Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-06-03

capable of every crime and unredeened by a.single
+; virtue" Almost as soon as he found himself liked
IN his possessions he t9tnmened the most detesta-
bic of tyranny, and violated all the sacred
I oaths which, he had voluntarily taken.
! The Reformation in the mean time had made con-
siderable progress in the Netherlands. The prov
-ince Of Holland aud Zealand especially had become
! almost wholly Protestant Phillip now denied
| them the benefit of the peace of Passau, and CON-
menced the most wicked and terrible prosecutions
OF the Nethesland PrOeStants without single excep
! ton that ever diSgraced the world. The perSecu-
tons of the English Protestants by his wife, the
! blood Queen Mary" does not bear the slightest
| comparison with it. She only burned those who
openly practiced the reformed religion but Phillip,
IN spite of the remonsrances of the estates and of
the nobility, introduced into the country the Span
iSh 1nqusition in order to make men reveal their
secret thoughts and opinions. 1t IS impossible to
describe the horrors that ensued The Ia, art would
sicken at the feeblest recital Of them, and | shall
| not attempt it. -~'-..
! The introduction of the lnquisiton into the pro-
| vinces without consent of the estates fragrant
violation of the Constitutions granted by Mary Of
| Burgundy, to which Phillip bad so s0lemnly sworn
allegiance, and of course naturally produced oppo-
sitOn Many Of the most distinguished of the ancient
NOBILITY, I'll Of them Catholics, demonstrated with
| Philip bu' Ia vain Among those who thus remon.
strated we're the Counts Egmont, Horn and Montig.
ny, and the Prince of Orange. Egmont was de-
scended from ancient and honorable family, and
was with single exception the most distinguished
soldier in Europe. He had been in the service Of
Phillip and had for him the brilliant victories
of St Quentin and GravelIneS. Horn and Montig
ny, brothers, were Scions of the noble house Of
MontmoreFcy, and were near knsmen to the Con-
stable of France and the Industrious admiral Cogny.
The family of the Prince OF Orange was still more
distinguished His ancestors had worn the Imperial
eT enef ana f2Da s dPg
la Tba tran of these
great men, whose loyalty above suspicion, only
made the tyrant more obstinate in the wrong
Many thousands of men, women and children were
shockingy nutlated burned or buried alive Tor no
other crime than their religious sentiments. A.
length many Of the most illusrious mobiles present
ed an humble request to Margaret OF Parma tle
KingssiSter; who then governing the Netherlands
for him as regent and her Councils, which determn
ed Phillip to send Spanish army to sustain the
| InQuiSIton under the command OF Ferdinand OF
Toledo Duke of Alva' the greatest warrior as we'll
as the most cruel and remOrseiesS bigot OF that age
| Phillip himself alone excepted. The request was
! that the Inquistion might be abolished, and the
| fundamental laws respected In consequence oil a
| gibe cast at the petitioners by some member oil
the Council they assumed the appellation OF beg
| CARS" and by that name the patriots were often
! known throughout the long war which followed.
| The terrible AlVa came with his army OF still
! more terrible SpaniardS. He succeeded Margaret
I
tablished the celebrated unconstitutional and ire
| sponsible-at least to any body bnt himseifStrlbu
| nal known as the "Cnnncil of Blood" which Will
! perhaps maintain to the end Of time preemlnence
in intamy over every other institution OF the kind:
He also bad secret orders from Phillip TO arrest and
execute or rather murder, the Counts OF Egmont,
Horn, Berghen Montigny, the Prince OF Orange
and others. These noblemen were. all Catholics,
whose loyalty was above suspicion, their only crime
being that they had demonstrated against the eSta6
lshment of the lnqusi:ion IN violation OF the fun
! damental laws of the land. Horn ami Egmont
with their secretaries were entraped by means Of
an artful plot condemned by the Council OF
Blood" and we're publicly executed Under The guard
| Of body Of Spanish soldiers. MOntiSny and Ber-
CHEN had been sent embassy from the provinces
to Spain and had left for Madrid before the arrival
Of AlVa. Soon after their arrival at Madrid, they
we're thrown into prison by Phillip, where, after
languiShng for some time, Berghen died, and Mon
tigny most fouy murdered, all, even the mi.
nuteSt details of the murder having been arranged
by Phillip himself. All Of the nob!emen died steadfast
in the Catholic faith. The, Prince of Orange, who
subsequently became convert to the reformed faith,
euded the vigilance of Alva to become the saviour
of his country, and the founder of OF the most
celebrated commonwealth that ever existed His
military talents were considerable. lie had been
entrusted by the Emperor, Charles the V, with the
most important commands when very young, and
had acquitted himself to his entire satisfaction. But
as statesman he certainly had no rival. As a
pure, dsinterested and unselfiSh patriot he has
never been surpassed and only equalled By Wash,
ington and Hampton Charles the had governed
the provinces by Stockholders, and the Prince Of
Orange had been appointed by him bis Stakeholder
| for Holland. In this office he had been confirmed
by Phillip upon his accession
The Prince DOW plainly saw that no hope Of lib
erty remained for his country but through armed
resistance to the tyTannies of Al7a. He therefore
claiming to be most true and loyal subject of his
majesty, planted himself firmly upon the ancient
constitutions of his country which Phillip himsel
had solemnly sworn to observe, and in the rame o
Phillip himself as his majesty's Stakeholder for
Holland, he inaugurated in the year 1867 againS
the Duke of AlVa, that renowned war which finally
eventuated in the formation of the Dutch Republic
No thought Of separation or independence had at tina
time or tor many years after entered into his mind
Il the expression is allowable, the revolution
which he thus began was not DestructiOe but Cox
SENTATIVE. 81 will maintain" was the MOTIF
which he inscribed upon his banner, and no othe
device would so we'll have expressed his intentions
1t was Phillip who would destroy, but the Primo
OF Orange who would "maintain" the Constitu
tons and liberties of his country
The Prince with his "beggars" was at the out
set of the war successful. His troops, who wer
mostly merccnaIies enlisted in The Protestant prr
CAPABILITIES of Germany, frequently mutinied 70
want Of pay on the eve of battle They could nc
be controlled by their commanders, the Prince hin
self, and his brother, Count Louis of Nassau on
of the most accomplished soldiers that ever wiede
a sword. If, at this time, Phillip had been able
bring all his forces against the Prince, the Dutc
Republic would probably never had an cxistenc'
But this was not to be- Almost Simultaneous
with the breaking out of the in the Neherland
Selim, Emperor of the Turks, declared war again:
Spain, Selling this critical moment as the most OF
: perfume to humble the pride and overgrow
power of Phillip the II. 1t was during this wa
} which gave Phillip employment for all his nav
forces, that the celebrated battle of Lpp1nto VIZ
fought in the Levant Not only did SelIn decIal
war against Phillip himself, bnt he instigatedo N
, MOors in Spain to revolt and it was some time b
fore this rebellion Grenada and Andansia vas nne