Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-26
-s Cavaliers and Puritans.

correspondent A. C. are truthful and just,
others are speculative merely, and to our
mind fanciful. His analysis of the Puritan
and Cavalier character is highly interesting
and suggestive; but he makes the facts of the
two English revolutions Of the 18th century
the basis of falacious argument. In some
sense Cromwell acas butcher; and in some
sense so were Aicibiades. Alexander Hannibal,
Caesar Richard Ceour de Lion, Napoleon. and
so also our own Washington, not 10 say Eng
lands virgin Queen. the melancholy Eliza
beth. They killed men in war. The motives
each for butchery, were various In such
as Alexander, Caesar and Napoleon, ambition;
in Washington patriotism; in Richard and
Cromwell, fanaticsm, it is granted; but not a
monomania for blood merely. True. the
Cavaliers were conservative-loyal, and the
Puritans opposed them. But the Puritans
were not the aggressors in the first instance.
Charles / was a greater slave to the Church
of England. than friend to freedom of con-
science. And so were his predecessOrs-and
rIItrrnsUIe. The WAITS on that best man. John
Bunyan Beforehand the Scotch Dissenters
after, testify. The Puritans were enthusiasts,
but not cOld-blOod, d butchers. The overthrow
o. Charles opened the door to the Protec-
torate. Revolution is not child's-play and
the Commonwealth had to be protected and
sustained. And so it was, by Cromwell's
stern acts and sterner nature. Even then,
under the circumstances, the Puritans were
moderate. If they had been otherwise the
three events, the death of Oliver Cromwell
the abdication Of Richard Cromwell, and the
restoration of Charles ii would have furnish
ed different history from that which we have
Of those times. If they had been otherwise,
the Mayaower would probably have sailed on
different expedition, possibly bristling with
guns and bayonets and armed mn, instead of
steering through perils and prvatiOns to the
Rock of Plymouth. If they had been other
wise, by deep-seated aud natural habit of
incorporating intolerance, our own early
history would likely have been vastly DIFF
ferent
PROFESSIONALLY the Puritans and the Cava-
lers had their original distinctive differences,
iliosyncracies, even normal charactcristics-
and so did the Pilgrims and the accCptOrs q
the York and Baltimore's bounty aud the
followers of Raleigh, and the Huegenots. And
80 do we of South Carolina and Kentucky, of
Virginia and ouisiana, and of Florida, Mary
lind, even at this moment. But shall we
build up, hereup1n. theory Of races, such as
would make the people of Massachusetts, by
nature, cOd-blouded butchers, and those of
a. 4
alters, in the Spanish acccptation of the term?
Shall we sweep away the marvellous events
of our own Revolution, brought to pass
by the united spirit of such men Us Ad-
ans, Warren, Putnam. Sherman, Frank
lin. Hamilton, Greene, Lee, Washington,
Sumpter, Butlr, Marion, Jefferson, Mad
ison, &c, springing up with a union of hearts
aud union of hands. from the mouth of the
Altarhahah to Cape Aan, ali over the glorious
old Confederation simply to establish the
DRY of social and political antaSonisins
which, being established, would weaken the
bonds of our present Union? In that grand
epic passage in the history of the New World
the bgOtry aud ftnaticism of the Puritan
and the superciliously assumed superiority of
the Cavalier. of l7th century, were buried if
indeed they ever existed on this continent,
thousand fathoms below the lowest point of
resurrection. Certainly the Yankees of late
years have shown a depraved procliyity to
embrace the wretch d isms, mentioned by our
correspondent, aud mentioned none too harsh
ly. Fourierism, communism, Mormonism,
free-loveism, and spiritualism. to say nothing
of political abolitionism aud religious deisn,
transcendcntaljsm, and iniidclity, have their
paradise in this land of fanaticiSm. They are
at war with good society, good government
and the good union of these States. They
constitute new birth, and can scarcely trace
their anca stry to the actors on the field of
MarstOn Moor. But truce.
Our correspondent is gentleman of very
superior abilty-his articles are always wei
come--and Will he read with attention and
interest. We give them prominent place
in our paper, because they deserve it.