The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-02
A GREAT LEADER OF MEN
SAMUEL II. CHURCH DISCUSSES THE
CHARACTER OF CROMWELL.
Summary of the Protectors Claims to
Genuine Greatness-A Graphic
Account of His Death.

preaching tercentenary OF that great Eng
lishmans birth. These extracts are made:
Under Cromwell England for the first time
felt the power Of a strong navy 70 build up
a great nation. II is true that Queen Eliza
beth had repealed and destroyed the
Spanish fleet; but she assembled her
ships only to resist invasion, and her
important maneuvers were on the de-
fensive. Cromwell built the first feet
that England had yet seen created for
the purpose of crushing her enemies and
striking down the oppressors of free re-
ligion. SPAIN still aiming at universal en-
pire, received her first staggering blow when
Cromwell daring 10 throw away the ira
ditional policy which England had Rugged
for four centuries. allied himself with
France and made war on Spain. His ene-
mics said then, and for long afterward, that
he destroyed the balance of power in Eu-
rope But Cromwell cared nothing for po-
litieal maxims when they stood in the path
way Of that human liberty Of which ne was
the champion.
Holland sent out her fleets more terrible
than the old Spanish armada; but Crom-
wells generals, acting on sealed orders
penned by his own hand, beat the Dutch
admirals and sent their ships - the bot
tom
Sir Peter wentworth was the only man
who dared to rise amid Cromwell's tempest
of wrath He said that this was the first
time he had ever heard such unbecoming
| language given TO the Parliament, and that
it was the more horrid in that it came from
their servant-their servant whom they had
so highly trusted and obliged. But when
Wentworth had gone thus far, Cromwell
clapped on his hat and interrupted him with,
Come, come, we have had enough of this!'
He walked furiously up and down the floor
II will put an end to your prating," he cried
i'm a high voice. He stamped his feet upon
the floor-no man had ever seen the like or
such a rage in Parliament before. 1T is not
fit that YOU should sit here any longer. You
are no Parliament. L say you are no Parlla-
ment" To an officer he cried, call them
in; call them in;' and the grim companions
of his battles entered, with eyes alert ana
guns ready, and waited his further orders
DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT.
Il say you are no Parliament They
are on their feet now. their faces blazing
with amazement. Sir Henry Vane gravely
speaks: This is not honest; yea. it is
against morality and common honesty"
Cromwell is all passion. Sir Harry Vane,
Sir Harry Vane. The Lord deliver me from
Sir Harry Vaner He glares on Tom
drunkards!" His eye lights on Harry Mar
ten, and he cries Some of you are lewd
livers, living in open contempt of GODS COM
mandmentsr' His flashing eyes pass from
face to face, and he says, Some of you are
corrupt, unjust persons; scandalOGS TO the
profession of the gospel AS the once great
Parliament stands covering before him, he
thunders out their final doom: Depart, L
say" They began to go out. There was
no gainsaying the man. They understood
| then, perhaps. why he had never been de-
| feated in his battles. His eye Tell upon the
| mace the emblem of authority. but IL
! aroused no respect in his mind. Take away
| that bauble,' he said to one of his soldiers
Lenthall still sat in the speakers chair. His
| dignity was imperturbable, and when Crom-
| We'll ordered him 10 come down he tarrled
| Harrison then took him by the hand and
| helped him down; and he vanished
| Cromwell's government soon passed away,
| but that fact does MOI justify the Judgment
| of some living English historians that his
| work as warrior and statesman was not
| constructive. Cromwell destroyed nearly all
| that was bad in both church and state. In
| the removal of rooted obstacles he prepared
| the way for the English nation to develop
u higher civilization and to acquire larger
| happiness. His work up to that point was
| constructive i'm the best way. But he went
! far beyond that. and implanted three funda-
| mental truths imperishably in the heart of
| the English constitution, whereby 1t Is for
| ever established that men shall not be
| bitrary power. that all men shall be equal
before, the law: that none shall be perse-
|
| of men has constructed so much?
The malignant hatred of Charles and his
/ party drew upon the memory of the protec-
| tor storm of obloquy that seemed TO rage
! through English opinion for nearly two hun
dasd years ia Jams 3r He iit a. R9yaSJ law
| yer wrote tne nrse NE oi Ctonl r,e !,
| speaking of his head set upon Westnhnst ter
| Hall TO be the becoming spectacle of his
/ treason. where. on that pinnacle and legal
! advancement, 1t Is tit TO leave this ambitious
| wretch"
| COARSENESS WAS THE STYLE.
| This coarse detracton was the style of
nearly every other public reference to the
! great deliverer, including Hume, but with
some noble and notable exceptions, until
! 1Sf5, when Carlyle published what one is
/ tempted TO call his masterpiece Oliver
| Cromwell Letters and Speeches. with
calculations and Connecting Narrative 3"
! The research displayed in this book was
marvellous. but its great strength lay in the
| fact that through its pages Oliver discovered
! himself TO the world i'm his letters and
| speeches. speaking In varying tones OF wis
dom, of tenderness. of pathos. of pleading,
! OF thunder, but always with honesty, I'M
| selfishneSS and patriotism, until it left his
| image clear and distinct in the minds eve
| of his countrymen the finest Englishman
! In history. From that moment the current
! was turned the other way. Public opinion,
/ always slow 10 yield its rooted convictions,
/ relinQuiShed them with reluctance in this
! case. ISut as soon as CarINleS BOOK began
/ To be read and understood the cloud of
| prejudice which had so long rested upon
| Cromwells fame was dissipated, and the
! piercing light OF truth revealed his charac-
| ter in unspotted integrity and honor. /.
| Cfomwen was now Iifty-nine years old.
| Eight years before he had written TO his
| wife that he felt the infirmities of age steal
| ing over him. His robust energies had been
| consumed by the eXhauSting duties of his
| career. His govt seemed to leave his leg
and retire into his body, and for four or
| five days he was racked with intolera BILE
| pain in his bowels and back, making il inn
| at the head OF his life guard and spoke kind
| ly with George Fox favoring the fullest
| freedom of worship for the Quakers. Be
| fore 1 came TO him." said Fox, Il saw and
| felt q watt of death go forth against him. -
| While tossing on his bed he repined for
| his dear Elizabeth; and then his thoughts
| swept back TO Robert, dead at Felsted
| School nineteen years ago. and he vainly
J strove to check his tears with the solace
| OF that Scripture which he knew in whole
| by heart.
| The belief that had followed Cromwell
/ all through his life that he was privileged
| TO hold personal communication with the
| most high God was strangely manifested
| in these last days. He besought the Lord
| that for the good of His people He would
/ spare his life yet little longer. He then
assured his counselors that his PRAYER had
been granted, using a manner of such nys-
| ferrous confidence that his hearers were
transported with amaZement. Fleetwood
sent quick message TO Henry Cromwell
in Ireland that his Highness had made very
great discoveries of the Lord and had re-
ceived assurances OF being restored to
which Henry replied that the cOmmllnica :