How Two Patriots died while in the service of their country.

 

 

PART 1

 

Many people in this country will have no difficulty in remembering the name of the late Norris McWhirter CBE who died recently and who had amongst many other well known achievements had been a staunch defender of the Rights and Liberties of the people of this country for over 40 years.   He was one of the Founder members of the ‘Defenders of the Realm’.

 

Our other patriot belongs to the Civil War of the 17^th Century when another fighter for freedom– John Hampden an English Statesman; born in London in 1594. Was mortally wounded on Chalgrove Field one of the sites of the early battles between Parliament and the King in 1643.

 

The subject of the conflict between Parliament and the King [Charles] in the Civil War is a constant reminder that we all have to be alert to any attempt by any element in our Constitution, which attempts to take away our Freedom.  Today the position is reversed and it is now a weak Parliament, which over the last 40 years has almost given away the fruits of freedom, accumulated over seven centuries.

 

This essay is a reminder of how this country was saved by a Parliament loyal to the key principles of the Constitution and we hope that many who now sit in that hallowed building will reflect on what their ancestors did to prevent tyranny in their day.

 

The following extracts are from ‘some, memorials of John Hampden, his Party and Times by Lord Nugent –London: 1831. (T.B. Macaulay)

 

‘The public life of Hampden is surrounded by no obscurity.  His history, more particularly from the year 1640 to his death, is the history of England.

 

 These Memoirs must be considered as Memoirs of the history of England; and, as such, they well deserve to be attentively pursued.

 

They contain some curious facts, which, to us at least, are new, much spirited narrative, many judicious remarks, and much eloquent declamation.

 

We are not sure that even the want of information respecting the private character of [John] Hampden is not in itself a circumstance as striking characteristic as any which the most minute chronicler, or Boswell himself, ever recorded concerning their heroes.

 

The celebrated Puritan leader is an almost solitary instance of a great man who neither sought nor shunned greatness, who found glory only because glory lay in the path of duty.

 

During more than forty years he was known to his county [sat in Parliament in June 1625 as burgess for Wendover-Bucks] neighbours as a gentleman of cultured mind, of high principles, of polished address, happy in his family, and active in the discharge of local duties; and to political men as an honest, industrious, and sensible member of Parliament, not eager to display his talents, staunch to his party, and attentive to the interests of his constituents.

 

A direct attack was made by an arbitrary government on the sacred right of Englishmen [As we are experiencing today – as over 360 years ago], on a right, which was the chief security for all other rights [As it would be today – 30^th August, 2004]

 

The country looked around for a defender. [As we do today –do we see any prominent member of OUR Parliament from any of the main parties leave his party on a matter of principle in order to lead the fight to protect our sacred Constitution as the subject we are now revealing?].

*

Calmly and unostentatiously the plain Buckinghamshire Esquire placed himself at the head of his country, and right before the face and across the path of tyranny.

 

The times grew darker and more troubled. Public service, perilous, arduous, delicate, was required; and to every service the intellect and the courage of this wonderful man were found fully equal.

 

He became a debater of the first order, a most dexterous manager of the House of Commons, a negotiator, and a soldier. He governed a fierce and turbulent assembly [We don’t see much of this when our rights and liberties have almost been given away without a fight]

 

…Abounding in able men, as easily as he had governed his family [We in our time appear to do everything to destroy this boundless asset of mankind].

 

He showed himself as competent to direct a campaign as to conduct the business of the petty sessions.

 

We can scarcely express the admiration which we feel for the mind so great, and, at the same time, so healthful and so proportioned, so willingly contracting itself to the humblest duties, so easily expanding itself to the highest, so contented in repose, so powerful in action.

 

Almost every part of the virtuous and blameless life, which is not hidden from us in modest privacy, is a precious and splendid portion of our national history.

 

[We hope that future generations will be able to say the same about our Hampden –if he ever emerges during this perilous time in our history.]

 

 

http://thewestminsternews.co.uk

 

http://eutruth.org.uk

 13th October,2007

 

So You Want Out Of The EU

 

THEN WHY NOT SIGN THE

RENUNCIATION of EU CITIZENSHIP

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Optout

Details from petition creator

With the signing of the Maastricht Treaty the people of Britain were given

DUAL CITIZENSHIP

-both

EUROPEAN and BRITISH

The extra tier of citizenship was thrust upon the people without their consent -and in many cases knowledge.

The PEOPLE of GREAT BRITAIN should be allowed the option of opting out of the EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP if they so wish. The GOVERNMENT will then be able to provide those who have opted out with

BRITISH DOCUMENTATION

-only such as British  (not EU) passports, driving licences and other national documents.

EU laws will also NOT APPLY to those who

HAVE OPTED OUT OF EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP

*

 

  

Click for Part 2