Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-10

another From tho foundation of the House of
! Commons down to the battle OF Bosw0rth,
| which terminated the civil wars Of the White
| aud Red Roses immense changes were wrought
| in the relative position OF King, Lords, and
| Commons In the controversy between the
Houses Of York and Lancaster, the point in
| dispute was the hereditary right to the Crown,
called in our days legitimacy. This contest
was only a contest of dynasty; and. while it
ragged, the people only changed their masters;
aud, ut the conclusion of the struggle, Parlia-
n,ent was so weakened as to have lost all the
power it had gradually acquired since the time
OF Simon de Montfort. In the civil wars which
lasted thirty years, thirteen pitched battles
we're fought, besides innumerable forays or
* furnishes, million men perished, eighty
princes Of the blood royal, and nearly the whole
Of the old Norman nobility OF course trade
aud industry were nearly strangled, which
checked the onward progress of the middle
classes, depending, as it essentially did, on the
accumulation Of movable wealth But in these
struggles, the serfs were emancipated The
kings and mobiles as the fortune Of war turn
ed against them, required the strong arms OF
their bondsmcn, and they gained them liberty
in exchange for their valor. The conqueror of
Bosworth Field seated himself on the throne in
presence Of the remnant of an impoverished
nobility, and Of an exhausted people
The ancient feudal resistances, welded by a
confederacy Of barons, had become impotent
against the prerogatiye for, when summoned
to his court by Henry the Seventh to do suit
and service, and swear homage and fealty, only
twenty seven Of the old baronage made their
appearance, and even Of this fragment the
titles of several were not clear The king,
initiating tho example of Philip Augustus of
akaI afa hxxx nh al
continuance no deprived the great tenants of
the crown Of the command Of the organized
force with which they had so frequently Co
creed his predecessors. The soldiers plundered
the people; they received their pay out Of the
spoil and the balance was carried to the royal
exchequer. With money to bride the troops
to put down insurrectiOn, it required little
genius to become an absolute sovereign. Be-
fore this new power Lords and Commons sue
cumbed, and the voice of Parliament was mute.
DespOtism was established.
Let ms now sketch more in detail the posi-
ton OF the English aristocracy from the con-
qnest to the accession Of the Tudors. This is
essential to the full development of later events,
which determined the character of the English
Government in its political, commercial, and
fiscal phases, and also in regard to its religious
establishment On all these points the arts
tocracy played distinguished part--at some
lines defending, at others assailing, national
liberty Circumstances arose at this remote
period which are still in action, and bear on
the yexed questions Of free trade and a protect
i've policy, and also on the electoral and rep
resentative system Nor is this surprising,
however little perceived by hasty and superb
cal thinkers, when it is remembered that every
nation isa continuity, though some links in the
chain may be broken and newly welded The
fact is, that the roots and fibres Of the feudal
institutions penetrated deeply and strongly
under the foundations Of all the European
monarchies, nor have they yet been extirpated
The cankered branches, which reared them
selves above the surface, have alone been Topped
off
[To BE CONCLUDED TOMORROW.