OLIVER CROMWELL’S BIRTHDAY.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7752, 22 July 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

OLIVER CROMWELL’S BIRTHDAY.

April 2u h iis thi' birthday ol Oliver Lroimvell, who was horn at Huntingdon, in 1696, tho second son of Sir Hairy Cromwell, of Himhinbrook Ho entered Parliament in 1025, as representative for the town of Huntingdon. In 1034 the future Lord Protector was actually on the point of leaving England for America, along with the celebrated John Hampden, when the vessel in wh ell they had embarked! was detained by orders from the Court. From the meeting of the* Long Parliament, in 1040, which led almost immediately to tho comnietKicmcnt of the civil wars ( romwcll, who then sat in the House *<>r the. town of Cambridge, appears as one of the most conspicuous characters on the popular side, both in debate and in tho field. Although he had reached lus forty-second year before he ever drew a sword, from the battle of Mars<on Moor, in 1(51-1, at be was present as Lieutenant-General of horse to the battle of Worcester, in Soplcinbur 1661, bis military genius displayed Itself 111 England, Scotland, and irebind, by a crowded succession of the most brilliant achievements. In April 1663 he openly seined upop the supreme power in the Stale by entering the House of Commons with « party of soldiers, pulling tlie Speaker from the chair, ordering bis men to take a wav “that bauble,” as lie called the mace, and locking the doors. On December 10, the same year, lie was formally invested in Westminster Hall with the dignity .and authority of Protector of the Commonwealth of England. Scotland, and Ireland- in other w ords, with the sovereignty of the nation. IPs administration of the government was characterised by the same vigour and' ability which had distinguished the previous part of his career; and be not only repressed whatever remained -»f tlie late confusions, and restored a state of j>eiTect internal tranquJily, but, by the firm and lofty tone which he adopted tow ards for/vgn Powers, he elevated England to a height of influence and glory which, since the time of Elizabeth, she had never approached. In other respects, however, his government was little better than a mere des. potism—“tba.t is to say, everything was conducted sole’y according to bis will and pleasure; and if justice was generally administered between man and man, learning protected, manufactures and comnvM'Ce encouraged, and public order ably maintain'd, these blessings w ere due rather to the good sense and indulgence of the Dictator, than to the supremacy of the law. Un June 26, 1656, lie was publicly enthroned anew as head of the State, with still greater pomp and ceremony than on ihe former occasion a Parliament which had been summoned that year having (after tlie ejection of two hundred of tlie more refractory members) cciisonted to con firm bis authority, r rnm this period, however, lies reign was more disturbed alarms and conspiracies than it had j been in the earlier portion *of it. i Anxiety and disease together began to I make rapid inroads upon his constitution, and lie expired Septembers, 1658, in li is sixtieth year.