridiculous light. Clarendon held
a place under government at the time he wrote his
history; it was therefore his interest to hatter the
King by abusing the Roundheads. Hume, avow-
ed lover of monarchy, followed his example too often
to be considered impartial historian. Sir Walter
Scott, in many of his admirable novels, heightened
the ridicule. while he but slightly increased
spect TO. their sterling virtues. Being principally
Presbyterians and Independents, they presented, in
the many peculiarities of their life, Dress and CONVEX
saton, points of ridcule which his inmiable wit and
graphic powers could not pass by. The Cavaliers,
the contrary, we're the very stuff for his heroes.
young and handsome prince, deprived of his here
ditary rights, outlaw in his own kingdom, and
obliged, with few faithful friends, hide in trees,
and the of old castes interests
the reader by their romantic and perilous suation
reckless daring, and mutual attachment, though
he knows them to have been, in power tyrants and
oPPressors far more than Cromwel's stad sober, I'M
bending lronsdes with their superfuity of cant and
hypocrisy There is something in the deep devo-
ton of the crack-brained Wildrake to his royal
ter, described by Sir Walter, far more touching
than the manly steady adherence of Mark Everard to
Cromwell, and the cause he had espoused from an
ardent love of liberty. To this in the novelist, we
cannot object his object is amusement: but we look
for something from the historian. Mr.. Macau-
ley has himself, in essay in the Edinburgh Re-
view, admirably described good historian and with
his usual happy facility of comparison calls history
province in the debatable land of literature, lying
between two hostile powers, Reason and the Imag
alton, between whom it should be equally shared in
stead of falling under the sole and absolute dominion
of either" Whether his history comes up to
the high standard he has himself set up, leave to
better judges than ourselves to Decide only express
ing our regret at meeting its fascinating pages
such passages as the following. Speaking of Will
liam Lord Russell, he saws His principles and his
fortune alike raised him above all temptations of
sordd kind but there is too much reason to believe
that some of his associates less scruPuous. It
would be unjust to lmpute to them the extreme wick
edness of taking brides to njure their country. On
the contrary, they meant to her; but it is inn
possible to deny that they mean and indicate
enough to let foreign prince pay them for serving
her. Among those who cannot be acquitted of this
degrading charge, man, who is popularity |
considered the personihcation of public spirit and
who in spite of some great moral and intellectual
faults, has just claim to be called hero, philoso-
Pher, and patriot. 1t is impossible to see, without
pain such name in the list of pensioners of France;
yet it is consolation reflect, that in time
a public would be thought lost to all sense of
duty and of shame, who would not spurn from him a |
of Algernon Sidney.'' This is the only aspersion
fair fame. And what is their authority for it The
word of Baron, the profigate minister
of Louis XIV. the court of Charles H., who men,
tions in the accounts drawn up for his masters
the payment of a thousand guineas to Col. Sidney.
1t is to prove Mr.. Macauley mistaken In supposng
sidney capable of being corrupted by French gold,
that the life of hU now before was written. The
author shows, think, very satisfactorily, that it
was obviously Barilon's interest to make Louis XIV.
as was intended, in bribing the leading of Eng
and advance the interests of France, but he very
Justly remarks, s. that all the money of which Bar-
lon pretended to account actually passed out
Of his hands, is at all probable, judging from his
sudden acquisition of wealth, well as from his
known character for intrigue and doube-dealing."
We cannot but agree with him in thinking Barillon
more capable of deceivng Louis, than Sidney of be-
coming his Pensioner. 1t should also be borne In
mind tha - besides other writers of less note Lord
John Russell, one of the most eminent living Brit
ssh statesmen, in his life of his noble ANCESTOR Lord
William Russell, who suffered death in the same
Gill IF fh dis