The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-06

A Lesson From History.
After the suppression OF the " Great Rebel
lion in England and the restoration of tho
house of STUART by the accession 10 the throne
of his fathers of CHARLES IL, "loyalty
became so much the order of the day that no
unparGoned man who had been concerned III
the rebellion was safe either as 10 property or
life Fines and contiscations, hanging and
beheading. were strongly advocated III Parlia-
men1, not only by some of those members who
had been true 10 the King during his long
years of exile, but also by those who held
their seats only by his gracious clemency.
Indeed, the latter class were much more
intolerant than the former, and omitted no
opportunitv of expressing their devoted
attachment TO CHARLES, and their determine
ton TO punish as we'll all his enemies rs those
of his father. The bones of OLIVER GROIN
WELL, whose statue now adorns westminster
Abbey, We're, according TO all historians we
believe, except CARLYLE, di>interred ana h"hS
at Tyburn. The regcides fled TO America,
such of them were not caught 100 soon
PRESBYTERIAN and Independent churches were
deserted BY all courtierS, and attended by not
many persons Of any class mirth, feStivity
dancing, and even open prostitution, sue
ceeded TO the prim puritanism of CROMWELL
reign; and there was every indication that
the people of England thoroughly agreed
with King and courticIs III both politics ana
morals.
OF course pablic opinion all ran Ill one dlrec'
tion-that of sustaining the King by all possible
means As almost the entire body of the Eng
hsh people, between the years 1910 amt 1900,
had been concerned in the rebellion III one way
or other, that country then afforded the finest
field for the operations Of spies and mformefs'
of which the history OF the world gives any
account. And they We're not long III coming
10 light. TITUS OATES and his accompiiceS Ill
crime made money aud reputation by d"prlN-
ing other people of the same. POS "er"
proved, by him and them, 10 exist Which mao
no more fourda ton III fact than the nnsub-
stantial fabric Of Il dream. Gentlemen OF the
highest character ana standing were arrested,
handcufled, imprisoned, fined, and sometimes
executed, on no higher evidence than that fur
nished by these detcstahle perIurerS. In tact,
apprehension sat on every brow, and fear per
vaded every breast.
But il is with public opinion ~ with every
Thing else human--it is mutable. The mob
became satiaIcd with persecution. The King
who was q kind hearted monarch, ana was
much more fond of the company OF the Duchess
of Portsmouth and the Countess OF Castcl-
name than of signing warrants, and who was
moreover Il Catholic 1T heart though the
head of the English Church, became dlsguste'
with the outrages practiced upon the pro
scribed Papists and other dissenters, and TOOK
measures TO let his sovereign VIII ana plea
sure be known That sturdy old knight,
PEvERIL OF THE PEAK, is represented by SIR
WALTER SCoTT to have Uecn relieved from the
prosecutions of the intense loyalsts Ill conse-
quence of n hint given by CHARLES 10 the
court before which the knight was arralgned.
AS the king piped 50 the nation danced. Not
long was il before the miserable blood hounds
who had sought the lives of the best III the
land were brought TO bay, and eNpiated HE
of infamy by an ignominious death. Peace
indeed, then reigned, and CHARLES hFea ana
died as popular sovereign, excepting queen
ELIZABETH, rs ever sat upon the English
throne.
We have reason TO hope that when short
season of passion and desire for revenge shall
have passed over our heads, we may find our
selves in as happy and contenteda condition
as were the people of England when the mad
ness of the first days of the restoration had
been succeeded by the era of good feeling
The almost simultaneous occurrence of the
i
suppression of the Great Rebellion " in the
United States was most unfortunate fact for
the Southern people. The masses of the people
were Mortified NJ the wickedness which could
conceive, and the desperate diabolism which
could execute such u deed of darkness rs the
willful murder of Il President OF the United
States They felt that the crime was terrible,
and demanded that the retribution should also
be terrible The Northern people, preIudiced
by q war which had been attended by many
exasperating circumstances, came hastily TO
the unWarranted conclusion that the
"rebels" ought 10 be held responsible Tor
this atrocious crime. Even yet ii Is used
whenever it can be by the fanatics OF that
section as an argument for harsh mea-
sures against the South, where rs In England
during tn" Great Rebellion - in that country,
almost the whole body of the population had
been involved III the guilt of disloyalty. Thank
Heaven, General GRANT did not become a
swift witness against US. President Johnson.
like King CHARLES, was found to be disnosed
10 pardon all persons whose offences had moi !
been rank. Congress, like CnARIEs's porla.
ment, was not inclined to be- so lenient The
members would prefer TO see fines, penalties.
and confiscations They distrusted the loyalty
OF all who were not willing TO worship at the
same altar with themselves, and forswear the
opinions Of a lifetime They talked of nothing
else than Southern disloyalty. They legis.
lated concerning nothing but the class whom
the Southerners had held in bondage. But the
President, whose patience ID great could not
conscientiously cOuntenance such proceedings.
Like CHARLES, who was Catholic while
Catholics were daily arrested and punished,
President JOHNSON was himself one Of those
Southern men, " bone Of their bone and flesh
Of their flesh, whose States were treated as
without the pale Of the Union Like CHARLES,
his patience was exhausted. He made known
bic wishes. TITrs OATys may rave from bis