Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-07-02

The Barons of England excited by a
sense of their wrongs and the wrongs
of their k ngdOm, took an oath before
the high altar, IN the presence Of the
Primate, to stand by each other in de-
fense of their rights, and make war
upon the King until he should grant
their Just demands for liberty and law.
Yielding to the determined and united
force of the Barons in arms, John asked
for conference at Runnymede. Magma
Charta was the result of this conference,
The name of Stephen Langton is the
first mentioned in the body of the char
ter among the peers to whom its grants
are made, and his name is the first
among the witnesses TO the royal sigma
ture. The formation of the Baropial
league which assembled in arms to de-
mand the charter was his work. Was
not the preparation of the charter itself
also his work? We know that his
learning excee'ed that of any man in
England of his day. We know that he
possessed the only copy of the charter
of Henry that could then be found in
the kingdom, and we know that the
anu DdlOlo NOlC iltAllCl
men of letters nor learning. Do we
not, then, owe this great charter of the
liberties of the English people to the
hand and the brain of a Cardinal Arch
bishop of the Catholic Church? 1t is
true that this great man subsequently
incurred the temporary dlspleasure of
Pope Innocent, and was called to Rome,
where the diplomatic and artful repre-
seCtatiyeS had deceived the Papal Court
in reference to the condition of Eng
land and the doings of its Sovereign,
and thereby induced the Holy See to
visit spiritual condemnation upon the
BarOns in their war against the King
to maintain the charter they had
wrested from him. But it is equally
true that the Misrepresentation of the
ENJOYS of John were successfully cor
rected by Langton, and he returned to
England to resume his functions, and e,
having revoked the spiritual condem-
nation, subsequently caused the same
charter TO be three times solemnly
confirmed and ratified by the English
Sovereign.
"A late historian of England, in
speaking of the services of this distin-
guished man, says: AS Anselm had
withstOOd William the Red, as Theo-
bold had rescued England from the
lawleSsness of Stephen, so Langton
prepared to withstand and rescue his
country from the tyranny of John.
For many years after the execution of
this great charter solemn ceremonial
took place every six months in the great
hall of Westminster, designed for the
purpose of impressing upon the Sow
ereign and the legislators of England
the obligation to observe its PROVISIONS,
bishops adorned with their pontifi-
cal robes and bearing lighted tapers in
their hands pronounced, in the presence
of the King and the representatives of
England, a curse against any one who
should break any of the provisions of
the charter. The curse was well cal
culated to impress the mind, and its
terms illustrate the devotion Of the pre-
lates TO English liberty. Its language
WIS: by the authority of Almighty
God and the blessed Apostles and mar
tyrs and all the saints in Heaven, all
those who violate the English liberties,
and secretly or openly, by deed, word
or counsel, do make statutes or observe
them being made against the said liber-
ties, are accursed and sequestered from
the company of Heaven, from the sac
raments of the Holy Church."