Evening star., 1949-01-29
By Geoyge Kennedy

~ george enne6y
Tomorrow is the 300th anniversary Of the
beheading of Charles I. The violence Of spill
ing the blood royal on January 80, 1649. started
train of events Of which the American Decla-
ration Of Independence was one.
AS American historians turn from the FROM
tier thesis of Frederick jackson Turner Of
Harvard-that frontier life nodded the Ameri-
can characterize importance of 7th-Century
England is becoming more emphasized in our
historiography. Today they write with more
awareness that American development is an
extension of European especially English
culture.
The Folger Library with its Harmsworth
collecticn-two out of three of the books
printed before 1700-probably has more infor-
nation on the end of the unfortunate Stuart
than any library in England. There one can
read early printings of eyewitness accounts.
That the execution was fact there could be no
denying. As John Milton said in his Nkonok-
lastes-a justihcation-"This business of death
is plaine case and admits no controversie."
The palace walls were rent as disastrously as
those of the cities in another century were
preached by artillery 1t was apparent that
no longer divinity doth hedge king" The
second Of those two institutions which had
been so complementary in the development OF
nations in the wooded lands of Western Europe
had encountered something unprecedented.
The first of course, was the church. 1t had
encountered the Reformation. Monarchy had
experienced kidnapping, forced abdication and
assassination But here was an anointed king
convicted by a parliament of treason as a
crime against the nation-whereas treason
had always been crime against the king.
wit
throne was less secure. The crown had met
with organized popular politics and lost.
On that portentous day 800 years ago
Charles courage was worthy Of the leader
of his country's chivalry. He showed the
populace that king could be royal In dying.
At the Folger among the books printed with
early type faces is an account of the trial
and death of Charles
He was executed at Whitehall, now jour-
nalistic term for the British government be-
cause the Foreign Office is located there. The
building is still standing. 1t is United Services
Museum where relics of Nelson and Wellington
are on display 1t was the banqueting hall
built by lingo Jones in 1919 as the first build
ing to replace the old Whitehall palace of the
Tudors which had burned.
Preparations for the execution were COM
parable to those of the recent inauguration.
The windows of Whitehall had no glass, were
filed with masonry. The architect had deco
rated the facade with renaissance cornices.
The masonry of second-foor window was
knocked out and platform erected.
1t was there that Charles had his last word
He had been denied this at his trial on the
legal objection that he did not recognize the
court. Horse and foot guards were holding
back the people below, so he addressed himself
10 the Bishop of London and the colonel of the
guards with him on the platform. He said:
'I shall be very little heard of anybody else;
shall therefore speak word to you here.
Indeed, could hold my peace very we'll If 1
did not think that to do 50 would leave some
to believe that did submit to the guilt as well
as to the punishment. -
Now to show you that am a good Christian,
hope this good man will bear me witness
treferrlng to the Bishop of London), that
have forgiven all the world, even those In
particular that have been the chief cause OF