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DeWitt: Johan DeWitt was a key figure in Dutch politics during the 1600s. As his primary duty, he managed (along with uncle, Cornelis de Graeff) the political system in the Netherlands. DeWitt’s most important accomplishments include aiding in the drafting of the Treaty of Westminster (ending the First Anglo-Dutch War), as well as being a primary educator of the future monarch William III as a child. Politically, DeWitt was considered somewhat radical because he supported republicanism, a political stance which asserted that monarchs should be selected by means other than heredity, such as elections.
For Carlyle’s purposes, DeWitt serves as a figure of noble beliefs and political bravery. Carlyle bemoans the loss of “the noble People that make the noble Government,” mentioning DeWitt as one of the many whose ideas have been stricken down despite their supremely useful and just ideas.
Bibliography
"Jonah De Witt." Encyclop&eolig;dia Britannica Online.. 23 Mar. 2010. 24 Mar. 2010>
Last modified 24 March 2010