North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-08-06
LITERARY NOTICE. Ssz-


Carly les letters and Speeches and Headfy's Lift
Is Of Oirer Grom,OeH For sale 6v Poaneroy.
Il Seldom have in the Of biographies
reading, met with SO great misnomer Mr. Headiys
work presents u.s. He calls it ls while we are incl
ned to pronounce it whtewashing Of Oliver Cromwell
and that too in no mastery STYLE Utterly deficient IN
delcacy of touch and that subtle power of argument
which makes the worse appear the better cluse ne
deems it sufficient lay on his whitewash with heavy
hand forgetting that make It stick 1t necessary to
put on coat after waiting patiently for each to dry
The book processes to be appendix to Thank
you for nothing, Mr. Headly, Carlyle needs no appen
dix from your pen he is often, 1t is true obscure but
only in STYLE thought; he concentrates all the pow
of his gigantic mind one object with an intensity
rarely with in any other writer; his genius would
in medicine be styled homeopathic, his powers of
dcnsation are very great, he say in
tence writers in two; hence he requires the
stricest attention single word lost breaks the thread
of his idea and must turn back recover it. From
this cause his greatest faults too apt to let the
eye of his mind dwell single object the exclu-
sion of all other his very intensity prevents him from
taking comprehensive view of his subject in all its
bearings. ~ .''@
In his letters of CROMWELL for instance he dvelIs
with all his stern and fiery eloquence" on the quail
ties of his head (Which of common sense is in
cned to dspute) and CLOSES with colored
altogether by those of the heart which
will cloud the fame of this intellectually great
Yet skiuy is this done, gradually do his argu-
ments overcome preconceved IDEAS rolling
after wave that closed the book convinced
that he was in the right. little quiet reflection, how
ever showed us error; but it is only when
examine the work a whole that its defects.
Though may be inclined to excuse many of Crom-
wells acts from the character of the age which he iv-
ed, moral of right and wrong will allow
US to justify them and when Carlyle fails in his attempt
to make do what folly for Headly bring his p-
ny powers to battle against those stubborn foes of the
sophist-facts -.a...
1t the fashion of the present day euogize Crom-
WELL but he needs it not. Like Buonapare he has made
for himself name which though it may be dolzed
one time and vlied at another, will eventually find its
proper level and stand unrivaled by any which England
has yet produced. Civil crushed by his hand
the arts and manufactures fosered and encouraged
commerce strengthened and extended. Britannia under
MS sway did indeed rule the waves for toe dared face
her on sea or lands and from the chair of the Protector
lver Cromwell might look round and say I did it. -
HIS mighty intellect unaded, accomplished the whole,
bringing strength and order out of weakness and chaos
Yet he acknowledged no sovereignty but his ipse
dlxlt, and toed for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of England,
from patriotic love of his country, but because it
the England of Oliver Cromwef-thc England, from
whose throne he had hurled the descendant of long
line of Kings, because he had dared violate the laws
OF the kingdomthe England that submitted to the des
potIc rule of who did hesitate her dele
gates out of Parliament and declare that he would
knowledge law that of the Almighty, and would
interpret that he chose Had Cromwell been the pure
patriot which Carlyle and Heady would have believe
him. he would have nominated his his
cessor. With his remarkable power of reading almost
at glance the characters of those around him. he could
not but be that the weak and vacating Richard
was unfit to fill his place. He doubtless trusted that his
power was too firmly established to be shaken by the
Suarts in their then destitute condition and hoped that
overawed by the mighty force which Richard could COM
mand, they would undertake depose him until he
had ruled the king om sufficiently long for the majority
of his subjects TO become reconced to his sway. From
lis knowledge of men he knew they would often submit
to an existing evil for fear of ncurng greater by resist
ing it. How differently did Washington, the purest of
Patriots, act in the zenith of his power; when, by
single word he could have been elected to the Prssen
al chair for life, he noby retired, because he
WINGED Government could remain pure when the term
of the Chief Magistrates power only limited by his
life.
Mr.. HeadIy maintains that the same stern unbending
spirit animated Oliver Cromwell which caused the Pur
ans to leave their homes settle the barren rocks of
plymouth, and struggle so manfully against all the d-
icutics which surrounded them rather than submit to
that preiadcal tyranny which denied them the right OF
private judgment This have been the in the
early part of his career but he learned the
er of his mind to bend others to his WILL to preserve
that strict integrity which distinguishes the Puritan from
the fanatic. Yet CIomwell's mind well balanc-
ed to he carried by fanatcism He commenced his
career by withstandng, every patriot should, the
lawful attacks of the King the civil and religious
rights of large portion of his suhiects-he ended by
becoming greater despot than Charles the first
dared to he. His desposm differed materially from that
OF Charles but 1t less despotsm he wished to
rule alone, and would brook neither rival opponent
1t matteed not who opposed rivalled him. Fairfax
Ireton, Sir Henry Vane, Charles the first, all must
yield, either to his cunning his power.
How artfully did he the two former, it
were by their act into private life. Proposing him
self that the army should he reduced after the close of
the officers make their selection whether
they would retain their commissions take their seats
in Parliament, he contrived to be sent exped
ton just at the time of making the selection. Fairfax
convinced that civil, lot military e would be the
theatre of action, resigned his commission, which left
Cromwell Commanderin- Chief. On his return to Lon
don he chose to retain that place. and udicousy thin
ming the army of the Presbyterians, leaving large
majority of independents he enabled boldly to dis
solve Parliament, and his intention of ruling
in future in the name of the Almighty alone None
doubt but that he ruled both wisely and we'll his keen
comprehensive mind took in glance every department
of government nothing overlooked nothing neglect
ed, and never-not the golden of Elizabeth,
was England SO powerful abroad, prosperous at
home during the Protectorate. review of this Pc
Rod of his life is sufficient to convince he not
under the nuen of that fanatcism which Carlyle in
his Hero-worshp urges an excuse for many OF his
acts leading trait of fanacism is the intensity with
which it object but Cromwell
of his mind. He that the Independents were des-
rule them In do this, he affected that severity
of and supcruity of cant popular with them
which added his remarkable talent for ruling inferior
minds gave him unbounded sway over all who came
near him. His charge his troops at the battle OF
cescr to in Providence and keep their powder
dry" was strikingly characteristic Of the man.
His indomitabe will! left untred to accom-
plish his object He turned the naiicism of his men
to his own account Though ready to impute his
success to the fact of his welding The sword OF the
Lord and Gideon" he took neg lect no means,
however trivial terrible. To this trait his character
we us i'm ute the horrible massacre in Ireland Crom-
we'll was not naturally bloodthrsty man. and cannot
be said of him as Caverhouse that he would slaughter