New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-20
REcoLLECTToNs or Z READER,
BY CHARLES r. coNGDoN.
XVIII.
KINGS AED KING-KMLERs.

KINGS ArsD KfNG-KILLERS.
peeIcfpE AZ A RELIGIOUS DUTY-HoRAcE WALPoLE
on KryGs-MfIToN's COMMENT on TIE EiKoN
BAsILIKE-THE DUTIES or RoYALTY-iTs PkHiLS
AND PAlKs-THE ASSASSINATION OF c4SAH-
HENRY THE FOURTH AND WILLIAM OF ohANSA
THE QUEEN or THE SCOTS AND ThE qUKkn
OF TBE FREHcH-fHE DEATH or ALEXANDER.
Tbe murder of the Emperor of Russia is the event
about which all the world has been talking during
the last week. The facilities for swift intercoin-
muncatiou which modern science has created, leave
hardly anything foreign to component members OF
the human family, and 50 the moral effect OF reg
icide may be instantly felt 10 the uttermost parts
OF the EARTH By it win pc regarded as an acS
of exalted virtue by others az crime OK the deep-
eat and most diabolical dye. Infdcls to all else
may find religion in 1t, just as IN past age re-
liQion might have made its sanguinary accomplish
ment an act of pious duty. "The ASSASSINATION "
heretical soveregns." says Lord Macaulay, IN WIFI
in Of the plots agant the life Of Elizabeth and
Of that princess in particular, was represented as
the most meritorious OF all enterprises" IL was
taught in theological semnaries that whoever
perisbed in such attempts enjoyed, without dispute
the glorious and never-fading crown OF martyr
dom. To question the laNfulness OF ASSASSINATION
i'm cases where assassination might promote ehe IN
terests of the Church, was to question the ahto'y
of the most ilustrous Jesuits, OF Bellnrinihe anu
Snare OF Molina and Mariana; nay 1t was TO reDel
apainrt the chair OF st. Peter. One Pope had
walked in procession at the head of his Cardinals;
had prOcl aimed iubileei had ordered the guns OF
ST. Angelo to bB fired. in honor OK the perhulouS
butchery in which Coligny had persisted. Announcer
Pope had In solemn allocution hymned the mhruer
of Henry the Third of France in rapturous Ian
! cuaRe borrowed from the ode Of the prophet h"O-
akkuk: and had extolled the murderer above
phnehas and Judith" Tho same writer adds in an
other place Scarcely any Englishman, not utterly
destitute of conscience ard honor will engage IN
plot for shaving an unsuspectBg fellow-creature."
One EnGlishman at least, Horace Wapole, used
10 talk in his dilettante way OF that least Dau
murder. the murder of king; and it has been told
again and again how he hung mp the deatl-warrant
of Charles the First, with the inscription MAJOR
| Charta. This was of piece with much else OF the
6dde-faddle sort in his character; and no man III
| England would have howled more Loudly thah Nc
unless blessed with better lungs Than HIS IL anyone
| had so much as scratched the little finger oil the
| onointed monarch who paid Sir Roberts son the
% Ooo n vear which his utterly sinecure offices
Welded. There have been Englishmen who had no
scruples against king killing, hut Horace Walpole
| ,ras not one of them: he would have cut rather
singular figure in the Long Parliament or the High
| Court of Justice albeit he would have been too
careful to put bis own precious head in jeopardy
Milton who was the pen OF the English Common
,,oolth naturally argues the question of monarchy
with great freedom. good king he declares the
| publc Father OF his Country bad one is COM
mon enemy. against whom what tie people may
Io,vfnliV do as against common pest and DESTROYER
i of mankind. / suppose no man OF clear Judgment
need farther 10 he guided than by the very prin-
c,nIes Of nature in him." There is charming sheer
in the very beginning OF Miltqn's answer to the
1 "a M fnn
| Inv writing AGAINST king, not usually meeting
"a tb that force OF argument in such county antag-
onists which TO convince might add to his reputa-
| ton. Kings most commonly, though strong I'D
| legons are but weak In arguments, as they VINO
| ever have been aceustomd from the cradle to use
their will only as their right hand their reason only
| as their left"
PHILOSOPHERS have aravely discussed the nature OF
| monarchy but these investigations come either
before or after revolution, which discusses nothing.
! The men who kin kings are the tools Of men who
! speculate about the right or wrong OF rcgicide.
CI,otIus ma quoted by Rousseau thinks IL doubtful
whether the whole race II mankind. except about
n hundred individuals, belong 20 those individuals
or whether those individuals belong to the whole
race of mankind; and he leans TO the former
| opinion, rs Hobbies does also. Lord LanS'lowne
| once put the matter plainly In Parliament when he
| said: "The people have rights, but kings and
| princes have none" swift. in one OF his sermons
the subject being Mutual Subsection, declared that
| in countries pretending TO freedom, "prnces are
| subect 10 those laws which their people have
chosen they are bound to protect their subjects in
liberty, property and religion; TO receive their
petitions and redress their grievances; so that the
prince Is, In the opinion Of Wise men. only the
greatest servant OF the nation; not only servant
70 the public in general, but in some sort to every
,.af, npl In oil
ously. Gwho comes to crown IN the course OF sue
eession wero he the last Of five hundred, comes to
II uuder the same conditions under which 1t was first
taken. Royal blood can give no right. Tbs first
and last hold by the same tenure"
| rive these opinions because they show that roy
| atty has always been regarded by thoughtful men
ms trust. and kings as the servants Of those over
WHOM they reigned. lie who abuses his LOFTY posi-
ton for the qualification solely OF his appetites
| and passions, and who thinks that the mana OIL
Heaven can anOlnt oppression into equity or sheeI
domination into paternal rulo risks his crown and
will only keep il by the forbearance or tho stupid
itv ot his subjects. A king dissolved in luxury
etymoloaicaliy considered, is misnomer. Roy
altyp said Fcnelon, lis nothing more than servi-
| tnde in disguise 1t should be intrusted with him
| only who would not accept IL but for the love OF
| othersp Nero may be good player OF the harp
| Domitian an excellent marksman Commouus lhe
fencer; Caracalla irstrate driver of chariots-but
this each ght have boon quite private station
George the Third OF England, ere he lost his wits
altogether, was most successful raiser OF sheep
his son, George the Fourth-it Is well known What
be could do and could not do. Nothing comes OF
such kings as these Tlanoverians usually nave
been nobody except crazy women and foolish boys
thinks them worthy Of assassination. The Govern
nent shifts from their shoulders the country taxes
1 Ice on al a mt
ouv q only he will consent to be nobody. Mon
arcls who do business industriously and intelli-
gently are usually the hardest worked laboIers IN
| - - do,,in;ons gince have been Queen,