New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-09


7o'eH IN. shot Of the assassin
was peculiarly qualified to found the
"H" s.,c. Of the Dutch. 1t was as we nave
pdep. =. complicated ideal, so complicated
naN" Dutch themselves were not on the
CAV Mo 10 keep the balance OF secular anu
sn0e ..,,caI power true. William saw that the
TeleS@ Al WAS 10 strike simultaneously Tor
nnS state one interest Helping the
u. would not be too particular aoou'
*ne &C. a, either interest so long as both were
~e ..,,seed He would leave the provinces
aIu nsh hands-if political liberty were as
q. would exclude Protestant churches
e' 49,. ct,es-if they were permitted IN 'he
pV~ he would dsband his own iorces-ii
s..r.b troops were to be Withdrawn IL
% .on that his Ifs amounted TO COM
pN .,tons As a matter OF fact they did
p~" matter of fact, William was all MS
NI master Of compromise, and to any
@s Tho Spanish bigot his proposals wouIu
'Os - .,,asd a reasonable basis for construc-
A'e ',.,o,,ons Philip thought them the very
s..,,vork OF the devil. and orange hiiiS''
-,,ssorv from the neither regions. he used
- means in his power 10 accomplish '"'
,..,h n, the Prince, in whom as ne wei knew
-. ,.-ansth OF the revolt was centred Ava
=. Granville. Don John or Austria ana 'he
80, ALL these regarded Orange as the Key
~, situation In the Netherlands Parma
oo,onassed his assassination. tired 4of
- ca much as he tried for the death OF
-. prince 1t is interesting to note tha' nc
-. 80, thus important because OF personal as
..,ssrcv alone though 1t counted vastly his
,-,or,ance came still more from the sheer lac's
=, his positon. Had he been fanauc aIone
~. r,ouisiton could have reached MN. hau
:. mo, another Luther the history OF the Nelh-
..,o,ss might have been different. But ne was
:, -a,ieious zealot Born and baptized as
ru,beran. bred a Catholic. the Prince had again
,-o.assed the Lutheran faith In middle HE;
.,a at the age Of forty he joined the
c,,vn,st communion" He was an opportuhst
., tho matter OF creeds as In matters OF State
Tho reason why he meant so much 10 the span
Ten King was that he was man OF so much
rnlstance IL the fabric OF the State
He was. paradoxically, the representative OF
.be King and his antagonist. He was the one
man in the country who could keep the people
IN check IL tie absence Of the army. AS he was
powerless 10 move without allies. and those were
languil in assisting him, he had 10 wait ior VIC
tory. BE had 10 rule the people in the King
name while plotting TO outwit the King. Thus
his life vas one long duel. one long marvel OF
dissimula lion. Of temp0rizing, Of MacchiaVelhan
parleying Mr. Harrison has consulted masses
OF documents There are more which he could
not hope to examine unless he devoted his HE
10 them They all the fruits Of Williams IN
cessant negotiations with the Powers OF Eu-
rope. We have alluded to his difficulty in pro-
curing allies Spain had tremendous power.
Germany VAS timil about moving against her
The French lent half hearted and spasmodic
cooperation 20 Orange Besides they had
troubles II thsir own Elizabeth vas willing TO
help. yet anxious to avoid the appearance Of
helpin- DreaG.ng n quarrel with Philip, she
was fearful If encouraging the Dutch too much.
Her conduct is a little aespicahle VIC look 1t
It now Il was MT tho place Of the Protestant
Queen to blow hot and cold while the fate Of
the Dutch Protes,ants was hanslng in the bal
ance She was the one sovereign who could
have been useful in the righteous war. But she
PLAYED fast and loose with William, and though
che wnked al the services rendered 10 the cause
by her ports. she never gave him the help that
Il was within her power TO give. William
fought on alone. We cannot recount here the
details Of his struggle. Mr. Harrison Is hard
put to it 70 compress them within the brief limits
Of his volume. But the main point Of his argu-
uent is easily traversed. lie sees in William
rot soldier but q statesman, not great com
uander but an extraordinary diplomat, and IN
the sanguinary exploits Of the Dutch he rightly
perceives the fruition of ideas which were not
IN essence military. one can conceive William
In an age Ike our own winning as great battle
without striking d blow
He could never have won all that he dreamed
Of winning H. could never have fused THE
rich. .ryative Catholic South and The
hardy revolutionary and Calvinist North Hol
land and Belrlur were bound to stand as they