The New York herald., 1869-01-16

wllLlAn TINE SILENT.

Lecture BY Fred Douglass at tho BrOOklyu
Academy Of Music.
Last evening lecture was delivered by Mr. Fred
Douglass in the Brooklyn Academy Of Music the sub
ject being "willam the Silent" The attendance
was very limited. The lecturer on coming forward
was warmly received. After q few preliminary
observations he observed that among the
great wars of nations waged to secure
liberty, or to defend, protect and maintain
the liberty already acquired there was perhaps no
history more important, certainly none more re-
markabe and thrilling In its details, than that OF
the Netherlands. During the last half OF the six
teenth century within the narrow limits OF that
country mere dot upon the map OF Europe, q
country more fitted apparently by nature for am
phibious creatures than for man, and which was
now glorious country. ab0unding IN grand cities
and fertile fields, won from the waves OF turbulent
sea by the perseverance OF the Dutch people, q
war was undertaken and carried on for
more than seventy years. Before setting sail
upon their wintry voyage in search Of that religious
American people, the Pilgrim Fathers. spent eleven
years in the Netherlands, no doubt learning those
to their posterity organized into law The lecturer
then proceeded to explain the condition OF affairs In
OF Charles V. OF spain, and subsequently under Ph-
lip III. He described the first symptoms OF the
rst breaking out Of the religious reformation in the
Netherlands and the determination on the part OF
the Spanish authorities to arrest Its progress The
mind Of the King was absorbed above all things by
the one great purpose to complete the supremacy Of
the Roman Catholic religion In the Netherlands and
the utter exerminatiOn OF Professionalism from that
that course referred the nquison and
the arrival Of the Duke Of Alva in the Netherlands,
contending that his commission was to exterminate
Professionalism. Having dilated at considerable
length upon the sunerings which the people sus-
ta1ned he pictured their final uprising and deter
mined resistance. They rebelled but when they did
so they demonstrated truth which tyrants In all
countries would do well to learn-that nation
be 20 as no
strong to light. He considered the war between the
Netherlands and Spain and that between England
cept0n that IN the former independence was not de-
clared until the struggle had terminated. He pic
@ he e the peope Of
Netherlands had been subjected Nations were In
variably driven to great changes when new
one error was followed by the remuneration OF
another. Those who upheld the principle Of aboli-
be that a black man, being human being, was
freeman; If a freeman, he ought to have the right
to vote and II so he may go to Congress, and when
might not 60. Q4aughter) The Netheranders were
disposed to fight Philip without nghting Philip, as
fighting slavery The last groan the rebel republic
was, "Help, Pompey, or sink" uaughter.l Nothing
opened the eyes OF nations Ike war II was stern
nation once really opened 1t was very dlfncut
to close them no matter how great the mesmerizer-
Qaughter.) Mr.. Douglass then proceeded to draw
comparison between the forces as they stood ready Tor
the h
divided. Having described the inequality OF the
contending armies, he pictured the carnage n the
Netherlands OF the people themselves as rignt1ui.
The extemporized armies fell rapidly before the
well disciplined forces, OF Spain. The battle
raoa bu3 Wonder Of those who read
the events. With regard to Philip II. It
did not appear that he was by any means sn oad as
amiabe man and very kind to all who agreed with
him. He only became fierce when his religion was
their sensbilitles aroused by the appearance Of
single black face at the communion table.
The egsfg tee
spanish power was weakened, the Spanish
rule and determination wavered, fagged and fell,
consequence Of the failure of the Spanish govern
ment. The contest was one OF the marvels oil MS
Among the many actors in the protracted strug..
gle one great character lowered above all
his contemporaries. one OF the great brothers
in whose counsel they instinctively trusted. A
man as the warrior only surpassed by the states
man. the statesman by the philosopher the philoso-
william OF Orange, or william the Silent The crisis
demanded such a man as he proved to be- There
was element OF his character, no one physical
accomplishment which he possessed, that could
have been spared from the leader OF so f0rlorn .
he possessed this IN remarkable degree He was the
statesman that senced the angry waves OF religious
contention OF the Lutherans, Calvinists and Anabaps
fists. He brought those bodies together to strike
down the prosecuting hand OF Spain. what George
Washington was to the thirteen colonies In their tre
mendous struggle against British power, what T0us.
saint L'0uverture was to his people when he freed
the beloved ise from Napoleon, and what Abraham
Lincoln TO U.s. William was to the people
of the Netherlands. or the three men he had
likened william OF Orange to he most resembled
Abraham Lincoln. tApplause.) He was pre-emi-
nently leader, for 1t was he who led on the fororn
length upon the career OF William, upon whom he
passed the highest eulogy for the part he took in the
struggle against The power OF spain. Lincoln stood
the head Of divided people; for was all the while
was united Spain against divided Netherlands. Both
men had foes In their own household. William had q
foe In his: wife she tampered with the traitors and
cheered them on. He hardly thought 1t was quite
a higher opinion Of Mrs. Lincoln than most other
people. He wished to say OF that good woman that
during the early part OF the war, notwithstand4
ing that the papers said she was pro-
slavery, he had positive knowledge that she
letters Of the slaves. Appausel In both cases the
people loved both men. william died By the hand
OF an assasin-a wretch to whom only the day pre-.
vious he had made present OF the money that
purchased the weapon that slew his benefactor,
His last request was that the punishment OF
his murderer should be mitgated SO II Linz
coin had lived for short time after the Dal went
crash through his brain he believed his last words
would have been similar. They were stamped In the
same noble mould and their memories would live
together while liberty had a place on earth. Both
lived to see their work nearly completed. After
heightened eul0gy on both men, their attanments
and achievements the lecturer concluded amid
applause.
I1EIA ANrS PROSPECTS f0D LIBERTY