Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-08-15

framed Oh Outuutfs, sOllt luciuuiuB tcu
thousand Numerous, culprits and wit
nesses were brought before the House,
and they resolved to institute twelve dis
tinct Inquisitions.g Offenders must be
punished, despite William reccommen-
dation of mercy What was the use OF
their power unless they could persecute
their enemies2 0fcourse William was
violently assailed by the Wings, for he
was not "a man to be popular with the
vindictive zealots of any faction" His
partisans-those who had placed him on
the throne-swore that "he was now
trying to procure an indemnity for those
very delinquents whom he had, a fer
months before described in his Declard-
tion as deserving Of exemplary punish
mem" Thal HIa
The conduct Of the Wings in that Par
Lament is an exact counterpart OF the
action of the Radicals in the present
Congress. The course of Andrew John
son, in his struggle with the present
Congressional majority, is an accurate
reflex of the wise and humane course
pursued by the illustrious William OF
Orange in his efforts to rescue the fallen
Tories from the vindictive passion OF
their opponents. Parliament went
steadily on in its work of vengeance in
spite of William monitions, obstructing
the Government, dstracting the nation,
and broke up without passing any bill
of general pardon and oblivion.
In the subsequent session, in the fall
of 1889, the Parliamentary majority
came back more vindictive than ever.
Burning with implacable resentment,
they would not listen to Williams earu-
est exhortations to put an end to the
fear and discord which could never cease
to exist while great numbers held their
property and their liberty, and not a
few even their lives by an uncertain ten
ura."r The historian, Macaulay, says,
again all compromise was rejected.
Again the voices of the wisest and most
upright friends of liberty were drowned
by the clamors of hot-headed and design
ing agtators. Again moderation was
despised as cowardice or execrated as
treachery 1t seemed that
nothing but blood could satisfy them. |"
On they went in their mad career of
furnishing their old enemies, sending to
prison, fning, imposing pains and pen
alties on Tories, and dsfranchising them
from Office and suffrage They had such
large majority, so bitter in feeling, SO
well disciplined in party drill, that they
felt confident of irresistible strength,
and defying King and popular .opinion,
they passed the most shameless and
tyrannical. measures against the unfortu.
IT. al ln,
est Wings in Parliament, as there are
now honest Republicans in Congress,
the British nation might have been again
driven to revolution to escape the ty-
ranny of that Parliament
These men knew that political advan-
tages obtained by violence and cunning
could not be permanent. But the ma
iority still claimed that amnesty could
not be granted without condem ming the
Revolution, and that crimes that were
grave enough to justisy resistance were
grave enough to justify punishment, just
as the Radicals of to-day say that Andrew
johnson sanctions treason by pardoning
the leaders of the South in its late strug-
gle. and that if the war was justifable
at all, the men who resisted it, at least
the leaders, ought to be severely pun
ished. So the bill of Indemnity urged
by William and the Conservative Wings
was transformed into bill of Pains and
Penalties, and the House, in committee
of the whole, were instructed to make
out list of the offenders who were to be
prescribed. This was more than Will
liam could stand he prorogued the
Parliament and then dissolved IL, or
dering a new election, and appealing to
the sense and conservatism of the British
people to justify his course. And it did
Justify him In the next House of Com
mons the Tories had clear majority
Those who had opposed William policy
in other departments Of the Government
were removed by him, and men who
thought with him placed in Office.
William then sent to Parliament his fa-
nous "Act of Grace for political often
ses." which the new Parliament sane
toned without dissentinent voice, the
small minority of Williams opponents
returned to that body yielding gracefully
to the will of the Sovereign and the ma
tion.
The historian, speaking of his contest
during two sessions with the former Par
lament, says During whole year
they pursued their schemes of revenge
They succeeded in defeating Indemnity
bill after Indemnity bill. Nothing stood
between them and their victims but
Williams immutable resolution, that the
glory of the great deliverance which he
had wrought should not be sullied by
cruelty" Macaulay states that the Act
of Grace the nation owed to William
alone, and it is one of his noblest and
purest titles to renown"
The parallel between this struggle of
William with his Parliament, and the
present contest going on between Presi-
dent johnson and the Radical majority
:. No,c.o,e ,va euh,n;t ~ our raadpra