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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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" CANDIDE" ON THE ELECTIONS . ( To ike Editor of the Leader . ) Silt ,- —You have commented with extraordinary severity upon the conduct of the magnanimous and patriotic citizens of Kidderminster . Can you not recognise in that hearty and -vigorous demonstration a practical assertion of a Briton ' s inalienable right to " tell a bit of his mind ? " TJjihlessed with the celestial gift of eloquence—or at least prevented by a batoned and
bluecoated police from exercising their oratory—the nonelectors of that borough proved themselves worthy to "be the countrymen of " the divine Williams , " and , like him , discovered sermons in stones and good ( missiles ) in everything . For my part , I know not how they could more effectually and efficiently have asserted their claim and capacity to discharge the responsible duties of elector *; and all impartial individuals must ugree with me in thin-king that they have made out a strong case in favour of the immediate introductionof the universal
franchise . A . nd in what other way could these much-maligned citizens h&ve expressed their strong convictions ? In what manner could they more clearly have expounded the text , "We will not have this man to reign over us ?" Would you have had them pelt the obnoxious candidate with rose-leaves , or with cowslip balls ? That might have been more graceful , but assuredly it -would have been less national , and would have lost in power what it gained in elegance . Unhappily , it is too much the spirit of the times to sacrifice force to beauty , and to compel Minerva to "do the hair" for the Graces . It was
[ not thus , however , that Britannia learned to rule the waves like a copybook , or to flutter her blue bandanna , for a thousand years , in the face of hailstorms and bullets . This secret of our power is well known to other nations , who conceal their jealousy and alarm in affected sneers at our . boorishness . Even the pensive and dreamy Turk can appreciate the heroic elements of our national character more wisel y than you London Journalists , who sit at ease in your editorial chairs and deem the world to be circumscribed between St . James ' s and Temple Bar . It is in my power to illustrate this remark from my personal experiences .
In the course of my peregrinations I happened to remain a few days in a provincial town , more remarkable for the excellence of its cutlery than for the beauty of its women , and for the magnificence of its gin-palaces than for the politeness of its artisans . Among the inmates of the hotel , I became slightly acquainted with a genuine Turk , who was studying the manners and customs of the modern English through the medium of a French patois apparently calculated for the meridian of Lower Flanders . One morning as we stood gazing out of the window—hoping against hope that the days of Pyrrha were not about to return , when the finny tribe , unliko General Mack , suvvma kcesit in Ulmo—arabble rout rushed past with many an oath and with almost
as many dogs , crop-eared , curtailed of their tails , and Bendigo-ish in facial expression . Proud of my country and its prejudices , I naturally dilated to my full stature of five feet eight inches in boots , and thirty-nine inches round the chest . Turning half round , I looked down with lofty compassion on the ignorant barbarian by my side . " Qu ' est-ce que Jest que tout qa ? " asked he , in French worthy of Bruges . In equally pure Parisian I replied : — 3 fo 7 usieuv , e'est tin delassemcntBritanni que—un dclassement de fftaiits—mais de {/ emits a la ckrette ? ine . " Ah I" lie responded , in a manner that implied either a total ignorance or a perfect comprehension of ray moaning . Whichever it might behe hurried out of
This unsophisticated Turk-would have appreciated the lapidation of Mr . Lowe . He would have looked upon it as a dilassement de genrits , and perchance might have reminded you that the 'Israelites ,, when they Tvefe a nation , amused themselves in like manner by st 6 nmg the Prophets . Now-a-days , stones cry out by proxy ; they don ' t do it themselves , but they make unpopular candidates do it for them . A propos to my Byzantine friend , I must tell you how our acquaintance originated . Having removed all desire of eating and drinking by ample potations of Allsopp's B . ' B ., and a fair allowance
of tough cow ' s-flesh , I was leaning back in my chair with , my eyes closed and ruminating various Fancies , neither particularly original nor select . Presently I overheard a . discussion as to the relative , merits df the Crescent and the Cross—not Mr . Warburbon ' s book , but the creeds of which those shapes are the emblems . The Turk's opponent was also an Oriental , bfrt converted to the outward and visible signs of the Roman Catholic faith . Neither disputant appeared to be very strong as a controversialist ; each , seemingly , -entertaining a pleasant conviction that the value of a religion must be estimated l > y the acreage and census of its Olvmpus .
" You have no Virgin Mary ! triumphantly exclaimed the apostate , renegade , or convert . "No Virgin Mary ! We have . millions ' of them—\ a . our Paradise , " scornfully replied the Turk . " Well ! But 3 'ou have no Immaculate Conception , " said the R . C doggedly returning to the attack . " Bah ! It is because we don ' t want one . If we did ; we could have one every minute—in our Paradise . " Unfortunately , a slight chuckle escaped me at this moment ; -which induced the Christian to remark to . . . his companion , in a stage whisper , " That gentleman understands us . " " Not he , " grunted the Turk . "He has eaten beef enough to send four dogs asleep . "
There was no alternative but to confess my acquaintance with the French language when spoken in a manner to puzzle the lively Gaul . We then fraternised , and in an incredibly short space of time must have succeeded in flaying the ears of any intelligent party from France , had there been one in the room . The Turk was a Tory—one of the old school— -and bitterly deplored the innovations that had beett introduced into his country . Why , the Sultan was a mere cypher : he could no longer send the bowstring to a rich or refractory satrap , without every newspaper in Europe making a noise about it . And then , what security was there now in private life ? One of your-wives might play you false , and you dare not even slit her nose—the sack and the sea were quite out of the question .
