New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-01
CHARLES AND CROMWELL.
aApnrNER,s HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR.

ursroRy OF THE GREAT CIVIL VAR. loaa'
iss9. BIS samuel r. Gardiner. NJ a. VOL. H. ao Cd
Io4T svo.. PIP. KIN, ooo' Lolen'a"s' "i0o" " w.
The years with whose events MIR. Gardner deals
in this volume were filed with stirring ana I'M
nortaut action. During the whole OF the Time
the cause Of the King in England was SINKING
s.oadilv Marston and Nascby may indeed be said
IN have put an end all rational hore OF SUCCESSFUL
resistance 70 the Parliament, but Charles was the
most sanguine of men, and has strong tendency 10
intrigue and intricate combinations enabled him
70 buttress his fading hopes again and again, ana
% renew n struggle which all but he perceived to
no useless The brilliant successes of Montrose IN
Scotland also had their effect in keeping awe
.hose desperate expectations Of possible Irish or
French aid which the King constantly cherished,
and his persistent nursing of which subsequently
did so much to ALLEVIATE English sympathy from
him, and TO mark him out as prince whose ways
of thought, like his methods of governing, were
too foreign TO be tolerated or trusted
Cbar)es is much more In evidence here than
Cromwell, though Mr. Gardiner attributes TO the
latter an influence over the Parliament not TO DC
proved by any documentary evidence. Inc cnar-
ec,er ascribed to Cromwell in this history differs
in many respects from that which Carlyle con-
ceived and we cannot do better than quote Mr.
GARDENERS estimate of the General as statesman
Political assemblies are always impatient of far
reaching schemes which embrace the future as
well as the present. . Then, as now, the HOUSE
of Commons liked TO be led on step by step, ana
took O peculiar pleasure in imagining tilat eaGn
move in advance was absolutely hnal CroilMeli'
alike by temperament and calcuhted pruuriMEcJI,
was the very man to afford the guidance whlch
the House required. Widely as his sympath.es
extended. he knew how TO single out among many
objects the one which was supremacy lhporulhSy
because most easily attainable at the moment anu
while throwing himself with all the energy Oh ms
character upon the achievement OF MS lln9Gne
purpose TO maintain q complete silence on SUBJECTS
which would have divided him from those whose
belp he needed. The combination OF the power
of enthusiasm with the power Oh rel rev.
crnce was the distinguishing note of Cromwell 5
character as a statesman-a note which. under
malignant Interpretation, led easily to charges or
hypocrisy. Such charges appeared to nave !Ile
better foundation in the uncertainty with when
he felt his way to a great decision; NO one, ne
said in ] e47, rises so high as he who knows noU
whittier he is going; Alike as commander, as a
sneaker and as politician. Cromwell stands apart
from those whose life work has been mouloeu ny
self-sustained effort in pursuit OF regularly formed
plan. The inward doubts and wrestlhes, clc III
slant urgency with which he sought God IN prayer
for Divine light which should determine DIS
course amidst the darkness around MN Wtre
the truest expressions OF the hesitation WIN Wlc,
he approached each turnng-p0nt IN the pain o.
duty The involved sentences OF his oratory-li,
indeed, oratory it can he caled-and the absence
of any strategcal plan in his warfare are cIos,Iy
akin to the open-mindcdness with which ne gaugeo
each politica1 difficulty il arose. There were
so many evils which needed remedy, so many neal
ing measures to be applied. that II was 1gr i, 10
choose a codrse When the moment OF decision
canon> at Last all previous hesitation vanished.
Cromwell needed the impact OF hard lac, to Sle'r
his mind. but when once II had Deen cIealtu oI i
saw his way with pitiless decision OF purpose. va
friends who crossed his path were thrown aS ,,
and hopes which he had once held out 10 mem EN-
withdrawn The need OF the momen men M's .s S
in al TO him, and what that need WIS hc DO"
with unrivaled accuracy of VISION
This is a clear and strongly drawn portrait. ana
perhaps TO many il will appear that o. an olt
portunist. But Cromwell was not that, save IN
a technical sense The first necessity wi'h nm
was instant conviction of right Tor the couiSr
IN he Immediately followed. and. if he deluded
himself as 70 the nature of the inward directions
and assurances upon which he proceeded IL cannot
he said that any far-si2hted seillshness OF crdiV
suggested his line of action. In the ELIMINATION
OF his long struggle with the King 1T has indeed
always appeared probable that his knowledge o.
Charles's unyieldng character ana sinister puf-
noses urged the con1ueror ON to put his enemy TO
death. but seeing that there no alternative
between the extinction of the King and the eX-
tinction of the Parliamentary leaders, 1T is not
necessary to assume that personal feelings even
indirectly governed Cromwelrs action IN the case
As Mr. Gardiner truly observes. malignant III
depreciation may cast over much OF his career tIe
,enblance of hvpocrsv but since CARLYLE edited
his letters probably few candid minds have con-
tinued to charge him with that vice. In the
present volume he appears most frequently us q
soldier. charging at the head OF his lronsldes
At Marston or NaSeby, or reducing royal lorTVhSeS
and towns with swift and imretuous attacks
Occasionally the dark shadow of that fercclous ID
tolerance from which religion OF that. period
was exempt falls across his military career. 1t
IS not easy to realize the nature OF the religious
sentiment which can lead men TO slaughter de-
fepeeless women end children and surrendered
,rsonels or which can regard difference OF falth
as putting enemies beyond the pale of humanity.
Tut so it was: and the tendercOnscenced, seli-re-
rroying and examining PuIitans could butcher
Roman Catholics after fight with undistulbed
and remOrseess hearts.
The judicial and at times almost colorlesS
STYLE of Mr. Gardiner cannot interfere with the
romantic and stirring impression which the study
Of Montrose's campaign must always produce In
readers of the least ina ginotion. Montrose him
self was man of the raladin Tyne lofty and pure
Of character cherishing an ideal of royalty by
divine right. to which nothing IN The real King
correspondent proceeding upon views of men and
influences having foundation apart from his
snguine fancy: 10 the last confdjng in traitors
and egoists and to the last believing in popular
feelings which had ceased to eAiSt-he nevertheless
exercised fascination over nearly all WHO came
in contact with him and possessed n military
genius of really high order. No other man, it is
now generally conceded. could have held together
the discordant and loosely cOmpacted Highland
clans as he did. Even ne could not keep them
in hand after a battle. and therefore it was i'm
possible for him to follow his victories. nor
could he march them into England. In the end
even his victories proved barren and mischievous,
for they only served 10 prop the obstinate dis
position of Charles and to furnish him with
answers to the circumstances OF his diSliluson-
lied followers Naseby should have marked the
limits OF the war, but the King still hoped in
Scotland and Ireland and France and in every
thing but the support and approval of the people