The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-11-18

not very honest Roman Catholic intri-

the RreaLer pATt Ol G10m. Dub d low
which had escaped contained some pas
saees such as, to minds strongly prepos-
seesed, might seem to confirm the evi-
dence of Oates. Those passages, indeed.
when candidly construed appear to ex-
press little more than the hopes which
the posture of affairs, the predictions
of Charles, the still stronger predictions
of James, and the relations existing be-
tween the French and English courts,
might naturally excite in the mind of g
Roman Catholic strongly attached to the
interests of his church. But the coun-
try was not then inclined to construe
the letters t the Papists candidly; and
it was urged, with some show OF reason,
that al papers which had been passed
over as unimportant were filled with
matter so suspicious, some great mystery
of iniquity must have been contained IN
those documents which had been care
fully committed to the flames.
"a few days later it was known that
Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, an eminent
Justice of the peace who had taken tie
deposition of Oates against Coleman ,
had disappeared. Search was made, and
Godfrey's corpse was found in field
near London. It was clear. that be
had died by violence. 1t was equally
clear that he had not been set upon by
robbers. His fate is to this day secret.
Some think that he per1shed by his own
hand; some that he was slain by private
enemy. The most improbable supposi-
tion is that he was murdered by the
party hostile to the court, in order to
give color to the story of the plot. The
most probable supposition seems, on
the whole, to be that some hot-headed
Roman Catholic, driven to frenzy by the
lies of Oates, and by the insults of the
multitude, and not nicely distinguishing
between the perjured accuser and the
innocent magistrate, had taken revenge
of which the history of prosecuted sects
furnishes but too many examples. Ii
this we're so, tho assassin must have af-
terwards bitterly execreted his own
wickedness and folly. The capital and
the whole nation went mad with hatred
and fear. The penal laws, which had be-
gun to lose something Of their edge, were
sharpened anew Everywhere justices
were busted in searching houses and
Selling papers. All the jai]s were filled
with Papists. London had the aspect OF
city in state of siege.
"Meanwhile the courts OF justice, which
ought to be, in the midst OF it's political
commo,ione, sure places of refuge for the
innocent Of every party, were disgraced
by wilder passions and touler corrup-
tions than were to be found even on the
hustings. The tale of Oates, though it
had suficed to convulse the whole realm
would not, unless confirmed by other
evidence, suffice to destroy the humblest
of those whom he had accused. For, by
the old law of England, two witnesses 8
are necessary to establish Oh rge OF
treason. But the success OF the first i'm
postor produced it's atural consequences.
In few weeks he had been raised from
penury and Oh: curity to opulence, to
power which made him the dread of
princes and mobiles, and to notoriety such
as has for low and bad minds all the at
fractions of glory. He was notlong with
out coadjutors and rivals. A wretch
named Carstairs, who had earned live
lihood in Scotland by going disguised to
conventicles and then informing against
the preachers, led the way. Bedloe, q
noted swindler, followed; and soon from
all the brothels, gambling houses and
spong1ng houses OF London false Wit
nesses appear to swear away Roman
Catholics. One came with a story about
an army of 10000 men who were to mus
ter in the disguise of pilgrims at Corun-
ma, and to sail thence to Wales. An
other had been promised canonization
and $500 to murder the King. A third
had stepped into an eating house in CO.
vent Garden,and had there heard q great
Roman Catholic banker vow, in the pres
ence of the guests and drawers, to kill
the heretical tyrant. Oates, that he
might not be eclipsed by his imitators,
soon added large supplement to his
original narrative. He had the porten
tous impudenoe to affirm, among other
things, that he had once stood behind a
door which was ajar, and had there over
heard the Queen declare that she had re-
solved to give her consent to the assas
sination of her husband. The vulgar
believed, and the highest magistrate pre-
tended to believe, even such fctions as
these. The chief Judges OF the realm
we're corrupt, cruel and timid. The
leaders Of the country party ncouraged
| the prevailing delusion. The multitude
applauded Oates and his confederates,
Ihooted and pelted the witnesses who ap.
peared on behalf Of the accused, and