The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1918-04-11
Some Lessons from History
The Revolution of io40.
WILLIAM Z. FREELAND

iOIES udtuIC SGGhS ICpOSG duA SdiIn
settles over the wearied elements. So
after the downfall Of Napoleon Europe
hoped for rest. The earth had reeked
with blood when the pent up energy
oil over two centuries Of oppression had
burst loose with the French Revolution
and the maniacial fury Of the people
once they had broken down the bars
alarmed the rulers Of Prussia, Austria
and Russia. So these autocrats formed
what was known as the Holy Alliance.
To the world they avowed this was a
league TO keep the world in peace but
its real purpose was to make them Sc
cure in their power.
But the taste OF liberty was sweet
Soon the people began TO forget the
errible tempest that had beat about
liberty when she walked unclaimed in
their midst. Dreams came to them
again and their uneasy stirring warned
kings that the eyes Of men were on
the stars. The English speaking race
hardly knows when its liberty was won
It was gradual conquest beginning
when the wild Saxon tribes left the
tyrests OF Germany and settled IN Eng
land. Over seven hundred years age
al Runnymede the English barons
wrested from king John Magma Charta
Of liberty that handed down from gen,
Grafton to generation has been the
bulwark against which oppression has
beat in vain, English kings never be-
came absolute in the sense that the
kings Of the continent were absolute
About a century and hall before the
French Revolution England had put a
curb on her kings and had beheadt d
one who had sought 10 encroach upon
their liberties. True it took civil
war TO accomplish this but il was a war
OF armed forces and was conducted in
a regular manner. The people won
Later German king inherited the
English throne. He was not especial
ly we'll pleased with the doctrine Of de-
pendence Of the king upon the will Of
parliament elected by the people.
1t was his ambition to become such 6
king as that who ruled Prussia. At
that time there were the thirteen Eng
lish colonies strung along the Atlantic
seacoast. 1t pleased the king to try
out his plan for arbitrary taxation on
these colonies with startling results.
They did not pay. A host Of brave
men fought until the king was com
PEELED to let America have her way
We should remember that this was not
war between England and the colo
nieS but war between the king and a
free English people who had inherited
the traditions Of the Magma Charta.
No better friends oil America were to
be found than such men as Fox, PITT
and Burke in the English Parliament
It was a German king who sought TO
oppress America and he had to hire
German soldiers TO fight his battles ior
him. We need to keep these facts in
mind to understand why England was
spared the tragedy that swept over
Europe in 1848. After she had safely
slowed Napoleon away at St. Helena
England settled down to grapple with
her own internal troubles. Slowly she
has been working them out ever since.
In 1880 France had a rebellion.
Matters then driited on for eighteen
years more and the clouds loosed their
fury, Slowly the waters Of unrest
piled up against the dam Of autocratic
power until it broke and the food
spread in an overwhelming food ovel
Europe. France again became free,
Kossuth with his great eloquence stir
red Hungary to revolt and won for &
time the opportunity Of free govern
ment. He had undoubted qualities o
leadership but lacked in the practica
ability to deal with military affairs anc
was too much Of an egoiist to be vii
ling to let able men take a place h,
could not fill. He could stir men'i
hearts, exalt them to pitch Of emotion
al excitement where they would sufe
all things but he could moi lead then
into battle with any hope Of success
With him was Goergsi man oi mill