OLIVER CROMWELLPROTECTOR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 396, 31 March 1908, Page 4

OLIVER CROMWELL — PROTECTOR.

fBY J.W.B.] [CONCLUDED.] What were the causes of this man’s steady rise and solider keeping risen. They are these: houjesty of purpose, thoroughness in carrying out a line of action~a good line of action to carry out. There is also the dash of wild fighting blood in him—from his Welsh ancestors— that gives him a joy of actual physical strife. In his general-ship there is that which is higher than mere military knowledge, namely his purpose, his fearlessness, his justice and his own method ; not that he had no military genius, for he had, but the application of that which was born in him was not learned till he was at the end of his prime. At all events since the proof of the pudding is in the eating, Cromwell was a great general for he was almost irresistible ; he demanded ; and house, castle and town falls if not at the demand, yet at length; at Naseby it is his charge that wins the fight, and so thro’ all the Irish and Scottish campaigns. Cromwell’s campaigns, too, give us a picture of warfare that is of the highest British standard as we see it now ; at that time of blood-thirsty revenge and senseless pillage, a thing truly marvellous, but quite a part of his general method. Carlyle saysjof him, that when he feels that a thing must be done, “ Cromwell, not in a light or loose manner, but in a very solemn and deep one, takes charge for himself at his own peril: that it is a judgment of God.” That what he does is required of God. And again, “ Rosewater surgeons might have tried it otherwise, but that was not Oliver’s execrable policy, the Rosewater one.” This especially in his admittedly severe dealings with the Irish,

What is it we see ? Cromwell with his mercy-loving and honest man proclamation in his mind; justice, and to-be-carried-out promises, and promised law and peace in his left, and his sword in his right hand, he goes to meet them. A summons is disregarded, dallied with in a wrong headed, yet truly rather admirable- way the impulsive and illogical Irish have ; and the garrison is put to the sword — 30 surviving out of 3000 —a wholesome slaughter and saving, as is known, of future bloodshed. Cromwell was no respecter of persons, and if he saw fit to make a demand of one person he would make it unhesitatingly of another and greater, in a like position. In persuance of his object—the furtherance of peace and liberty in all things for the people — there had to be certain happenings ; . that was his thought and therefore that was his demand, and we know that he was successful. If his negotiations were not successful his sword was, swiftly 7". With this in mind, consent to the King’s death is surpremely explicable ; despite a previous utterance to the effect that the assassination of the King would be a horrible, act.

We see Cromwell now risen; the first man in the country, but still always to himself the avowed servant of his country. He had built his army up on justice and cleanness, wherefore it as a whole had a perfect appreciation of what justice and godliness were ; knew further that only truth would come from the mouth of their leader.

Cromwell has been compared with all great Prometheusiam characters, whether political revolutionaries or not, but he stands alone; quite alone in one particular, that is his absolute lack of personal ambition—worldly ambition. He only fought, that peace and justice might be attained: there was no thought that he should lead his irresistible model against the outside world, as did Napoleon ; for the purpose of placing his family in charge of the destinies of each country. He had gained his initial purpose in Great Britain and Ireland, in that they were now pacified apd placed in the right path, and he was now prepared to go into retirement and end his days in peace, his work completed. For was not the country given a new start ? A fresh birth, and —to him.—was not the old phase dead ? And would not this youngling thrive.of itself ? No ! It would not thrive, for the blood taint of its parents left it ricketty and cretinous. And back he must come with his rod of armed force to correct it, and compel it to stop its pulings and spewings. Now cornes [almost the bursting of the man’s great soul in giving vent to his disappointment. That his work was not being carried on. That all these men should waste weeks over some light inconsequental, hair-splittiug—like any debating society, and yet refrain from doing—aye, doing—something, out of the many doable things, that would serve for a settlement —a permanent settlement — that would be of some teal use.

When there was nothing done he would do for himself; and the results we must thanJc him for.

As a consequence of his work, England was respected in Europe for the first time in half a century, and he is respected a nd looked to as the rightful representative of England, and as the champion of Protestant Europe. Truly he would have led hi& invincible model right through ’ Europe to chastise a Pope, even as he chastised his own countrymen. He stood, the leading man in Europe. With an unwilling Parliament be succeeded, in crippling Spain at sea, and establishing British power and trade in the West Indies,! England also became again mis-

tress of her own waters, wresting the power from the Dutch. That is, Cromwell being the leading man in Europe, raised England from being a second-rate power to be again the leading power. There is perhaps no Englishman who receives so much reprobation as Oliver Cromwell: yet our greatest historians are ever united in praising him as England’s greatest. Macaulay writes a panygeric in his critique on Hallara’s Constitutional History that will remain as a monument and a memorial for ever ; and all modern thinkers praise him, though some apparently do it because they can pick no holes in him ; and it remained for Carlyle to write of him to discover him to us —because he loved him and truth. There is only one person that Cromwell can well be compared with, that person is Christ. A like humility, a like conquest of self, a like service to his fellows, though Cromwell’s was certainly a more parochial service. There is no other such example in all history where a man has so denied himself all that he held ot value. Cromwell was the political Messiah ot England ; and as such was crucified in men’s minds. Then there is bis strictly independent attitude in all things. Independent and tolerant in religion too, it is quite to be believed that if Romanism had not entailed the loss of liberty and all the worst horrors of despotism, he would have had the tolerance lor that, as he had for all other religions. Strict impartiality and absolute independency is the only attitude the true judicial mind can have. This man carried his justice and judgment out' into the world, did not leave it off with his wig and gown. Cromwell was a simple man, whose attributes all fitted his simplicity, .His virtues and his vices were all fundamental and primitive, but had, none the less, rather all the more effect on that account. His principal vice was his modesty —if that can be called a vice—his refusal to take advantage of bis great position.

Many things would have been saved England if we had had a Cromwellian dynasty. He was an individualist of a most pronounced type, that believed in every man having his chance. Not the individualist at whom the present-day Socialist points in scorn —of which he himself is the best example—rather such an one that aims at a truer and manlier socialism than any Labour leader could imagine, but that only Cromwell and Kingsley and such can picture. What more fitting ending to this paper can there be than to say that he was a beloved father, husband and son ; that bis domestic relations were simple and happy ; and that during life his first thought, after his duty to his country was done, was always for his loved ones. He died at the zenith of his power, before any results of his great and selfdenying works could be known. It was not till Macaulay championed him that he could find an apologist of note, and now we know him as an example, another of whom we must probably hope for in vain; but that in the next stressful time we must have to save us all again.