The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-06
KING RICHARD III.
Senator Lodge Denies That He Was
Humpbacked Tyrant.
II. c. Lodge in Scribner's.

II. G. Lodge in Scribner's.
If Richard be tried by the only proper
standard that of his own time he will be
found to be, not more but less. cruel and
bloody than either his predecessors or
those who came after him. The act
which has especially blackened his mem
DRY is the mysterious removal or murder
of the princes. Yet Clifford, backed by
Margaret of Anjou, had killed in cold
blood Richards brother the Earl of Rut-
land, boy of IS, while Henry VII impris-
oned and executed the feeble-minded Earl
of Warwick, the son of Clarence. In
mere numbers of executions, excluding, of
course on both sides those who were
taken in open rebellion Richard has much
less to answer for than Queen Margaret or
Henry VII, who put to death anybody
who happened to be distastefu to him on
political personal, or religious grounds
There was no public opinion in that day
against putting to death anyone who had
played and lost in the great struggle of
politics. Executions were a recognized
part of the business. When the game
went against a statesman i'm those days
as Mr.. Speaker Reed once said he did not
cross the aisle and take his place as the
leader of his maiesty's opposition; he was
sent to the Tower and had his head cut
off. Autres temps, lures moeurs. At
every turn of the wheel in the long strug-
gle between the Lancastrians and the
Yorkists, the victorious party always ex-
ecuted every leader of the other side upon
whom they could lay hands. Such were
the rules of the society, and such the pol-
itics in which Richard was brought up and
he played according to these rules and
without excess, paying the final forfeit
himself with undaunted courage
Nothing is farther from the truth than
the notion that Richard was unpopular
with the masses Of the people He had
never injured them, and they did not care
how many mobiles or princes he put TO
death.
His deformity is great feature in
Shakespeare, and is used with all Shake.
speare's knowledge of human nature 10
explain much of what would be otherwise
Incredible. lt is in the bitterness of the
dcformed which makes Richard hate the
world which hardens his cruelty. and
sharpens his already keen-edged ambi-
ton with the desire TO overcome the
scorn of mankind for defects he could
not help, by reaching a place where he
could put the world under his feet. Yet
there is but little better evidence of his
dcformity than there Is of his having
been born with teeth
1t Is hardly necessary TO call witnesses
10 disproVe such triviality as this but II
is easily done, and the reputation Is com
even alludcs to Richards deformity. and
these others who are silent are the only
writers of real authority. Fabyan. the
Londoncr. who must have seen Richard
often ana who was Lancastrian, saws
nothing of any deformity. The Croylnnd
Chroniclcr, a member OF Edward Tvs
council, Is equally silent, and so, too. is
Confines although he twice speaks OF
Edward as the handsomest prince he had
seen. thus showing that ne noted physi-
cal appearance. stowe said he had talk
ed with old men who had seen Richard
aud they declared that he was Of bodily
shape comey enough. only Of low stat
urc." Even Rous himself in his nor
trait of Richard indicates no deformity
The portraits indeed-and there are sew
oral authentic oXamples-show US q man
without any trace. either in expression
or feature Of bodily malformation. The
face is a striking one strong, high-bred
intellectual, rather stern, perhaps. and
a little hard in the lines, but not in the
least cruel or malignant, and with a pre.
sailing air Of sadness.