New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-07

do this, II Cromwell could have squared such a
policy with his own conscience or could have
harmonized his party on any line Of external ac-
tivity. AS it was. England seemed TO Franc"
and Spain a commodity at auction which would
he knocked down as an ally to the highest bid
der Mazarin bid Dunkirk. but withdrew II
when Cromwell demanded formal recognition
from royalist France Of the anu-royalist Eng
Nsh Commonwealth. At tines Cromwell was
urged by French diplomatists to take Dunkirk
on a secret agreement that France would not
oppose him. At other times he was told that
France would not give up that stronghold under
any consideration. What came out most plainly
TO the extent OF public confession was
that Spain impecuuous then as she Is
now. The forces which she asked OF England
would have II 200 600 a year, but she could not
raise 100000 even after trying to exc out the
national revenue by popular subscription IL
is worth remembering that IN this condition or
abject poverty she was still able to make war on
two sides OF France at once.
The final result Of the Dutch war was a
treaty in which Englands demand for national
union had become an alliance for reciprocal
defence in case Of an attack while the StuaI's
were practically excluded from the United Prov
inCes a secret agreement with the Province or
Holland was expected to keep the Prince or
Orange out o. power. Hoo little likely the
Dutch to keep the treaty If they found
themselves strong enough TO break It Is mani
fest in the fact that this Prince OF orange was
the man who was to be known as william ILL.,
who is Justly regarded as Cromwells successor
IN the fruitful guidance OF the foreign policy OF
England" Denmark. which in the Dutch war
had threatened to cut off Enslands supply OF
no
commercial treaties were made with Sweden and
Portugal Cromwell's aspirations for Protest
ant league were Killed. Still. he might seem to
have put England in the place Of leader TO
the smarar States irrespective OF religion. II
they had been IN danger they would have wei
coined such an arrangement But the fact was
that in the strife for trade especially at sea- 1t
was England they feared. The fact that she
was Protestant and Republican and was Willing
TO fight FOR them did not signify az long as she
Obliged them 10 lower their flags in British seas
and hampered their commerce by every means
her energetic merchants could devise
Thus on every side the main object OF inc
Powers large and small alike, was to keep Eng
land from meddlins in their affairs. For a Iohs
time France and Spain were successiui IN
battling all Cromwell's efforts TO gam what NJ
would have considered n just cause for agrees
siye war But as the English swung away from
the extreme ideas OF the ParhAmenta4lahS
and back toward monarchy, Crom"eH ga'heu
strength and as he did so he showed more anu
moro his desire to attack Spain. 1t Is evident
now that Englands true policy was 10 enlarge
her holdings IN the New World; still. II Is hard
TO see how war in the West Indies could aHec'
the Inquisition and the Papacy. MI Gardner
explains Cromwell's ideas on this point ny say
ing that It was a necessity Of his nature 10 CON
vince himself that whatever he did was zone 10Y
the good OF religion. 1t is easier 10 understand
that Cromwell like many idealists. "a" 'Hr
future more clearly than the present. lie Hdu
fought for religious ideas which could only Dc
realized In full long after his time; he had hoped
for an individual liberty such as his country
men were unable TO comprehend ana no" ne
saw In the distance an English Empire sue" M
mona had dreamed OF hitherto. the sTueH'e I"I
control OF the sea must come, ana as 'ie man
who began II was Puritan he had TO put HIS
assertion OF its supreme necessity IN the IAN
ouege IN which he was accustomed NeVerthe-
Ieae the fact remained that the fght was III '''
first place. for profit In land and treasure -
marked the reaction from the principles OF 'ho
Commonwealth. and It fastened the time "heh
3D.. King would return to his throne. because Il
uaa iust such an enterprise as the KINGS VI
England had favored. Mr. Gardiner intihla'eS
that though Cromwell still! talked Ike run
.or be Was beginning to think Ike Foyalls'
ere ,bo pestoration is to be regarded. not as
oaro chanpe of the forms OF government, Dut
nc roturn TO a mode Of thought anterior 10
prr,,an,.rn II may fairly be said that the spirit
of the Restoration had at last effected ioube
.bo a