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OUIt MODERN FEUDAL SYSTEM. It is already...
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ITALIAN MARTYRDOM AND ENGLISH APATHY. We...
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Palmerston And The Future The Times Is T...
Democracy , the two latter alone retained that onward and aggressive spirit which is essential to the full vitality of every doctrine . It is plain that Lord Palmerston was inspired by that spirit in full force during 1848 , and indeed down to the time when he was ousted by colleagues , who think that constitutionalism can be maintained in the conflict of the world by neutrality and
supineness . The combat was left between absolutism and democracy . It was fierce and unrelenting ; for the moment democracy was beaten , but constitutionalism , supine and trampled under foot by both the great armies in that terrible struggle , now lies helpless beneath the triumphant march of treacherous absolutism over the field of Europe . If constitutionalism in Europe is to be rescued from destruction—if the war of defence
is not to be fought , literally , in England , as the last standing place , now is the time to make an advance . Now is the time , most especially , as many great circumstances , not existing in 1815 , conspire to insure success for an empire like England , if she were to exchange a supine for an active policy , and were to place herself at the head of the onward movement in Europe . It might be done now with immense saving , both of violence and of cost . There can be no doubt
that the great body of many great nations under such sanction would act for themselves , with their own resources , but in the furtherance of _comfcion objects . Not only Italy , Hungary , and several German states , to say nothing of southern Europe and a great party in France , but Turkey , already awakened to European ideas , wouJd bring her crescent scimetar to the cause , and fight for the first time , no longer on the side of Oppression , but of Bight . America having finally consolidated her Republic in 1813 on the other side of the Atlantic , is now a great State , present by her flag , and powerful by her will in every quarter of the globe—vindicating her influence , as England _uspd to do in the
Mediterranean , by the display of the strong hand , —available , ready and eager to join the ranks of that holy alliance of nations which is to fight out the next struggle for that freedom which alone is order , civilization , peace . These great facts , coming into existence since 1815 , surely constitute a sufficient '' political obj ect '' for the contemplation of any statesman who has the foresight , the power of statesmanship , and the laudable ambition to deal practically with affairs that are coming on , instead of fighting his battles over again , in telling to the stirring world idle tales of his achievements in the past . Of Lord _Palmerston's intentions wo have neither
the authority nor the information to speak , but we cannot help coupling with the great facts which we have surveyed , the further facts , not unimportant , that he is most popular in America , that he is regarded by the despotic party on the Continent as the most formidable of the statesmen whom they havo detached from themselves , and , finally , that lie is initiating the discussion of the more logical and more equitable arrangements which must inevitably supersede tho abortive pacification of 1815 .
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Ouit Modern Feudal System. It Is Already...
OUIt MODERN FEUDAL SYSTEM . It is already notorious that the present Elections havo been distinguished for more bribery , and , what is worse , more intimidation , than any since the Be form Bill . Landlordism in the counties , lady-Derbyites in the Metropolis , bigotry in the boroughs , havo put on the screw without ' shame and without remorse . As for the Protectionists , their proceedings havo been marked with a reckless _unHcrupulousness , " too like despair for prudence to smother . "
In Westminster , as wo learn by many anecdotes , tho screw of exclusive dealing was openly applied on behalf of Maidstone—applied by ladies , and to tradesmen of high character . It was the advocate of " Protection for native industry" who was tho candidate io take advantage of this screw . Wo havo been given to understand , that in a Wiltshire borough , which him done itself tho
honour to return ono of the most able functionaries of tho last Government , and one of the most powerful champions of Ereo-trade , by a majority of seven only , 11 ) 01 . was otlbrvd freel y during " tho last hour of polling for a single vote . Family influence was aroused in behalf of a young man , just out of his Icons ; but tho electors were obdurately unwilling to believe that tho House of Common * was a ball-room , or that the qualifica-
Ouit Modern Feudal System. It Is Already...
tions of a " nice young man" were the necessary qualifications of a representative of important commercial and manufacturing interests . "I will tell you what it is , young gentleman : my predecessor here voted as your father told him to vote ; but he didn ' t pay his rent . I pay my rent , and vote as I like . " We cordially recommend this brief and significant reply to the electors of East Somerset , who have been favoured with a Circular , of which we have received a copy , and of which we are about to give our readers a few tit-bits .
People who live , in the focus of all the great movements that are hurrying the world on to mighty issues , have little or no idea of the extent to which feudalism , without its nobleness , and landlordism , without its legitimacy , still reign and govern in some parts of this island—notably , it would seem , in that western portion of England which never ceases to convince us that * ' the wise men came from the east . " The author of this circular is , we are informed , the son of a large landholder in the neighbourhood of Bristol —son and administrator . He rules his father ' s lands and tenants in right military style , as we shall see . His missive roads like the circular
of one of Louis . Napoleon ' s prefects . It is addressed to the tenants , whom , in a Pickwickian sense , we imagine , he calls " my friends and neighbours . " On his return home , after an absence of some weeks , this gentleman is " surprised to find" that many of his " friends and neighbours had been canvassed for "—Miles and Elton ! The sting is in the last two words—and Elton . The " friends and neighbours" had positively
been canvassed " in my absence , " for two candidates utterly opposed to each other : Mr . Miles being a thorough-going Derbyite Protectionist , a Earmers' Friend , and all that fatherly line of business ; Mr . Elton being aPeelite , ofthemeekest and mildest complexion , with nothing but good sense and a cultivated intelligence to recommend him to the choice of the county . But think of the audacity of canvassing " friends and neighbours" in " my absence . ' "
" lo any one reading the daily organs of Mr . Elton ' s party , its hostility to the Earmers of England is very apparent ! " So the new House of Commons is , to the local Somersetshire mind , logically divided into Dovbyitee and Afr . Jiillun's party—including all shades of red , from Liberal Conservatives to Chartists . " Wow then ( the st y le hero rises into the heroic ) is the time for tho Earmers to give the lie to the often-spoken reproach that ' they will do nothing for themselves . ' " And how , pray , are they to "give the lie" so signally and successfully ? B allowing themselves to be done for by the self-sacrificing landlords . The next paragraph is a gem : —
" Let every man who wishes well to the cause , not only vote himself for Miles and Knatchbull , but bring with him any neighbour who has nt _* conveyance , and who wishes to vote the same way . " These last words are no doubt an injunction to bring any neighbour who wishes to vote , and has no conveyance , th <; same way— . ' . c ., not fo uhdueti him in an opposite direction . Gracious is the conclusion— " I shall be glad to go fo the poll with you , and I hope that our friends and tenants who intend to support Miles and Knatchbull will meet my Father "—on tho first polling day , af a certain place appointed .
