Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1885-01-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
Sketches of Foreign Travel.
By Col. JNo. II. G1Dsox.
(Contihued.

1t has been said that no poet of any
note was ever born north of the
Boyne. Be that as it may, it cannot
be said that it is a region that breeds
not men of resolution, Of indomitable
energy, men of military talents, of
administrative genius and political
ability, for our Jacksons, Calhouns,
Nonros, Faulkners, Buchanans, Pres
tons, &C., all trace their descent to
the north of Ireland. As 1 stood
upon this battlefield of the Boyne, 1
could not but recall what led to it. -
For generations the question of re-
ligious supremacy in England, Ire
land and Scotland, was the all alb
sorbing and vital concern of the peo-
pie of the three kingdoms. All the
political affairs of each, both of for
eign and domestic character, bore a
close and constant relation to that
question. 1t was struggle between
Catholicism and Professionalism, not, as
now, under truce of toleration where
it may be considered as competition
of two systems of religion for q favor
able consideration of public opinion,
but struggle for political supremacy
wherein the triumphant party would
prescribe the religion of the State and
force q compliance thereto by the
beaten party, as far as possible, by
means of penal laws, test oaths and
determinations in the dispensation of
government patronage. England as
well as France had both Catholic and
Protestant subjects. And they both
by intrigue, by aid in men and money!.
and by confcderating secretly or
openly with the enemies of the other,
cndeavored the French to give to the
Catholics of England, Scotland and
Ireland the supremacy or crown on
that side, ard England to advance the
Protestants, the Huguenots of France,
to the peril of the crown and Cath
olicism in France. This sanguinary
struggle began about the time of
Henry the VIII, and to it may be re-
ferred the execution of the fair and
accomplished Queen, Mary of Scots,
and hundreds of the highest noble
men of the land, and thousands Of
men of inferior condition, as well as,
in a great measure, the beheading of
Charles the I, the dethronement of
James the III and the massacre Of st.
Bartholomew. The battle of the
Boyne concluded this struggle for the
crown, excepting the vain attempts of
the Prctender, and the young Pre-
tender to recover it. Since that bat
tie the Crown of England has been on
Protestant heads, and is likely to
continue so as long as she remains n
kingdom, rs that is required by the
settlement of the Hanoverian success
sion. Now the maxim of religious
federation is adopted by all nations.
Has not poor humanity cause to re-
joice and to thank God that all men
can now live, no matter what be their
faith, in peace and friendship under
the same king, the same government,
receiving equal protection and enjoy
ing equal benefits? That no longer
Christ's armies march under banners
of the cross,-that emblem of peace,
humility and love-with sword and
fire and chains, dagger and poison in
their hands! Nor has Christi cause
suffered by the change. Humanity,
too, has gained much, and civilization
has gone on with increased speed, /,
gathering light and establishing prin-
ciples which tighten the load of labor
and sin that weighs SO heavily upon
the world.
That the inscription on the obelisk
is in bad taste, and indicates want
of magnanimit5 and a delicate sense
of propriety on the part of those who
erected it, can hardly be denied. II
is in keeping, however, with the uni
form treatment of scorn, contempt
and devision which the English have
always shown towards the Irish =
What would your readers think if the
Federal Government were to erect ar