Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1865-11-07
EFRoat THE LSScHhuRc YiaoT.sIa 4
A PLEA FOR AMNESTY.

with the record of those troubi bi0tis fiinessl
which preceded the accession of " liam, Z ,sl
Mary tozthe throne of England lrenI. f6e.
day that Charles the First was oTpesed e
stoutly by his Parliament. till his life Went
out SC, sadly before Whitehall, and through
the srccesslYe reigns of Oliver CROMWELL
Charles the Second. and his gloomy biieotedi
brotuer; James. there had been sa;ithersli. :. :;
TEMPEST of wrath that threatenesIs to s,gs.s,.
some day with desolatinp over ri ie fI,.ss
Kingdoms. The old fe1ds that hai existed
between Cavalier and Roundhead. Catholic.
and Protestant were never healed aThe Inv
alists who had CLING, to the faitbIess l,,,,ss.,t
Stuart. remembered the ,f tbeir kim
and the iron rile Of the Protector = ths
Puritans. shocked with the licenti6us n,.,D,les
ners of that cav Eothario the Second Ch6,lall
and enraol,fl Nv the -
and successor Ia1nes. welcomed STyith sssIaa.
heart and f5onntlIno stan The nnxv 6,,,
ner thatsya first nnfnrled an Exetar7 md
which proclaimed tstIhe PROTESTANT Relie{oss
and the Liberties of Enoland.,' IIa VIM 35ore,
that banner came with all the naranhernalia.
of a conauerer to inaueurate a new REGIME
And a conouerer he ,wyas---tbat c.ld ,bIes-
matte, but severely lust Dutcbnlan. Nifb
his advent to power ended tl,es rei.,n of ,ers
secution. From the cliscorda.,t. i,,rrno,.fI,e,.
n IN InHa a.1Fl Ennf
eould not thrive whore W;lli.m ro;o,,,,,oJ
The Titus Oateg and praise q I'd. Rae sbonos
were alike repelled by the influence Of thai
great and pure exau6le. There was no Mace
left forinformers and fanat ticism ner;s had far
lack loffueI "a. feed the deyoprinfr .Hame All
felt that n ,r.at and inst man Sa az slss.;
MICS Of the people inshis keenirod NS;tf,s,..ts
tl,reats nor fiattery, corId saIl,io -,
natb stbat bod =, IL.
ont before tLe obIo WI,
4 nation of + s,Seo,, Z
those civil clissens;dns :; s:sl 81 Ias
and m ro,oh s many ,d
liam.telt that he tyRas nm instr,,,,,S,,,t ~,
hands of God and be fnlGlvad b;ss ,,;ss;o,
Tbcltrlorvs b, had won b;s III
the lustre he had there reflected .tbro,,ob L;s
heroic deeds upon an illustrions bo,,,se yve,s
surpassed bv the exceeding snIar5or ~: I IL
civil administration in En9l.nd II VIII 70
dound to his honor while the racorfs Of RI
tain last. and continue to be tl,k brigbest Ian.
rel in his crown. that .The Ast of: &C.,
was lis. The II, H.,
towards l,ie ene,nies and 80.
he eyinced to cureT the isoTders
by a gen raj amnesty thai should ',ecg,,c;is
all TO the government. and ne os5 sIoh ~,
example Of clemency conld efFcct = re.o,,.;lo
his subjects to each other. is an zendnriiI,s,
monument of his wisdom as 4 Srnier and
+ should serve as an example to others mali
time. How strongly it is commended Ia o,,r
President who stands now toward tbis, ,,e,,,Ias
in much the same relation that yy;lI;si.s ia
toward his. Tiies effect tli.t watld },,lj,,,s>
such an actis we'll portrayed in the r,ervo,,s;
and glowing style of Lord AIacanlay in. t,,,t
splendid tribute whicEibe pays.5to the ;lI,,s.
Z trious Prince of Orange. The extract. though
long, is subjoined here as the bestillnstration
we can furnish of tho effect of the policy res
commended. "lhe Act of Grace. saws
Macaulay, s'the nation owed to William alone:
and it is one of his noblest and zpurest titles
to renown. From the commencement of the
civil troubles ofthe seyenteeth century down
to the Revolution, every victory gained by
either party had been followed by sangui-
nary prescription. When the Roundheads
tfiumphed over the Cavaliers, when the Cav
alters triumphed over the Roundheads when
the fable of the Popish plot gave the ascen-
dancy to the Viii s, when the detection of
the Ryc-house plot transferred the ascen.
dancy to the Tories, blood, and more blood. Z.
and still more blood, had flowed. Every
great explosion and every great fecoii ofpub-
lie feeling had been accomplished by seyeri-
ties which, at the time, the predominiIit fac
tion loudly applauded, but which. on calm
ireview, history and posterity have contetnned
/ Nowise and humane man, whatever may be
3 his political opinions, now mentions without
reprehehsionSthe death of.either Land or 81
!, Fane, either OF Stratfotd or of Russell. sOf
the alternate bptcheries, the last and the.
worstis that which is inseparably associated
with the names of James and .Jeffrevs Isnt
lit dssuredly would. not have beer The. last
perhaps itmight not have been the worst. 81 siif
+ William had NOT had the virtue and The am
ness resolutely to withstand the iiminortnnity
of his most jealous adherents. These men
were bent on exacting terrible ratrfft1tio
forialFthey had undergone during seven dis