The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-08-11


the fallen Tories from the vindicitive
passion of their opponents. Parlia-
Ineilt went steadily on in ts work of
vengeance in spite of Williams moni.
tions, obstructing the Government, dis
tracing the nation, and broke up with
ont passing any bill Of general pardon
and oblivion. "''. n'.'''.
In the subsequent session, in the fall
of 1859, the Parliamentary majority
came back more vindicitive than ever
Burning with implacable resentment,
they would not listen to Williams ear
nest 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 few even their lives, by an uncel'
tain tenure" The historian, Macaulv,
says, "Again all compromise was re-
jected Again the voices of the wisest
and most upright friends Of liberty
were drowned by the c!anors of hot
headed and designing agitators. Again
moderation was despi sed rs coward
ice or execrated as treachery. n
1t seemed that nothing nut blood could
satisfy them" On they went in their
mad career of punishing their old enc.
mics, sending to prison, filming, impo.
sing pains and penalties on 'iores, and
DISTINGUISHING them from office and
suffrage. They had such n large ma
iority, so bitter in feeling, so well dis
ciplined in party drill, that they felt
confident of irresistible strength, and
defying King and popular opinion, they
passed the most shameless and tyran-
meal measures against the unfortunate
Tories. Had there not been some hon
est Wings in Parliament, as there are
now honest Republicans in Congress,
the British nation might have been
again driven to rcvolutionto to escape the
tyranny of that Parliament.
These men knew that political advan-
tages obtained by violence and cunning
could not be permanent But the ma
iorty still claimed that amnesty could
not be granted without condemnng tho
Revolution, and that crimes that were
grave enough to justify resistance were
grave enough to justify punishment
Just as the Radicals of to-day say tha
Andrew johnson sanctions treason b,
pardonlng the leaders of the South in it:
late struggle, and that if the war wa:
justiiiabIe at all, the men who resisted
it, at least the leaders, ought to be sc
verely punished. So the bill of indcm
nifty urged by William and the Conser
vative Wings was transformed into
bill of Pains and Penalties, and thu
House, in committee Of the whole
were instructed to make out list o
offenders who were to he prescribed
This was more than William could
stand; he prorogucd the Parliament
and then dissolved it, ordering Il ne"
election, and appealing to the sens'
and conservatism of the British people
to Justify his course. And it did JUST
fy him. In the next House OF Com
mons the Tories had clear majority
Those who had opposed William $ poll
cy in other departments OF the govern
ment were removed by him, and men
who thought with him placed in Office
William then sent to Parliament his ia
nous g Act Of Grace for political of
fences,' which the new Parliament
sanctioned without n di5sentient voice
the small minority of Williams oppo
nents returned to that body yielding
gracefully to the will of the Sovereign
and the nation.
The historian, speaking Of the con
test during two sessions with the for
mer Parliament, says: During Il whol,
year they pursued their schemes of re-
venge. They succeeded in defeating
Indemnity bill after Indemnity bill
Nothing stood between them and theil
victims but William immutable rcso
luton, that the glory of the great de
liverance which he had wrought SHOULD
not be sullied by cruelty" Macauly
states that the Act of Grace the ma
ton owed to William alone, and it il
one Of his noblest and purest titles tc
renown"
The parallel between this struggle o
William with his Parliament, and th'
present contest going on betweel
President johnson and the Radical ma
jority in Congress, We submit to ou
readers. .-..e ..r ...