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speakably base servility to the successful Protector ; when we ponder these , and remember that these terminated in the restoration , amid the most frantic joy , of a prince -who had all the bad qualities of his f&ther and brother , without the domestic virtues of the former , or the redeeming sincerity of the latter , it is
surely not to 6 much to ask that the impartial historian shall not hold up the virtues of the heroes of his history to our admiration without warning us , by comments upon their errors , that good judgment must be added to good wishes , or our very virtues will become ' holy traitors to us , ' and to our country into the bargain . Had not both sides been too bigoted in their politics , had not both sides been too well inclined towards bloodshed , the
Parliamentary party might have gained permanent advantages far beyond the merely temporary ones it did gain . I admit that the vacillations of the King doubly injured him ; for while he insulted and irritated his opponents by his perfidy on some occasions , he most unwisely—tiay , in the case of Strafford , most basely and
shamefully—yielded to them upon others . But the Parliamentary party , let it not be concealed—was as insincere as the King himself . Had it not been so , the extremity of war would have been avoided ; for many of the grievances complained of were rather technicalsi a dire—than real , and some of the terms demanded were
rather insulting and distasteful to the King than important to the hearts of the Parliamentarians , or vital to their avowed cause—that of civil and religious liberty . It will be seen from the foregoing remarks , that I am of opinion that both parties to the disputes between Charles and his
Parliament were infinitel y less sincere than they ought to have been in desiring an amicable termination of those disputes ; and that the popular party was , in fact , more intent upon exerting its power to the utmost than upon exerting it wisely , humanely , and to the permanent and solid advantage of the people at large .
The mere expression of this opinion I should not consider of importance enough to warrant my present intrusion upon the time and attention of the reader , if I were not of opinion that there is a greater resemblance between the party errors of Charles ' s time and those of the present time than is generally perceived or even guessed at . 4 History / we are told , * is philosophy teaching
by example . ' But to what purpose the teaching if we will not karn ? Of what avail the example if we mistake good for bad , or reject the former and cleave to the latter ? Let us examine a few of the occurrences of our own time ; let us look steadfastly and impartially upon the contrast between opinions and measures .
I know perfectly well , that popularity is not to be acquired by differ ing , however slightly , from the popular delusions of the time .
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Hints on the Errors of Party . 765
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wo . 95 / 3 I
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1834, page 765, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2639/page/19/
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