Year: 1865

have seen, since the death of President
Lincoln, in several publications, notices of
the assassinations of crowned heads, and
in one list of those who have lived within
the period of modern history, but this list
aid not include one whose life was quite as
rvcmtful, and whose death was as much
mourncd as any one it did mention-I mean
William of Nassau Prince of Orange, sur


named the Silent.


This man. hereditary heir Of the princely
house of Orange i'll Holland was i'll his life


oval to the interests of his race, a reformer


a hero and victim to the unbounded law


sought the destruction of the liberty and


free institutions Of his country He died


bv the hand of the assassin i'll July 1884,


in the 54th year of his age.


40 country in Europe has sacrificed so


much blood and treasure in the cause of


national independence and of the Reformed
Religion, as Holland. At one period of her
history. that is, during most of the 10th
century, she was the great theatre of that
struggle which ended in the emancipation
Of the intellect of Northern Europe from the
dogmas ola corrupt ecclesiastic oppression
in the South


During forty years of this inturlated con-
test, William was the recognized leader of
the liberal party Discouraged by no mis-
fortune, destroyed by no defeat always
popular, always vigilant, with an unwaver-
ing zeal and steadfast reliance upon God
and his country, he fought the good fight ;
and his enemies bailled and despairing of
conquering and enslaving his country


while he lived, resOrted at last to the hired
assassin Philip II of Spain offered a re-
ward of $500 crowns of gold and patent
q Of nobility to any one sufficiently gener-
q Gus Of heart to rid us Of this pest, deliver
9 ing him to us alive or dead" For this re-
4 ward several attempts were made upon his
! life and once he was dangerously wounded.
Vt another attempt, he was mOrtally woun-
4 ded by shot through the body, and died in
j few moments. His murderer was taken,
g tortured and finally executed. His right
d hand was first burned off with a red hot
d iron, his flesh torn from his bones with pin
4 chers i'll six different places, his bowels were


taken out, he was then quartered, his heart


torn from his body and flung in his face,
and finally he was beheaded after life had


fled. But the execrable tyrant who pro-
cured the death of William ennobled the


parents of his murderer, and granted them


three estates belonging to his victim. This


kingly assassin was in early life suitor


for the hand of Elizabeth of England.


There are several points wherein the


characters and fates of William of Orange


and Abraham Lincoln resemble each other


Both were heads of nationalities, both had


firm reliance on Divine Providence, both


were firm, courageous, and prudent in the


selection of means and agents, both were


possessed of an indomitable will and en-


crgy Of character, both were slow to choose,


but having chosen were of steadfast faith,


both had love of country remarkably de-


yeloped, both were surrounded by traitors


III friendly guise both had to combat the


same character of enemies, unscrupulous,
. cunning, and half barbarian, both were re-


firing and mcXacting in department, both


had the rare faculty of attaching those


about them To their persons and interests,


both were simple in their manners, both


were great statesmen and profoundly read


in the science of human nature, both were


grave and silent men in their intercourse


with others. both were OF a melancholy


temperament, some times assuming an out


side cheerfulness to mask an inward gloom,
and lastly, these two men to whom the
world is so much indebted that it must re-
main pauper forever, were both shot down
like dogs The only point of divergence
IN their characters, is, that William was a
successful soldier and born to command
Nothing of this can be said of Abraham
Lincoln.


During many centuries past it has been
custom in European Courts to surround
the executive head of the nation with life
guard charged with his special defense
But IN Republican America such has not
been deemed important or called for, and
such is the simplicity of our notions that
had our chief magistrate instituted such a
means of security, it would most probably
nave excited the jealousy Of the people
"'d he wonld have been charged with the
4 vanity Of aping monarchical customs, and
\ perhaps with the design of overthrowing
I 'ut system of government 1t has evel
Il ''eh our boast that our highest officer oi


''"'e might mix freely with the people, and
Z w "S secure in their love and respect as il


surrounded by an army