Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-12-16
THE WORLDS
GREAT EVENTS
ALBERT RAYsoN TERHUNE
William the Silent

= boy-tali, dark. strikinEiy hand.
some. stood listening 20 q plan out
lined TO him by Henry II Of France,
I TO whose court be had been SEM "a
hostage by his sovereign. Emperor
Charles v OF Germany. Henry's plan
was Of q somewhat alarming nature.
for II involved the massaering OF all
the Protestants In France and the
Netherlands. Yet the young man.
himself a NetherIander. gave no sign
OF the horror he felt. and spoke no
word to put the willy French king on
his guard. For this bit Of discretion
he received thereafter the nickname
Of civilian the Silent" although his
nature was open frank and far re-
moved from tacIturnIty.
william the Silent" prince OF
Orange and count .of Nassau. was
born In the Netherlands in 1888. As
youth he attracted the favor Of
Charles Y. who taught. him war and
statecraft On Charles abdicatiOn
the retiring monarch's son. Philip 1,
became king OF Spain and of the
Netherlands. He was coId-bio0ded,
bigoted and stupid =; the exact OPP
posite Of his great father. The Dutch
states making up the Netherlands
had even in Charles time resented
royal authority. and II had required
all the old emperor's tact and state
craft TO keep them pacified. Now. un-
der the new king. they again grew
FESTIVE. To make things worse Philip
ordered a branch OF the cruel Inquisi-
ticD established in Holland. This
raised storm Of angry protests. and
Philip sent the bloody duke OF Alva
with an army into the Netherlands to
enforce order.
Enraged by the oppression OF his
countrymen. William the Silent raised
an army to oppose Alva; but the dull
Dutch burghers were not yet ready
for so radical an act, and william had
to ,dIsband his forces for lack OF sup
port In no way discouraged, he hit
on a new plan for harassing the hated
SpaniaFds. By advice of Admiral
CoIigny OF France he issued letters
of mafaHe." authorizing Dutch prixa=
teers 20 prey on SPANS ships and sea-
coast. These privateers banded to-
gether under the nickname OF the
"Beggars of the Sea-" They did In
calculabie damage to Spanish COM
merce and for years made their name
a terror to all their country's foes.
In 1872 the Dutch again revoIted
against Spanish tyranny and made |
William their stakeholder. or Cover
nor. Yet, warned by his former fail
ure. he saw that the people were not
yet ready for absolute freedom: so
he simply ruled in the name of King
Philip. Spain increased It's Oppres-
sions and war followed. Williams
two brothers were slain In battle, and
at one critical juncture he ordered the
dlkes broken down that kept out the
sea from the low-lying Netherlands
and the country flooded to save Il from
falling into the enemy's hands, Phil
p's armies besieged Leyden. but VIII
liam drove them away and raised the
siege.
At last the time for freedom was
ripe. Through Williams efforts a
number of the Netherland provinces
,ombined drew up and signed g dec
arati0n of independence. with the
svowed purpose OF driving out the
Spanish and forming free and united
country where all religious sects
should be at liberty to worship God in
heir own way. Thus the United
was founded
In 1881 allegiance TO Spain was for
nalIy renounced- William. the prime
mover and central figure In the revolu-
ioR. had devoted his entire life 10 this
me great purpose Yet when Il was
accomplished he would not make him i
elf king OF the newly crea ted nation.
nut contented himself with governing
t under the less pretentious title of I
count"
Philip. seeing that william was the
ackbone Of the entire revolutionary
movement. bit on a most characteristic
Ian for wreckInR the union OF the
rovinces. Instead OF sending armies !
[ once to attack the revolutionists or
o ravage their country In true medic
al Spanish style. he merely issued a :
Offering a huge sum OF 9
money for the murder OF. William.
Even In the country william had
reed there were many scoundrels =
eady and eager to win the reward. 2
Ittempt after attempt was made to
M him. and for the last three years
his life the Liberator was in con- \
lnuous danger Of death. Undaunted Z
y this new peril and the black ingrat-
.ude II involved. William continued
almly on his way. n
But though threatened men live v
ing, the end came all too soon for the
'elfare OF the United Netherlands On
uly 10. 1884. a man named BaItha<ar O
eraru. actuated By desire for the Il
lOod-moneY promised By Philip. en- Il
sred williams house and shot him e
Philip had conquered. Ia 80 far as Z.
E had rid himself OF an invlncIbie
,e. But the independence that VIII
am the Silent had won for Holland s.
as remained TO this day. The *. q