Now , what are we to think of this document ? It has been forwarded fo uh , and we readily give i ( , the exposure if deserves ; but we arc very far from thinking it an isolated , or an extreme , or even u peculiar case . We havo no doubt , indeed we have nil reason to believe , the _saino species of polite intimidation and neighbourly advice Una been practised in every county in England where Landlordism is still rampant . Do these landlords believe for one moment lhat Protection , under
any disguise or modification , can be . restored , or that the Derby Cabinet , can possibly remain in power till Christmas ? No ! t _|\ oy do not ; but they bully and bewilder the dismayed bucolic mind info the belief f | iat the question of Protection is other than a . question of rent . And whilst these farmers aro thus driven up , br led up , with nil the honours of " neighbours and friends" to the poll , think of the great mass of foiling , taxpaying , bread-eating non-electors , disinherited , disfranchised , disowned ! Wo nro very far from denying lo properly its "just and legitimate influence ; " we denounce its abuses only , and
Ouit Modern Feudal System. It Is Already...
we do so in all kindness , for it is these abuses alone which can bring about the I 3 ehige it so dreads . A system , of Landlordism , baBed on a law of primogeniture , by which eldest sons are spendthrift absentees , and younger sons Protectionist stewards , is a public , as well as a private wrong . It is condemned .
Italian Martyrdom And English Apathy. We...
ITALIAN MARTYRDOM AND ENGLISH APATHY . We are sick of the _laisser-aller , selfish , unb elieving morality of these days . As a nation , we have no moral life , no conscience , no consistency of character , no sense of duty and no faith . Everything ' is dilettante ; we have prejudices and antipathies , just serious enough to be worked up into election rows , or used as political capital by Derbyite candidates ; but examine them well , and they too are a sham . We have not strength left for a little real , conscientious bigotry— . would to God we had .
Can anything be more transparent than this pretended Protestant zeal against Maynooth ? "It is a sin to support what we believe to be opposed to God , to subsidize Jie Pope whom we regard as anti-Christ ; therefore down with Maynooth . " Gentlemen , if you were really capable of serious , deep conviction , if you were sincere believers , or even good , genuine bigots , you would know that the question for the conscience of a nation or a man , is not what it is a sin to participate in , but what it is a duty to do ; and you would seek anti-Christ on . his Papal chair at Borne , and not at Maynooth . When politics and religion are divorced , one or both must be dying or already dead .
Turn to our political parties , —what is the most advanced creed which has a chance of controlling the proximate future of the country ? Free-trade , and non-intervention ; commercial intercourse , and political isolation . We are shopkeepers and not men ! Men bave duties , and nations recognise such too , if they be composed of men . Shall wo say of other nations , as Cain of his brother Abel , " Lord , am I my brother ' s keeper ?" Of all political dogmas none is so profoundly immoral , as that , which , under the inappropriate title of non-intervention , refuses to entertain the
question of a foreign policy , and leaves Priests , Emperors and Usurpers free to corrupt , to bind and torture , and destroy the soul of the world , — content -with an increasing trade , and stifling conscience with the convenient theory , that progress is inevitable , and the triumph of liberty one day assured . Our country is criminally turning aside , in its pursuit of selfish interests , from its duties to humanity . Thought and action should be one , at no long interval . A time will come ere long , when wo , must bo for or against the nations . How are we preparing for that time P What
pledges have wc extorted or endeavoured to extort from our newly elected legislators ? One man has been bold enough to put tho quondam Home Secretary , who shamed this country by his letter-opening to the ordeal : —like a political Jesuit—in a _misi , of vague generalities he has escaped the foil . But , elsewhere , nothing _visiblo has been effected ; and the liberal party has been content to show' its own fatuity , by accepting as fhe ground of battle , a question which no earthly power can raise again ; fighting for freo-trado which cannot , Ije lost , instead of pressing forward to questions too long delayed , which it is dangerous and criminal any longer to evade .
Whilst thus living in petty interests and . absorbed by shams at borne , the ; foreign intelligence of the last , few weeks passes info oblivion beneath our va . cnnt or averted eyes . Wholesale martyrdom is talcing pla . ee in Italy . Men are imprisoned by the hundred , tortured to confess , if not by the rack , by the bastinado—their lives trafficked , iu by corrupt judges , the ransom paid , and yet tho life not spared . Af Milan , one of fhe arrested
the young priest Pe / . / . offi , is said to have strangled himself the very day of his arrest ; but , his firm nnd placid faith renders his suicide impossible for his countrymen to believe , and the fact that within one hour of his death , they open his still warm and almost palpitating corpse , fo snatch from it the papers which he swallowed on being seized , begets a horrible , suspicion of the cause and motive of his death .
Ihe arrested are of all classes of society , landed proprietors , bankers , priests , —for there aire reforming priests in Italy , —and working men .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 17, 1852, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17071852/page/14/
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