Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-14
Nazi B omb S
Recall Story
Of Tyrant
Execution Of King Charles
Victory for People
BY BENJAMIN DE CASSERES

BY BENJAMIN DE CASSERE
4 MONG all the historic places
in London damaged or de-
stroyed by Nazi bombs none
O called up in my mind more
dramatic and significant pic
lures than this line in the list:
"St. James Palace, where
Charles spent the night before
his execution, was partly de-
stroyed."
After spending the night in
81. James Palace, Charles
Stuart Q60Q-1649l walked 10
Whitehall. calling in a pleasant
manner say the ChroniclerS. TO
his guards Ito walk apace with
him.
He stepped out of a window
10 Scaffold and declared that
he had desired nothing but the
freedom and liberty of his
people. He then was executed.
\ Ii London was there. People
stood in groups for miles
and miles into the country.
Some smiled, some groaned,
but they all knew this: That
for the first time in history
legal execution of a king was
about TO take place because he
had believed that he was greater
than the representatives of the
people.
Charles / refused 10 call Par
Lament in session for ii years.
He concluded and broke treaties
as he desired. He regulated
religion as he thought fit, and
he reigned entirely by ukase
and "purges.
Those among The Commons
who disagreed went TO the
Tower some to rot, some To be
executed.
He laughed when Cromwell
and others called h i'm
traitor That laugh cost him
his head.
He was tyrant but believed
like Hitler and Stalin) that he
vas doing the best for his
people tthe excuse for all OPP
presSlonS and uSurpatlonsl.
IN ITSELF, the execution of
L Charles l was the greatest of
all triumphs for constitutional
government over one-man power.
But the supreme mockery of
the gods lay in store for the
English after the execution.
Charles the dictator was sue
ceeded by Oliver the dictator
Cromwell.
The people under Cromwell
had fewer personal liberties
than they had under Charles.
And Cromwell was a butcher
de luxe.
In the general balance. how
ever, II was a good day for Eng
land when Charles stepped out
of that window in Whitehall 10
the Scaffold.
English kings and queens have
kept their heads on their shout
ders ever since by keeping their
heads that is, by minding
their business and allowing the
people, for good or for evil, TO
rule through the House OF Com
mons and the kings cabinet.
The Nazis may destroy every
building in London-St. James
Palace and the House of Com.
mons and 10 Downing street
but they will never destroy that
instinct for Self-government
that commanded a king to step
out OF window in Whitehall
10 be executed nearly 300 years
ago.
TlIE Pulitzer Prize in biogra-
L ply this year went 10 one Of
the most fascinating of our
Puritan progenitors, Jonathan
Edwards Cl703-l75S). New Eng
land minister of the Gospel,
president of Princeton Univer-
slty, grandfather of Aaron Burr
and preacher of a literal hell.
fire.
The theology Of Jonathan Ed
wards Is today no longer tena-
bic. but II is, nevertheless, still
in our blood
The book is Jonathan Ed
wards, by Ola Elizabeth Win.
SLOW tMacMlllan).
! wish Miss WinSlow had
given us more OF his hell-roaring
sermons. They are great read
ing, for they make YOU Shudder
and laugh simultaneously.