Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-11-07

Plot TO Blow Up the House of
Parliament, November ., 1908.
London, Nov. 6.-With the Gus
tomary fireworks, bonfires and pa
triotic addresses, parades and dem
onstrations, Guy Fawkes day, the
British Fourth of July was oelebrat- |
ed throughout the kingdom yester-
day.
The occasion of the celebration Is
the anniversary OF the attempt to
blow up the British house of parlia
ment, king, lords and commons, by
Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspira-
tors in 1905. Although the enthus-
iasm manifested is not as great as in
past years, and the celebration is
gradually losing its national and his
torical significance, the holiday is
being generally observed. especially
| by the children.
The name OF Great Britain's great
est and noisiest gala day is some
what misleading, in that the whole
credit or onus of the "gunpowder
plot" has been popularity laid on the
shoulders of Guy Fawkes, whereas
history records that he was far from
being the most important OF the plot
ters and appears 10 have been chosen
by the chief conspirators because OF
his coolness and courage.
Robert Catesby, a scholar and a
gentleman, but withal a plotter, was
the originator OF the plan. Great
benefits had been expected by the
Roman Catholics from the accession
OF James I to the throne. The laws
OF Elizabeth had been unjust and
lcruel toward them, and they had
been led TO expect greater tolerance
and amelioration OF their wrongs
from James.
In this they we're disappointed.
The laws respecting Catholicism and
Catholics we're made even more
stringent and enforced with greater
brutality and renewed vigor. Popu-
lar discomfort with this state OF af-
fairs led 10 the gunpowder plot. 1t
was conceived with all the ingenuity
of a master mind, and great hard
ships and dangers were braved by
the conspirators In attempting 10
carry Il to a successful end.
The plotters, all gentlemen IN
; used 10 manual toll. excavated
through nine feet OF stone wall in
order to get beneath the house OF
commons, but then found that q
: vault beneath the edifice was TO let.
This was engaged by Guy Fawkes'
and under cover OF darkness 80 bar
rels OF gunpowder were conveyed to
the vault.
All was In readiness for the meet
ing OF parliament on November s.
which was to end in a tragedy that
would startle the world, when the
first disagreement came that was TO
end the great plot with ignominous
failure. The plotters could not agree
. upon a plan to warn the Catholic
members OF parliament OF the i'm
pending doom In which they, other
wise, would be slaughtered with the
rest.
Finally an anonymous letter was
sent TO Lord Monteagle. a Catholic
peer, warning him not to be present
at the opening OF parliament. The
author OF this letter is not known
; although It Is commonly believed "a
/ have been one of the conspirators
} named Gresham.
, Monteagle took the letter to Sails
, bury, who In turn brought II before
. the king, and this finally resulted Il
uncovering the gigantic plot. In or
. der that the conspirators might be
taken red handed, the arrest was
postponed until the dramatic mo-
ment in order 10 allow datesby "a
escape. This he did. although he
was shot a few days later while at
tempting to arouse rebellion
against the king in Worcester.
Guy Fawkes, who was detailed to
fire the train which would blow uI
parliament house, was taken as he
was leaving the vault. and the rest
of the conspirators were either killed
or captured at Dnnchureh' where
they had fed. Fawkes was terribly
tortured, and though he was render
ed so weak that he could scarcely
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