Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-17

of adherng to his grant. He returned to
Windsor and swearing again "By Gods
teeth" with great industry began a new
campaign against his subjects, dispatching
emssaries into foreign lands to bring hired
army into England. The Pope appealed to,
came to his assistance with q bull that set
aside Magma Charta, as null and void-"a
scrap of paper"
The barons were not taken by surprise;
they had put into their charter a clause that
gave them control of the country for two
months, and they still held all of London
except the Tower. But many military ad
venturers began to assemble in England, and
presently the storm of civil war broke over
the land. The king, no mean military COM
mander, took the field and managed with
great skill to defend himself. large for
eign expedition ably commanded was ap-
preaching the coast, and the future looked
dark for liberty. But liberty was destined to
become the Inheritance OF the world;
mightier army than man could marshal took
over the nSnC. Inc sea was COMMANDED TO
swallow up the invaders, and Death, inviting
John to glutton's feast, slew him by his
liberty rose at last unclouded above her
white cliffs, and peace entered both castle
and cot welcome guest.
1t would be a great mistake, says an old
writer on Magma Charta, to regard that in
strument as an invention of the barons
based on forward look. 1t not an in
vention in the sense that 1t was new. 1t
was only new frame. Practically all that
it guaranteed had been enjoyed by the Eng
and privileges were derived from gains here
and there in the centuries, and by customs
brought in by the Saxons. The Norman in
iux cost them much that had been gained,
and royalty, by entertainments, had taken
its toll. 1t is easy to lose something from
peoples liberties even In America We
hear daily of the executives usurpation of
legislative powers; Of congress overriding
the executive; and of the supreme court
dominating both. Out Of 1t all we have
come to realize that precedents are indeed
dangerous things, because they are the be-
ginnings Of customs, and that the price of
liberty is eternal vigilance. What the barons
right and privilege and demand that the king
recognize them, and give guarantee that
he would respect them for all time. The doc
ument was carefully drawn, and was clearly
the product Of master minds of the state and
church Nothing was omitted that had been
in doubt or danger. They could not cover
their league with royalty in fourteen points;
they required sixty-three. AS 1t turned out
they left the fence down In several places.
Henry III made free with their privileges.
The great charter, from the church stand
point, never had existed; so in the ninth
year of his reign, the charter was restated
and promulgated by that king under COM
pulson of public opinion, and it was again
re- ed in the twenty-6fth year of the
reign of Edward the First.
But still abuses crept into the government
system, and open violations of both the spirit
and the text of the old charter were COM
mon. Kings were great lawbreakers when
their cash ran low; they sold privileges
they did not possess, and left it to the
purchaser to enforce them. Means were
found to evade the law and willing tools
were always at hand then, as they are in
these Teapot Dome days. The people again
took action, this time in 1927. 1t was in
form of petition exhibited to his majesty
by the lords spiritual and temporal, and
commons, in the present parliament assem-
bled concerning divers rights and liberties
OF the subjects; rights and liberties" by
reason OF 1.-THE laws and statutes of this
realm The king formerly recognized the
rights claimed, and made answer accordingly.
This was in the reign of the first Charles.
But still the servants of the crown, and
others doing business under them, found
way to Cypress the citizen and to extort
money from him. The laws delay left the
jails full, and placed the unfortunates await
ing trial, or hearing in court at the mercy
of corrupt officials. So the English made
another and their greatest step forward in
demand on Charles III for IAN act better
Al