The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-01-07

weakness of the king.
The three grott tax which melted
the inSnr!cction of Watt Tyler; The arbi-
trary Punishment Of Henry of Lancaster,
the son Of john of Gaunt; the annex
ton of John estate to the Crown when
lac died. and finally Richard abjact rcsig-
nation OF the crown. invited the aSSaS-
sination. and the bloody end of Edward
II. furnished the model and precedent
for that of Richard. Then prosperity
seemed to return under the strong rule
of the house Of Lancester-the firm will
of Henry ~. and the brilliant valor Of
Henry V: but the drama WAS not com
I,lcte. The War OF the Roses. growing
ont of this nsnrpntion ri Lancaster.
delayed England in blood, ami So de-
p!eted the ari>tOcrlcv that many Il noble
family became extinct. The probable
murder Of Henry VI. cxratcd that Of
Richard II. And when. "tn wade through
slaughter to throne Richard the III.
had the princes aSSaSsiHatcd in the Tower
of London. he di.i not. with all his Gun
ming and forecast. f"rcsre the fatal field
of B"sworth. and that fearful procession
of prophetic ghosts, of whom
"evrry one did threat
| T"-n"rr"w'S Vengeance on the head of
Richard"
Throughout the later nistcrv of T lg-
land attempts to aSSa>inate persons in
power have been frequent down to and
in the reign Of Queen Victoria: and al
though many of them have been the
schemes of half-hrai"cd fanatics. in most
cases they are types aud Signs .! political
conditions.
Take the case Of Buckingham. in the
reign of Charles J. Although wicked
! and incompetent. for four wears he was
! virtually the ruler of England. Frivo-
! Ions and imprrinn$. he had grossly failed
| in the Palatinatc and at the Isle of Rhr.
| The popular excitement against him was
intense. The House Of Commons had
| is>nrh Il declaration that he had abused
| his offices, AMI was public enemy" 80
| that when FELTON,. personally aggricved
by the Duke IS neglect to promote him.
stabbed him to the heart. h felt nerv,d
! to the task by the reflection that lie WAS
removing "a public enemv.''
| Ii we pass from England to France in
the sixteenth century. We enter q cham.
| Der of horrors which has no parallel in
history. The unscrrpu!ous ambition of
Ca,harine de Nrdici the insane imhecil.
! ity Of Charles N, the Internal orgies %
Henry Ill. the claims or rival royal
branches. the bitter internecine war Of
religion. could have no other than bloody
issues. The Massacre of St. Bartholomew
was IA wholesale assassination Then
came the assassination of ColigDv. the
cruel murder of the GuiseS IT Blois. mn
der the very eye of the king who stamp
ed upon their guiveriug bodies: and at
last the prompt vengeance OF the muir
deler at the hands of Jacqucts Clement,
a fanatcal monk. who was iustigated hy
| the sister of the t,lIiSes and who. at the
same time felt that he was serving the
| Church. To no one Of the actors in this
bloody drama did benefit accrue. They
| all lay down i'll sorrow. leaving the pacifi-
cation to Henry ". the loose bu. liher:.l
monar h. who endcared himself - II e
people by guarantcein. religious liberty
aud declaring his wish that every pea
ant should have chicken IN his pof-w-|W
on Sundays. But, unfortunately, The
storm had not yet spent its fury. II e
E'ict of Nantes, that most striking L.
uStratinn of perfect reli4 inuS t.,lrr t. II
the world had iet seen. was not wilhuut
Us euemies; and the old spirit of intn,r-
ance found an agent in Francois Ravaillac
who stabbed Henry to the heart. The
assassin declared that he had no accom-
| pliccs. that the idea of the murder had
been suggested by the sermons he had
he nd, that he believed the king t. be Il
Ilugnenot at heart, in spite of his return
| t" the Roman Catholic Church. an | tha5
he Thought lie was serving France by
killing him.
There can be no doubt that tie Death
of Henry served the cause OF rrli ions
| | berty: but this was not in mans fore
cast, but in the divine philosophy.
| The attempt on the life of Louis Nv. 10y
Damiers, in 1871. which WAS expiated by
the most cruel tortureS. was prompted a.
| the would be assassin declared "ty
words he had heard in the great hall ct
the palace, or in the ante chambers o.
certain councillors Of Parliament. and
| some Janseni>t devoteeS." Louis l. Bifr-
aime was becoming the most detesttd
man in France. He was an incarnation
OF vice, and many who publicly applaud
eli the tearing Of the culprit by wild
horses and the pouring Of molten lead
| into the gaping wounds, felt III THEN
hearts that the king was deserving OF :,
punishment which Damiens had 10 ri.ll.t
| to inIlict.
The historic reasons are SO manifest
| which led To the numerous attempts on
the life Of Napoleon |. that they need
not be rehealsed. To the Legitimists he
WAS always Il bold usurper. to the r, d
| Republicans 4 betrayer of their principles.
to Eng land Il Fraudulent monarch, to GEL
many a national enemy.
| When, in lS20 the Duke de Berri was
! killed by Lnuvel at the theatre. he was
the heir to the throne Of the BonrbnnS.
and the act was designed to destroy the
succession; but his duchess hnre in Ler
another heir, quite as acceptable to tie
| French people as the Duke had been.
| We may pass ny the numerous attempts
on the life of Louis Philippe. among
which the principal WAS that Of t'irsch;.
| imsii4ated by the claims Of the eld,r
house. Their philosophy is manifest.
Most singular among the attempts 1T
assassination in France is that of Orslni to
destroy Napoleon III. in 1853. Three
bombs were exploded under the carriages
in which the Emperor ;i"d his suite We're
! going tn ,he tn:atrc, winch resulted III
! she death al :: large i!ur,her OF persons.
| When the investigation was made the
| following facts were disclosed: When, as
4 young mau, a dreamer and lutcrc-.
| Prince Louis Napoleon visited Italy, ne
was initiated into the Spriety % the Car
! b"nari the Visal r.intinie ii whose ur-
| There We're same chapters ai -,svtuty in