The Penn's Grove record., 1921-06-17
G CHARTA DAY
.June Is, 1915. The Beginning Of Con-
stitutiOnal Liberty In England
Which America Inherited
Condemned By Pope Innocence Ill

Few people know the value of poll
teal liberties or whence they came
who have not won them. Having
grown up in them for generations
most people believe they always eN-
listed. Persons who have come to
America see the difference and enjoy
the liberties and believe that liberties
give them license to do as they please
Freedom is not to give persons llber-
ties to do as they please but the lib
erty to do as they ought to do when
they were not permitted to do under
evil rulers.
The origin of English liberties for
every free mar is dated from June 10,
| 1915, Magma Charta, when the Barons
made King John sign that famous
code of laws for the government OF
the English speaking people. The
Barons were the large freeland own
ers. The poor people were serfs,
called vallains.
The free man had enjoyed certain
liberties but the need of money for
the Crusaders and tribal wars had be-
come unbearable, so the Barons,
knights. free men and some of the
clergy, drew up the Magma Charta,
the first notable code of laws for the
King to observe and give the free
land holders a right of say and vote
in State and Church affairs.
A bit of English history may help
to enIighten the readers of this and
fasten it on their minds.
Every high school scholar and many
others have read Ivanhoe, by Sir
Walter Scott, wherein is told that
Richard l, the Lion Hearted, went on
the Third Religious Crusade to Pal
estine to drive the infdel Turks from
the Holy Land, which was not re
covered until 1918, by Gen. Allenby.
Richard reigned 1189-1199. While on
the crusade he was captured and the
people raised large sums to pay his
ransom. To pay for the crusade and
ransom Judges bought their cartoons
and bishoprics were sold to the high
est limit. The poor were taxed to the
limit. John, brother Of Richard,
G199-1216) put to death his nephew,
Arthur, the rightful heir to the throne,
and became ruler of England. (Read
Shakespeare's play, King john.
John is described as so foul as to
defle hell by his presence. He I'M
posed heavy taxes on the Barons and
Clergy. They refused to pay without
consultation and formed a league for
new guarantees which were put IN
Magma Charta. These rights the Eng
fish people had inherited from the
SaXons and Danes, but when William,
the Conqueror. a French king, con-
ouered England. in 1867, he introduced
the feudal system of absolute mon
archy and the Papal system, as the
Pope gave England to him. He
brought with him the superstitious doc
trine of transubstantiation and divided
up the land. cities and even the women
among his soldiers. He made the
French language the official language
of England which continued until
1862. School boys did not begin to
translate their latin into French until
1349, which prepared the people Tor
the change.
The barons and clergy drew up a
bill of rights and privileges Of forty
seven chapters. The first declared that
the English Church shall be free and
shall enjoy freedom of election.
That meant the priests and bishops
should be English. The pope should
not appoint foreign priests and
bishops to "rule" English people.
The first chapter in Magma Charta
shows that the fight was for religious
freedom. William the Conqueror was
a French ruler from Normandy. He
imposed French as the official langu-
age on the English from which many
Latin and French words got into the
English language. Reading lvanhoe
gives one an idea of the contest be-
tween the different clans which a
not been amalgamated into one people
by intermarriage.
The leading fight was to hinder the
Remaining of England by n APP
pointment of French and Italian
priests and bishops. England, Wales
and Scotland were eve RomanlZed
like Ireland, because the free land
owners fought for and made King
John sign Magma Charta, which was
condemned by Pope Innocence Ill.
It has been the privilege Of the pope
in Rome to appoint priests and bishops
of other. countries mostly French and
Snanisb. to "'rule" the people IN
America, especially Central and South
America. The pope has mostly ap-
pointed Irish priests and bishops
stepped in ignorance and superstitious,
to "rule" his subjects in the United
States. Hence the present Irish IN
surrection in the United States against
Great Britain.
Another chapter declared that NO
FREE MAN (nullis liber homol
should be taxed except by the consent
of the general council Of the nation.
no taxation without representation I.
When necessary to raise aid or scqt-
age Naxes) a due notice must be
given for the meeting Of the council.
These were the two chapters OF
most importance while others restored
and insured ancient (Anglo-SaXon
and Danish) liberties and customs.
The barons and knights in thelI
armor with spears, bows and arrows
assembled on the great level meadows
where horses were run and tourna-
ments held (Runnymead) and made
King John sign the Magma Charts
under military pressure.