, 1857-01-09


the Success of the English aud American
Revolutions" In one of our late London
papers we find the following extract, Civ.
ing portraits of the leading men of three
revolutions.
"Thre great men, Cromwell, William
III, and Washington, remain in history 4:
the leaders and the Representatives of those
critical occurrences which decided the fate
OF two great nations. For extent and
energy Of natural talents, Cromwell is,
perhaps, the most remarkable Of the three.
= His mind was marvellous prompt, firm, sup.
pie, inventive, aud perspicuous; he pos.
sessed II vigor Of character which no obsta-
Gle could discourage, and no conflict could
discourage, and no conflict could tire. He
pursued bis plals with an ardor as mex
haustible as his patience, travelling some
times by the loIgest and most crcutOns
roads, sometimes by the shortest and most
PERCEPTIONS paths. He cxceled equally in
gaining and in ruling men in personal and
familiar intercourse; and he WAS equally
skilled in organizing and conducting an ar
my or party. lie had instinct of pop
ularly and the gift of authority, aud he was
able, with the same boldnesS, to let loose
or to quell factions. But born in the midst
Of revelation, and carried by successive
iconvulsions on to supreme power, his gen
iuS was by natare, and always remained,
essentially revolutionary he had learned
to understand the necessity OF order and
Ia-nparnu,apf ant hN Ill %,
respect or pmetiee moral and permanent
laws. In consequence Of the defectiyenesS
Of his nature, or the viciousneSS Of his stu
alton, he wan.ed regularity and serenity in
the exercise Of power had immediate re-
course TO extreme measures, like a man
continually a'sailed by mortal dangers;
and perpetuat,d or aggravated, by the yio-
enco Of his remedies, the violent evils that
he wished TO cure. The foundation OF n
government is task that requires proceed
ings of more regular character, and more
in conformity to the eternal laws of moral
. order. Cromwell was able to subdue the
revolution that he had made, but he could
not succeed in establishing it.
Less powerful, perhaps, than Cromwell
| by natural gifts, William l III. and Washing
ton succeeded in the enterprise in which be
failed; they fixed the destiny and establish
] ed the government Of their country. This
may be accounted for by the fact that, even
in the midst Of revolution, they never &c
cepted nor practised a revolutionary policy;
they never were placed in the fatal situation
Of having at first anarchial violence as a
stepping stone, and then despotic violence
as necessity, Of their power. They found
themselves placed, or else placed themselves,
at the very outset, in the regular way, and
under the permanent conditions, of govern
ment.
William was on ambitious prince: it is
puerile to believe that, until the appeal
was made 10 him in 1858, he had remained
free from all desire OF ascending the throne
Of England and ignorant Of the schemes
which had long been on foot for raising
him TO it. William followed, step by step,
the progress Of the scheme, without dis
countenancing it; giving its authors no
encouragement, but affording them all the
protection in his power. His ambition
had also the characteristic Of being asso-
eiated with the triumph OF great and
just cause the cause Of religious liberty
and Of the European balance OF power. No
man ever made great political design
more thoroughly the idca and exclusive
object of his life than William did. He
was ardently devoted to the work which
he was accomplishing; and he considered
his own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT as merely a mean
to that end In his designs upon the crown
Of E6gland he did not attempt to succeed
by violence or disorder; his mind was too
well regulated 10 be ignorant OF the incur
able viciousness Of such success, and to sub
nit to its yoke But when the career was
opened TO him by England herself he gave
no more heed to the scruples of the private
individual; he was anxious that his cause
should triumph, and that he should receive
the honor of the triumph.
1 A glorious mixture Of ability and Of
J faith, of ambition and OF dcvotedness,
Washington had no ambition; his country
had need Of him; he became great to serve
her from duty rather than from choice, and
sometimes even with a painful effort. His
experience, Of public life were better; and
he preferred the independence of private
life snd the repose of the mind to the exer-
: else of power. But be unhestatingly ac.
cepted the task imposed upon him by his
) country, and, in performing it, he allowed
no concessions to be made, either towards
bis country or himself, for the purpose oI
Tightening its burden. Born TO govern,
though he took no pleasure in it, he told
the American people what he thought was
wise, with simple but irimoYable irmness
aud a sacrifice of popularity, which was oil
the more meritorious because it was moi
; compensated by the joys of dominion
: The servant Of nascent republic, in which
the democratic spirit prevailed, he obtained
/ its confidence aud secured its triumph by
! sustaining its interests against its inclina
: tions, and by practising that modest ant
} severe, reserved and independent policy
which seems to belong only to the lsadel