TO-DAY IN HISTORY

Southland Times, Issue 20772, 13 May 1929, Page 4

TO-DAY IN HISTORY

MAY 13 Born: Empress Maria Theresa, 1717; Charles, Marquis of Rockingham, statesman, 1730. Died: Johan Van Olden Barneveldt, Dutch statesman, Hague, 1619; Louis Bourdaloue, French divine, Paris, 1704; James Basire, 1802; Cardinal Fesch, uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte, 1839. BARNEVELDT. This name is usually associated with ideas' of national ingratitude. Another is evoked by it, and there is no party or body of men safe by their professions of liberal principles, or even their professed support of liberal forms of government, from the occasional perpetration of acts of the vilest tyranny and oppression. After William of Orange the Netherlands owed their emancipation from the Spanish yoke to the advocate, Johan Van Olden Barneveldt. He it mainly was who obtained for his country a footing among the powers of Europe. As its chief civil officer, or advocate general, he gained for it peace and prosperity, freed it from debt, restored its integrity by gaining back the towns which had been surrendered to England as security for a loan, and extorted from Spain the recognition of its independence. It owed nearly everything to him. Nor could it be shown that he was ever otherwise than an upright and disinterested administrator. He had, however, to oppose another and a dangerous benefactor of Holland in Prince Maurice of Orange. A struggle between the military and civil powers took place. There was at the same time a struggle between the Calvinists and the Arminians. In British history the former religious body has been associated with the cause of civil liberty. This history of the Netherlands is enough to show that, this was from no inherent or necessary affinity between liberty and the Genevan church. Barneveldt who had embraced the tenets of Armin contended that there should be no predominent sect in Holland; he desired toleration for all, even for the Catholics. The Calvinists, to secure their ascendancy, united themselves with Prince Maurice who, after all, was not of their belief. By these combined influences the sage and patriotic Barneveldt was overwhelmed. After a trial which was a mockery of justice, he was condemned to death; and this punishment was actually inflicted by decapitation at. The Hague, on May 13, 1619, when Barneveldt was seventy-two years of age.