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 17th 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 – 30th 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
