St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-02-13
A PURITAN IN ARMOR.


swiftly taken in, sends shock through
the tender conscience OF this enlightened
age. Bismarck's terrible prescription
for nineteenth century evils, blood anC
iron," seemed like an appeal to the de
mons of the dark ages of man. Ye
Cromwell, the seventeenth century apps
tie of blood and iron, was child OF the
golden age of England. In his day TIT
Hottest minds were fed on Bacon, Spen
ser and Shakespeare, and the divine Mil
ton was the spokesman OF the dictator
will
If the crisis comes to a nation that a
cruel and corrupt potentate or system
must go, there isn't much choice OF
method or agents. When Patrick Hen
ry, amid the cries of "Treason!" from
Virginia loyalists, exploded his famous
declaration, Caesar had his Brutus,
Charles l his Cromwell and George Ill
may profit by their example" he fixed
for all time the place Cromwell will
hold in the minds of democratic people
struggling against tyranny. With re-
spect to Cromwell, over against the
term "regicide" there stands the Chris
tan moralists conception Gods mes
senger clad in mail
AS a soldier Cromwell was stormer
of towns and castles, a leader in the
breach, thunderbolt of war. AS q
reform statesman he first believed IN
men as fit for freedom, then in free
dom, not men. He first tried to lead
men and ended by driving them. When
the march of events had installed him
as lord protector, he said to parliament,
II am a man standing in the place l
am in, which place | undertook not
so much out of hope of doing any good
as out Of a desire to prevent mischief
and evil which l did see was imminent
on the nation, for we were running into
confusion and disorder and would have
necessarily run into blood"
That Cromwell was no fiery agitator
by nature Is shown in the fact that he
remained q simple farmer until he was
49, Then he took up the fight for mo
taxation without representation" which
found it's analogy in the American col
onies in 1875. He was elected to the
long parliament, which ended in the
commons taking issue with the king.
The king in person invSded the house
and demanded five of its members, two
of whom were CromwelPS kinsmen.
The outrage brought things to a head,
and after the great Ppm had moved
that the house go into committee of the
whole on the state of the kingdom
Cromwell moved the proposition to
consider measures for the defense of
peoples rights.
In this long parliament Cromwell
made his first speech, which was very
much hearkened UNTO" clad in "a
plain cloth suit made by country tai
lor, with plain linen, not very clean,
and a speck or two of blood upon his
little band; his stature of good size,
his sword stuck close to his side, his
voice sharp and untunable, his elo-
quence full of fervor."
A compact and strong figure, with
head stored with native WISDOM a fiery
temper, generally under control, read
mess of speech, strong, masculine, per-
suasive, this was Cromwell at 40,
when, with the powers of calm intel
lect and impassioned earnestness, he
swayed and led the house of commons.
Charles | hoisted the signal of war
and made the famous Prince Rupert
chief of cavalry. Cromwell went home
and raised troop, only a troop of
Roundhead cavalry, and this was his
command in the army of 10000 pa
triots which fought the first campaign.
1t was then he fixed the stamp for the
famous Ironsdes. He said that the
Royalists would bring the gentlemen of
the kingdom to the field, and they must
be met by men of parts, of substance.
of conscience, ''men who have the fear
Of God before them"
AllCl lllG ulSl CdllpdlSh OlOLll NCll
raised a regiment of horse of the same
pattern as his troop. Whether at the
head of small body or an army Crom
wells method of fighting was by
launching a thunderbolt. He always
held back a reserve and always follow
ed up his success AS a horseback
fighter Cromwell's parallel in modern
war is Forrest, the Confederate cav
airy genius, He led every charge and
didn't stop until every enemy was
down. The ROyalists began with the
watchword, "ThorOugh." Cromwell took
It out of their mouths and made it his
own with vengeance.
Cromwelrs genius for keeping the
revolution alive was best shown in the
crisis before Marston Moor. Pym and
Hampden were dead, other leaders had
dropped out or were tired, the king was
victorious everywhere in the field, and
the fires of resistance were cooling.
Then Cromwell appealed to his own
stronghold, the eastern section, to cease
talking and go to lighting, to prepare
to whip the Royalists or be whipped
for good and all out instantly" said
he. "All you can. Raise all your bands,
hasten your horses Spare not, but be
expeditions, industrious. There is moth
Ing to intercept an enemy but our
horse. You must act lively, without
distraction. Neglect no means"
The common soldiers on the field of
Marston Moor understood that II was