By declaring war against Holland Charles had now fulfilled the first
part of his secret treaty with Louis (S476), but he was afraid to
undertake the second part and openly declare himself a convert to the
Church of Rome. He, however, did the next thing to it, by issuing a
cautiously worded Declaration of Indulgence, 1673, suspending all
penal laws affecting the religious liberty of Protestant Dissenters
(SS382, 472) and Roman Catholics. Under cover of this act the King
could show especial favor to the Catholics. Parliament issued such a
vigorous protest, however, that the King withdrew the Declaration.
Parliament next passed the Test Act,[1] 1673, requiring every
government officer to acknowledge himself a Protestant according to
the rites of the Church of England. Charles became alarmed at this
decided stand, and now tried to conciliate Parliament, and coax from
it another grant of money by marrying his niece, the Princess Mary, to
William of Orange, President of the Dutch republic, and head of the
Protestant party on the Continent.
[2] See Summary of Constitutional History in the Appendix, p. xix,
S21.
478. The So-Called "Popish Plot"; the Exclusion Bill, and Disabling
Act, 1678.
While the King was playing this double part, a scoundrel, named Titus
Oates, whose hideous face was but the counterpart of a still more
hideous character, pretended that he had discovered a terrible plot.
He declared that the Catholics had formed a conspiracy to burn London,
massacre the inhabitants, kill the King, and restore the religion of
Rome.
The news of this alleged discovery caused an excitement which soon
grew into a sort of popular madness. The memory of the great fire
(S474) was still fresh in people's minds. In their imagination they
now saw those scenes of horror repeated, with wholesale murder added.
Great numbers of innocent persons were thrown into prison, and many
executed.
As time went on, the terror seemed to increase. With its increase,
Oates grew bolder in his accusations. Chief Justice Scroggs showed
himself an eager abettor of the miserable wretch who swore away men's
lives for the sake of the notoriety it gave him. In the extravagance
of his presumption Oates even dared to accuse the Queen of an attempt
to poison Charles. The craze, however, had at last begun to abate
somewhat, no action was taken, and in the next reign Oates got the
punishment he deserved--or at least a part of it (S485).
An attempt was now made (1679) to pass a law called the "Exclusion
Bill," debarring Charles's brother James, the Catholic Duke of York,
from succeeding to the crown; but though voted by the Commons, it was
defeated by the Lords. Meanwhile a second measure, called the
"Disabling Act," had received the sanction of both Houses, 1678. It
declared Catholics incapable of sitting in either House of Parliament
(S382); and from this date they remained shut out from all legislative
power and from all civil and corporate offices until 1829, a period of
over a century and a half (S573).
479. Rise of Permanent Political Parties, 1678; the King revokes City
Charters.
It was about this time that the names "Whig" and "Tory" (changed after
1832 to Liberal and Conservative) (S582) began to be given to two
political parties, which soon became very powerful, and practically
have ever since divided the government of the country between them.
The term "Whig" was originally given by way of reproach to the Scotch
Puritans, or Covenanters, who refused to accept the Episcopacy which
Charles I endeavored to impose upon them (S438). "Tory," on the other
hand, was a nickname which appears to have first been applied to the
Roman Catholic outlaws of Ireland, who were regarded by Elizabeth and
by Cromwell as both robbers and rebels (S453).
The name of "Tory" was now given to those who supported the claims of
the King's brother James, the Roman Catholic Duke of York, as
successor to the throne; while that of "Whig" (or "Country Party") was
borne by those who were endeavoring to exclude him (S478), and secure
a Protestant successor.[1]
[1] Politically, the Whigs and Tories may perhaps be considered as the
successors of the Roundheads and Cavaliers of the civil war, the
former seeking to limit the power of the Crown, the latter to extend
it. At the Restoration (1660), the Cavaliers were all-powerful; but
at the time of the dispute on the Exclusiiion Bill (1679), the
Roundhead, or People's party, had revived. On account of their
petitioning the King to summon a new Parliament, by means of which
they hoped to carry the bill shutting out the Catholic Duke of York
from the throne, they were called "Petitioners," and later, "Whigs";
while those who expressed their abhorrence of their efforts were
called "Abhorrers," and afterwards, "Tories." The more radical Whigs
came to be known as the "Country Party," and at least one of their
most prominent leaders, Algernon Sidney, was in favor of restoring the
republican form of government in England.
The excitement over this Exclusion Bill (S478) threatened at one
period to bring on another civil war. In his fury against the Whigs,
Charles revoked the charters of London and many other cities, which
were regranted only on terms agreeable to the Tories. An actual
outbreak against the government would probably have occurred had it
not been for the discovery of a new conspiracy, which resulted in a
reaction favorable to the Crown.