The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-12-29

The abundant talk about there being
formed at the close of the world war
"a enguc to Enforce Peace" all the
world powers joining in an agreement
that before any of them again go to
ar t',cir differences shall be sub
mittcd to arbitration and the contest
ants be obliged to submit to the de-
cisions of the abritrators reminds the
student of history of what was called
"The Great Design" which was pro-
posed in the Elizabethan age by
Henry of Navarro, Henry " of
France. and his great prime minister,
Sully. Henry and Elizabeth were the
two gre,t rulers of that age, l558-1610,
they being contemporary from 1889
when Henry became king of France
till 1908 when Elizabeth died. Henry
and Sully called their proposal The
Christian Commonwealth, to be
formed among the powers of Europe;
and it is interesting to learn that
Henry proposed to reduce the number
of European states in way similar
to that followed by the Congress of
Vienna in 1914 after the Napoleonic
wars. He proposed that all Europe
should be divided among fifteen pow
ers; it is interesting to not that Rus
STA was not then counted as a part of
Europe, and Prussia was not yet a
kingdom. Six Of them had hereditary
kings: England, France, Spain, Den
mark, Sweden and Lombardy; five
were elective monarchies-the Ger
man empire (not the present one) the
Papacy, Poland, Hungary and Nor
way; and four were republics-Switz-
erland, Venice. the States of Holland
and Belgium (this was before they
separated into two parts, Protestants
and Catholic), and the Republic of
Italy. The fifteen powers were to
maintain standing army, its chief
responsibility to be police duty-keep-
ing the peace of Europe-to prevent
territorial aggression or usurpations.
This army with a suitable navy also
was to be ready to repel the invasions
of the Moslems and to watch their
growth. There were to be agreements
abount international commerce and
other mutual interests. There was to
be a permanent senate in which the
greater powers should have four mem
bers and the smaller ones two mem
bers, each member to serve three
years. Until the time of Elizabeth's
father, Henry the Eighth, the machin-
cry of government had been almost
altogether in the hands of monks. one
reason of which was that they were
better educated, many noblemen even
Of that day being hardly able to write.
When Cardinal Woolsey fell from
power Henry called Sir Thomas
More to the Premiership, and from
that day laymen alone have conducted
= government in England. Henry Nv
followed that example, and if his sue
cessors and other European rulers
had done the same, much harm woul6
have been prevented. The Duke o.
Sully had been placed by his fathe
with Henry of Navarro when twenty
years of age, and became his com
panion, just escaping the massacre
ST. Bartholomew, and following Henri
when he led the Huguenots in revol
against their persecution, became h:
close friend and advisor, a man
more than ordinary ability; and wher
Henry secured the crown he mad,
Sully his Prime Minister, when h,
guided France out of its financia
slough; while it is not known, it i
supposed Sully first suggested the
Great Design to Henry, who adopted
it zealously, and employed all his skill
and diplomacy to bring it about; anf'
it has ever been satisfaction to En-
glishmen that their great Quee'
Elizabeth give it her sanction, wit
the advice and approval of her two
great Ministers of State. Burghley and
Walsingham; which cleary shows
that early date the direction O
thought about such things in the Eng
h-speaking race. At the time
Henry's assassination in 1910 he hac
obtained the consent of twelve of tn
fifteen great powers of Europe. 1t i
easy to see that the great aim of tn
plan was to curb the ponderating in
fluence of Austria-Teutonis then as
now-as led at that time by the Ger
man Emperor Charles V. and after
wards by his son Phillip II. of Spain
The three figures which stand ou'
above all others among the Europear
rules at that time in advocacy of thu
proposition are Henry Nv. of France