New-York tribune., 1900-12-15

Of CromweIrs soldiers at the massacre OF Prot
estants IN 1641; fear OF an invasion of England
by the Irish, whom 'the majority of Englishmen
believed TO be barbarians Of the grossest kind
bounded on TO their atrocious crimes by blood
thirsty, INSCRIPTIONS Roman Catholic priest
hood {" and the military necessity Of making every
victory over them decisive and overwhelming
"a necessity which seemed 10 him ICromwenI to
justify, together with the character, as he con-
ceived It, Of the foe he had to meet, the whole
sale slaughters Of Wexford and Drogheda-"
stu further cause Of these atrocities, he adds is
10 be found in the hardening Of CromwelPs
nature by
No man, however humane and tender hearted
by nature he may be-and that Cromwell was
naturally averse to boodshed and inclined TO
mercy is undeniable-can preserve MS SENSITIVE
ness 10 causing pain or death after he has eX-
perienced years Of familiarity with war: Thls
fact has not been given sufhcient weight py ms
torians who for the most part being men OF
peace themselves, do not know from personal
experience how natural II is in such circum-
stances hold life cheaply, or. rather now I'M
possible IL is 70 do otherwise when the frst nor
ror has worn of. Cromwell and his army were
veteran soldiers. As such they thought , niue or
facing death OF of killing others; and DeheVlng
they were doing II in a good cause had as niue
compunction in taking the lives OF Irlshmen as
our men felt IN killing Sepoys after the 1hulah
Mutiny. or as frontiersmen in the United states
feel to-day in shooting Apache lnolahs aIter
raid on a settlement
Mr.. Paterson is plausible. Nevertheiess one
cannot but feel that "Cromwelrs personal snare
in the massacre of Drogheda" was-)uoeeo Dy
the moral standard OF any age-atrocious IN Ihe
last degree. and one must wish that ms "arn-
est admirers" might be disposed TO do some
thing more than express their sadness ana
regret that he should have lsol violated the
rules Of civilized warfare" The truth seems 10
be not merely that he was hardened oy Iaiuli-
iarity with war and rendered "callous Dy the
recollection Of the blood "spilt by Catholics IN
164l" but also that his naturally nerce ana
sonbre temper-the latent brute IN hlih-suu-
denly got the upper hand and forced MN 10
deeds al which mankind ever since mas shuu-
dered. The possibility in him Of such deeos Is
as was said above. just one OF the thihss- 'Ha'
must be recognized If he is 10 be unoersIoou'
To eau such passions and such acts by their
right names IL Internationally II we are men
OF peace"-''throwing stones" but the simple
performance OF duty. What is more ms "hoie
treatment Of ireland was OF piece WIN lIiis
brutality AS Mr.. Paterson says; II mas gwen
US our Irish problem of to-day; and when the III
effects Of 'CromweIFs curse will cease 70 oe ieb
no man can tell" This. however. was the one
serious etaIa on his career. What ne was IN
nearly all the other events Of his life Is thus
stated by Nr. Paterson:
where We are always wronging Cromwell
a. rot deseTye now crediting him with super
human sagacity which he never possessed, Is In
fsiling 20 perceive that his character IN spite
OF many twists and turns, was, on the whole,
reyaarlla bly simple one. and that the main
fsctor of his rise 10 power lay in the circum-
srsnce that the qualities he possessed both for
GOOD and for evil, were naturally fitted as il
,s-Buld seem 10 meet and conquer the difficulties
and dangers OF the time IL was natural 10
SsrowyVeIi for instance, 10 love an honest man
and hate a false and useless one. to be su-
,,reulelv Indiffere Mt 10 all outward forms and
Trrffh all il fuaF
la, his example. 10 encourage all under him 10
do the same; 10 listen, like Abraham Lincoln.
with untiring patience 10 the opinions Of other
men but 10 reserve his own until he had very
fully made up his mind and then to De immoV-
able Fear was unknown 10 him. He had no
AZ arice. no greed for power or personal gori-
ncation. The name and position ne made in
The world came by gradual degrees. When the
necessity arose for certain thing 10 be done,
and no other man 10 be found 10 do II,
then and not before Cromwell stepped into the
breach And as IL was a time in which many