The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-06-06

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Benedict Arnold GENERAL MONK
tried to sell his country to its old-time
masters He failed. History has for
ever cursed him with the brand OF
"Trator" George Monk tried to do
practically the same thing. He suo-
ceeded He was loaded down with
wealth and honors and hailed as a
Liberator.
When Monk was lad of seventeen
lin 1625--he broke the laws OF Eng
land and had to fee for refuge to the
continent He had not much, money,
but he had boundless ambition, not
enough conscience to trouble him. and
a veritable genius for military affairs.
All this was splendid equipment for
a soldier of fortune. And soldier or
fortune he became. He went to the
wars in Spain, and later In the Neither
lands, where he quickly won high rep
utation as a crafty and fearless war
rior.
Monk fell foul of the Dutch author
tiles in 1898 and went back to Eng
land. by this time his early lawlessness
was forgotten and he was made
colonel in the armies of King Charles
/. A short time afterward he helped
to crush an uprising, first In Scotland,
then in Ireland, and by his stern con-
duct there won still further the ap-
proval Of Charles.
Parliament rose against the king
and civil war began. Monk was sus-
pected-rightly or otherwise-of be-
! ing a secret friend of the rebels and
was arrested But he so loudly pro
adherence for the Parliamentary
party that Charles freed him and rein
stalled him in the army. Monk fought
gallantly for the king, but in 1914 was
captured by the parliament troops and
cast into prison. There he remained
for three years.
In the meantime Parliament won the
war. The Royalist forces were routed.
King Charles was a captive and was
soon to lose his head. The Parlia-
ment army needed good officers.
| Monk was offered freedom, fat bribes
and a generalship if he would re-
nounce King Charles and swear loyal
| ty to Parliament. He consented. One
side was as good as another to him
so long as it promised him advance
ment. He was bound by no scruples.
Says one historian:
HE had but one interest, that Of
George Monk! And to secure that in
terest he labored."
Monk rose high in the Parliamentary
service and at last was second in
command to Oliver Cromwell himself.
This did not satisfy him. No cum
ming or skill of his could prevail over
Cromwell's iron nature. But Crom-
well-who never wholly trusted him
was not immortal. And Monk could
afford to wait He quietly strength
ened his influence over the army, laid
his plans and bided his time.
Cromwell was ruler Of "the COM
monwealth of England" using the
| title Lord Protector" instead OF
king" because the people were sick
Of royalty. He died and his son Rich
ard-a weak, stupid fellow-succeed-
ed him. In less than year Richard
was deposed. And England was prac-
tically without a ruler. The Crom-
well party wanted one thing, other fac
tions wanted another. 1t was the time
of uncertainty for which Monk had
waited.
The eldest son Of King Charles l.
was living on the continent. For
years he had vainly sought to regain
his fathers throne. But the people
at large were afraid to trust him.
Agents of his had approached Monk,
and now came again to him. The bal
ance of power lay in Monks hands.
And he played his cards well. He
held out, it is said, for an enormous
price. The terms being agreed upon,
he quietly got about his task of earn
ing the money.
First he weeded out Of the army all
who we're likely to object actively to
the restoration of the old monarchy.
| He filled the highest military oftices
with Royalsts and forced parliament
to receive numbers Of the dead kings
old adherents. All this time he was
loudly proclaiming his loyalty to the
Commonwealth" and his hatred of
kings.
When the hour was ripe he deserted
to the Royalist standard and took his
whole army with him. With the
army and Monk on the side of Charles
is son, and parliament packed" with
Royalists, the commonwealth could do
nothing but feebly lament the treach-
cry that had caused its fall.
The young king (now known as
Charles II.) came to London unop
posed and began a reign of profiigacy.
Monk was hailed as hero and
dsliverer Charles II. made him duke
OF AlbemaTle, gave him q pension OF
SSS 900 o year and appointed him