The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-03-09
Another Chapter on the Early History of the
Netherlands.

bly, as a general massacre seem
ed to be the object of such maneu-
vers; but it was only the leaders
Of the anti-Spanlsh faction, which
the willy duke aimed to secure be-
fore they would take alarm and
escape out Of his net. So the first
ones arrested were Count Eg.
mont and Count Hooru; also twen-
ty.five other noblemen of less
celebrity from all parts of the
provinces. After these arrests
were successfully made the
knights were not molested and
could go in peace, The news
of this hlghhanded proceeding
caused another 10000 of the best
citizens to flee from the country
before every avenue OF escape
would be closed by the Spanish
tro )ps.
AS Margaretta was not consult.
ed in regard to these acts of the
duke, she felt herself sighted,
and conceived an aversion to Alva
to such degree, as to ask her
brother the king, to relieve her of
the Office of governess which he
granted to her withoutoppositiou.
She took up her residence ia Italy
receiving a yearly pension from
the king, and was no more noticed
by him as long as he lived. Mar
garetta had now been governess
of the Netherlands nlne years.
When Cardinal Granville, who
having been recalled to Madrid
some years previous heard Of
these arrests, he asked: Have
they got the silent one: (The si-
lent one was Prince William Of
Orange, who doing his service at
the emperor's court at Madrid
was known as to always keeping
silent, never expressing his opln.
lons.) When he was told that the
prince had escaped, he said -
"Then they have got nothing as
long as he is at large" And it
proved to be the truth.
The duke now organized a coun-
cll of twelve with the Spaniard
Vargas as president, to try and
dispose of all prisoners. The
council did it's work in such a
manner, that it is known in histo-
ry as the council Of blood. Egg
mont aud Hooru, with the other
twenty-five knights were decapi.
tated in the market place of Brus-
sells on the 9th day of June, 1868.
In this same year, the Grand
Court of the inquisition in Spain
condemned to death every citizen
of the Netherlands, Catholics as
well as Protestants, high and low
rich and poor. .
Now, Duke Alva had every one 5
life and property in his own hands
and whosOever did not lose his
life had 10 consider it as a grac-
Ious gift of the duke. Not day
passed, but there were executions
in the market house of Brussels.
Men of high rank were decapitat-
ed, common citizens hanged by
the neck, but Protestant preach
ers were burned at the stake. All
the property of the victims be-
came the property Of the crown.
1t was SAID that in this way alone
twenty millions flowed into the
kings treasury yearly. This had
ruInous effect upon those even,
whom the duke allowed to escape
for the contiscated estates paid
no debts. Business became par
alyzed, and it seemed that the
whole nation would become ma.
tion of beggars. Yet the money
did hot come into the treasury
fast enough for the duke, so he
devised an altogether new system
of taxation. All real and person,
al property, had royal tax of one
per cent. on Its actual value, also
ten per cent. on all personal prop
erty, merchandise and goods OF
every description, when sold, and
five per cent. Of all the real estate
when sold.
This extortionate tax law, had