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1 La Vida Y La Obra De Edward Sexby El Militar Puritano Y Nivelador

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1 La Vida Y La Obra De Edward Sexby El Militar Puritano Y Nivelador La vida y la obra de Edward Sexby El militar puritano y nivelador Edward Sexby nació en Suffolk en 1616, cuando Carlos I tenía 16 años. Sexby tenía ya veintisiete años cuando ingresó en plena guerra civil en el regimiento de caballería de Oliver Cromwell en 1643, formado por aquellos célebres soldados apodados los Ironsides o costillas de hierro. En 1647, cuando Sexby todavía formaba parte del regimiento, que estaba entonces bajo las órdenes de Thomas Fairfax, participó en el movimiento de los soldados que se oponía a la eliminación del ejército. Fue uno de los agitadores y desempeñó un papel activo en los debates del consejo del ejército, los llamados debates de Putney, en octubre de 1647 Sus discursos fueron muy vigorosos. Era delegado de un regimiento y se opuso violentamente a Cromwell. También se opuso a cualquier arreglo con el rey y exigía el sufragio universal para todos los hombres adultos. En 1651 Cromwell y el comité de inteligencia del consejo de Estado enviaron a Sexby en una misión a Francia. Se le encargó informar sobre la condición política y la actitud del pueblo. Negoció con Armando de Borbón, príncipe de Conti, y los frondistas de Guyana, a quienes les propuso un acuerdo del pueblo para establecer una constitución republicana en Francia, junto con los hugonotes de Languedoc. Sexby corrió peligros en aquella misión, pero logró darse cuenta de que la Fronda había degenerado en una querella entre los nobles y que estos no querían en realidad establecer una república. Regresó a Inglaterra en agosto de 1653, y un año después recibió mil libras por los gastos en que había incurrido durante su viaje. Para entonces Cromwell, que había emprendido una campaña brutal llena de atrocidades contra los irlandeses, y que luego había invadido Escocia, se estaba enfrentando a graves disensiones con el parlamento y dentro del consejo rector de la Mancomunidad. En 1653 se disolvió el parlamento y se proclamó una nueva constitución llamada el instrumento de gobierno, que convirtió a Cromwell en el Lord Protector de por vida el 15 de diciembre de 1653. Sexby creía que había que establecer una alianza entre Inglaterra y España contra Francia, y levantar ejércitos para enviarlos a luchar a Francia en apoyo de los frondistas. 1 Sin embargo, al ver que Cromwell abandonaba sus planes de lucha contra Francia y que aceptaba el protectorado, Sexby reaccionó con violencia. Consideró a Cromwell como un traidor de los principios por los que se había luchado en la guerra civil. Se alió con los republicanos que estaban desencantados con Cromwell, participó en la distribución de panfletos contra el Protector y se unió a la conspiración que proponía un alzamiento en conjunto de los realistas y los niveladores en la primavera de 1655. En febrero de 1655 los oficiales de Cromwell iniciaron la persecución de Sexby en el oeste de Inglaterra. Sin embargo, Sexby logró escapar y llegó a Flandes. En Amberes conoció al coronel Robert Phelips y a otros realistas. Les describió a Cromwell como una persona falsa que había cometido perjurio y afirmó que estaría a favor de la restauración de Carlos II si se garantizaban las libertades del pueblo. Allí conoció a otro exiliado, Miles Sindercombe, un cirujano del ejército inglés y nivelador como Sexby. Sexby consiguió una entrevista con el conde de Fuensaldaña, el gobernador español de los Países Bajos, quien lo envió a España para negociar la ayuda para una insurrección contra Cromwell dentro de Inglaterra. Los espías del gobierno de Cromwell estaban perfectamente al tanto de las actuaciones de Sexby e interceptaban sus cartas a Inglaterra, que él enviaba con pseudónimos. Cromwell denunció públicamente a Sexby en su discurso de inauguración del parlamento el 17 de setiembre de 1656. Declaró que Sexby era un desgraciado miserable, un apóstata de la religión y un deshonesto. El asesinato de Cromwell era una condición previa al levantamiento en su contra. Sexby maquinó este asesinato con algunos de sus seguidores, pero fracasaron. Miles Sindercombe había vuelto a Inglaterra. Intentó varias veces asesinar a Cromwell sin éxito. El 8 enero de 1657 Sindercombe quiso incendiar el palacio de Whitehall, dentro del cual se encontraba Cromwell, pero su plan fracasó porque uno de sus compañeros conspiradores, John Toope, se acobardó y lo delató. Cuando los oficiales de Cromwell llegaron a capturarlo, Sindercombe luchó vigorosamente y fue herido. Lo recluyeron en la Torre de Londres y lo sometieron a juicio. El 9 de febrero de 1657 fue encontrado culpable de alta traición y condenado a la horca y al descuartizamiento. Su hermana le trajo un frasco de veneno la noche antes de la ejecución. Lo encontraron muerto en su celda el 13 de febrero. De todas maneras el verdugo enterró su cuerpo debajo de la horca que ya estaba preparada. 2 A pesar del suicidio de Sindercombe, Sexby no perdió las esperanzas. Utilizó el pseudónimo de William Allen para escribir un panfleto, Matar no es asesinar, que dedicó irónicamente al mismo Cromwell. Sexby lo escribió él mismo pero es posible que haya contado con la asesoría de Silius Titus, el representante presbiteriano de los realistas. Parece que el panfleto llegó a Londres alrededor del 18 de mayo. El periódico The Publick Intelligencer informó que varios panfletos abominables y desesperados habían sido repartidos en la ciudad, incluyendo Charing Cross. El 25 de mayo la policía de Cromwell detuvo a un antiguo nivelador, John Sturgeon, con 300 ejemplares. En la casa de Samuel Rogers se requisaron 1400 ejemplares. Se encontraron unos 200 abandonados cerca de un muelle. Así que probablemente se sacaron unos dos mil de la circulación. Sin embargo muchos lograron circular. El 26 de mayo Henry Cromwell, hijo de Oliver, recibió una carta de John Thurloe, el jefe de los espías de Cromwell, en la que le adjuntaba una copia de lo que llamó un libro “vil”. La gente pagaba hasta cinco chelines por un ejemplar. Hasta tiraron uno dentro del coche de Cromwell. Matar no es asesinar tuvo un gran impacto, mucho mayor que el que hacían prever su tamaño y el número de copias que se distribuyeron. El Protectorado tomó medidas importantes para sacarlo de circulación y para arrestar a sus conspiradores. Por su parte, Sexby decidió regresar a Londres en junio para unir la palabra con la acción. El 24 de julio de 1657, cuando estaba listo para embarcarse de regreso a Holanda, disfrazado de campesino, fue arrestado por la eficaz policía de Cromwell. Inmediatamente fue encerrado en la Torre de Londres. Confesó que había escrito el panfleto. Murió allí el 13 de enero de 1658, no sin antes recibir la visita de su esposa, cuyo nombre se ha perdido. Según sus captores se había vuelto loco. Su muerte quedó envuelta en el misterio. 3 .
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