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

July, 1854, that great and good man, William the
Silent Prince of Orange, was slain by an assassin
hired by Phillip the ii, and his family were ~
warded for the Infamous service by having the es
tates OF the patriot bestowed on them. Not in the
least dismayed, the States immediately chose his
second son, Maurice, TO succeed his beloved "tath-
er, William" and he soon proved himself worthy
of his noble lineage
Their independence was now acknowledged by
Queen Elizabeth Of England and few years later
by Henry the "; of France the greatest and best
Prince that ever filed the throne Of that country.
Elizabeth now placed herself at the head of the
Protestant interests and took the States under her
protection, sending them a considerable body Of
excellent troops, commanded by the Earl of Leces-
ter, assisted by Sir Phillip Sidney, one of the most
gallant accomplished and humane men that has
ever done honor to the English name. This so in
censed the proud and bigoted Phillip-who was
certainly not great man-that he determined up
on no less an undertaking than the conquest of Eng
land itself He fitted cut at great expense of time
and money one of the most powerful naval ar1sa-
ments ever set ahoat He also fitted out feet of
transports to convey $4,000 men to England. To
man these fleets he was compelled to recall many
of his best troops from the Netherlands as well
his great General, the Prince of Parma, who then
governed such of the provinces as still acknowl-
edged his authority. Parma was certainly the
greatest commander then living. Alva was dead,
but his fame had been riyaled by that of Parma.
1t Is unnecessary to recount the further history
of this great armament which the Spaniard are
gantly styled "the invincible armada" Every child
is familiar with its history Suffice it to saw that
it was almos: tOtallv 5eske5 ana the waves oil the
German ocean. These events occurred IN the year
1888, and from that time the independence of the
States was fixed fact The power Of Spain was
gone forever. She still indeed retained vast pos
sessions, but the whole mass became torpid ana
lteess and her people seemed sunk in hopeless de-
cay. But the English did not close the war with
tue destruction of the armada They attacked
their enemy in turn and their great naval comIDan-
ders Raleigh, Drake and others, in connection with
the Dutch, destroyed the Spanish commerce. and
almoSt annhated the Spanish navy, while the
celebrated earl of Essex captured the important
Spanish port of Cadiz For while too, they had
the assistance of the heroic Henry the ~ OF France
Alter few years of vigorous hostilites the war
became languid, and fingered till the year 1909,
wien peace was concluded, Spain treated with the
States as de .tacto independent and was prevented
from acknowledging them such dc jure by pride
and punctllio. she therefore reserved the right to
pursue their conquest after the lapse oftwelve years.
or in other words concluded truce with them for
that length of time This was an fact the end OF
the war for the independence of the Dutch Republic.
Il was now as firmly fixed that CT any country in
Europe, and was acknowledged by almost every
poentate in Chrsteudom. except Phillip the III OF
Spain, who had now succeeded his father Phillip
the IL in the sovereignty of that country.
Daring this truce the republic attained to de-
gree Of power which it never afterwards surpassed
even before this time in 1902, they had establish.
ed their East India company. The commerce Of
Spain, Portugal and the remainder of the Neither
lands fell into their hands, and in this way they be-
during this period the first commercial State and
the first maritime powerin the world With about
an hundred vessels Of war, they babe defiance TO
every rival while France and England rejOced in
the humiliation of the dreaded monarchy of Spain.
TheT East India company conquered islands ard
kingdoms in Asia, and with about two hundred
ships they carried on trade with China and Japan.
They alone supplied Europe with the productions
of the Spice Islands. The gold, the pearls, the
precious Jewels Of the east all passed through
their hands. During this period too, they had
planted colonies in the West Indies and on the
continent OF America Talk about such people
not being independent! Ii is all nonsense The
war for Dutch independence then did not last eighty
years in fact, but only forty years.
uoSthties were recommended in the year 1921
but were merged into the thirty years war in Ger
maay. That war had been commenced year oil
two before by the Evangelical Union 4" formed by
the Pedestrians Of their empire in defence of the
|, religious liberties against the Catholic League
anu the Emperor Ferdinand the Ii, a near kinSmar
of the King of Sp1ia The States, England, Den
mark and Sweden allied themselves to the protest
ant princes Of Germany in defence of the reformed
religion Spain allied herself to the Emperor il
defeace of the House Of Austria France governed
by R,chelieu allied herself the Protestant power
for tue purpose of humbling the House Of Austria
Thus it will be seen that the objects of the wa
were partly religious and partly political. In thi
war the greatest statesman and the greatest war
rior of the age, Cardinal RIcheleu of France AM
Gustayus AdOlphus King of Sweden, were united t
humble the heads of the two branches Of the Hous
! of Austria the Emperor and the King ofSpain.
is needless to give any Of the details of this wal
the States suffered but little by it. No part Of
! was fought on their terriS;ry. Their commerc
hourished and their wealth and prosperity increase
during its entire period. At length it was term
mated by the treaties of Munster and Westphalia i
| 1913. The later secured religious federation j
! Germany, and became fundamental law Of tn
| Empire. In the former the independence Of tn
United States of Holland was finally acknowledge
By Spain. 1t had been, however, delayed so Ion
that 1t seemed solemn mockery. in reality tn
war ceased upon the acknowledgement of the d
| Jacto independence of the States by Spain in tn
treaty OF 1909. Technically il ceased by the a
| knowledgement of their independence de jure b
Spain in the treaty of Munster in 1913. Really
lasted forty years. Technically it lasted eighty.
have written the foregoing, Mr.. Editor, more f
the instruction and ediicstion of your readers tina
to convict Gov: Vance of error, but not so with tn
remainder of this communication.
After giving his history Of the Dutch in b
Wilkesboro' speech the Governor says: The
was Scotland, which resisted the attempt of Il
English to subjugate her for four hundred year
and finally overcame her enemies and forced the
to accept her King James the VI as james the
Of England"
A man after reading the foregoing extract mt
we'll ask, ibid the Governor ever read the histo
ofEnglnd or does be suppose that his hearers new
dldr' | will not review the history of England al
Scotland during the four hundred years in WIFI
His Ezoelency tell US that the former was tryii
to subngate the latter but will dispose of the la
assertion that The Scotch overcame the English al
forced them to accept their King James the VI
James the Of England and then leave the read
to Judge for himself how much reliance is to
placed in His Excellency as historian.
The English crown is hereditary, descending