Motley's History of the United Netherlands [pp. 223-238]

232 MOTLEY S HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS.
held the doctrine of the sovereignty of the governor, who, it
w-as contended with but little wisdom, derived lhis power from
soverei(gn states, which he was afraid and unable to rule. The
great and rugged Barneveldt, vwho with threatening voice and
majestic lion port dissolved the metaplhysical web of Vilkes,
yet in defending the sovereignty of the states or the government, he seemed, in connection witlh Franck and others, to lhave
destroyed the doctrine of popular sovereignty; and l-ereil coInsist the defect of tlhe very school wvhich would make the Netherlandcs free —here were plainted the evil seeds of tlhe policy of
the Leicestrian party, which forced their opponents, in the
endeavor to break down tlhe false position of the sovereignlty of
the governor-general, to assume the principles that located it in
the states, and as effectually grasped it and -wrenched it from
the hands of the people, altl-hough it had been ecxercised by the
the,governor-general himself, for it was firom the states, in
formal assembly, that he obtained and claimed his autlhority.
It was a destructive position into which tlhe crafty ear'l had
woulid lhimself; and an equally destructive one by which his oppoinents would unwind the robe of power in which he enveloped
his authority. There were some things good and true said by
Barneveldt and other representatives of the states, especially in
reference to the doctrine that the states respected the difference
in religious opinions; leaving all churches in their freedolm, they
chose to leave man's conscience unfettered-thlis was tlhe doctrine of toleration wvhich was born and nurtured on the soil of
the United Provinces, and grew to manhood and strengthl amidst
the storms of the revolution, whose violence sent it deep into
the heart of society, as the storms of the outer world dlrive
deep into the soil of the earth the roots of the stubborn oak,
lwhile its green and spreading branches are pointing to tlhe
heavens. But, is it not perceptible that the doctrine of the opponents of Leicester, of the opponents of what tlhey dreaded,
a strong government, were falling into the artful meshes of the
deep, dark intriguer, who, doubtless, saw with satanic grin that
in giving sovereignty to the governmrient they were robbilg the
same party upon whom he would himself depredate-the people; and thus these men, able statesmen, hoinest and upright as
they vwere, dealt a severe blow to the cause which they would
sacrifice property and life to sustain. And we will presently
show the truth of this remark, by tracing the elevation of
.Iorice to the stadtholdership to be attributed to the very principles started by the Leicestrian school, and, ulnfortullately
unchecked by his adversaries, who lookled upon the earl, as he
was, the most dangerous man in the whole country.
At the period about which 3lotley has written, the entire
fabric of society in Europe-social, moral and political-was
shaken to its very centre. The little revolt, which started in
the Netherlands, awoke and excited principles which involved