Now , sir , knowing what you must know of the present degenerate state of the Ottoman Empire as compared with its ancient power and magnificence , and tracing this decadence—as , of course , you will do—to the influx of an artificial civilization , are you still disposed to use such bad language towards the enlightened and independent citizens of Kidderminster , because they repudiate the idea of being tamed and refined until they become more rational and intellectual beings ? Should you insert this protest ngainst your one-sided declamation , I may perhaps have occasion to intrude upon your columns once and again . In the meantime I have the honour to remain , sir , your obedient servant , . Candide .
, the room , and I ea \ v no more of him until dinner-time . Uwing , | probably , to my possessing a large share of that pudeur -BntoTOue , wluch , according to one of the tnins-* w ° i « e A V tiqUai T > " trouve » shocking" le mot breocnes , en chcrchant «« asile dans U pexinhruso inexpressibles » ou ce qiCon nepmt exprimer , I confess S « i 1 ? rould " ««» not again have encountered the him % t " ? , Vag $ ' Ond would ^ rtiinly have shunned chL rff Aa l enter < jd th 0 room he r < <> ^ om his should y i * PPf ° ached ' «<> > ^ 'id his han d * oa my ktaSlS' ^ ' ° Okins m ° ful 1 iu tho fftuo > ™"* solemn Sul ; r ^ uii dro 38 cd th ° * *»«•< - * - ^ -
¦ FrlZ ^ T ^ T ^ aXl l rcmombor of the Turcol ' ronch , but porliapa it will do us well in I < Wlhh— « you are right . It was truly a sport fir Kb You aroagroa t people , and will conquefallnjSo £ You aria " nTtZZ ^^^ -T ^ When th < * dow " bZe the gates of Vienna . But you drink . Tlmt is bad . It is yoiir -women who persuade you to dvinlc , l « at you should tako more thnn one Avifo at a time . Don ' t listen to them . The throat never made any man grout . Wiveaaro bettor than drink . "
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LAND SOCIETIES . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sir , —Can any of your readers inform mo whether there ia any Land Society in existence in which the land and buildings are proposed to bo held jointly under the new partnership laws , a 3 I have , with many others , anxiously wished to see such a society established ? The advantages to be gained iu such a society , if it can be legally carried out , would be incalculable over the old Land Societies , where-the estate is wastefully divided into lots , and where tho buildings are obliged to be separate , and consequently more expensive and imperfect ; whereas , if the buildings are constructed alter the model of a London club-house , and in ono block , it would £ ivc each member many conveniences and educational advantages at a loss cost , and preserve tho rural appearance of tho estate . I am , sir , yours , &c , A CONSTANT ltlCADER . Battle , April 21 , 1857 . f _ Our Correspondent will probably obtnin the information he seeks nt tho Friendly Societies Institute , 4 , Trafalgar- aquaro . 1
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IMEBmiJS ^ . l ^ N ^ ITba . 'NOe , paralysed since 1851 , supplies an example without a precedent in history . The cessation of her national -development lias been so sudden as to "be almost inexplicable . Ten years ago her people were rapidly ' .-multi * . plying ; five years ago their growth was eheekerl . ; their niimDers are now actually diminishing . English statistics , during a similar . period , present a parallel , -which appears the more extraordinary the more closely it is studied . From 1842 to 1854 < three inillions of . persons emigrated from these islands ; yet three millions were added to the home
population . Since 1851 , the registrar-general computes England and Wales have gained 1 , 757 , 000 ; France only 256 , 000 . The population of France is double that of England and "Wales , so that while the increase in . Eng » land and Wales is absolutely four timeB and a half greater than the increase in France , it is relatively nine times greater . "When figures of this kind are quoted with respect to America , the usual answer is that the
vacant territories of America encourage expansion ; but , as we showed last week , England is considerably more crowded than France . In point of population , therefore , the French have sustained a severe positive loss sinee the establishment of the Empire . What have they gained ? Itfot peace—they have had the Russian war ; not prosperity- — they have universal gambling , dear provisions , heavy taxation , and deficiency of employment ; riot public confidence—they have perpetual rumours of conspiracy , and tho credulous among them anticipate that the Emperor will some evening be blown by gunpowder
out of his Opera-box ; not material securitythey liavo the certainty of another revolution , the probability of domestic strife , the chance of a military Terror . They have sacrificed liberty , dignity , constitutional law , in exchange for , i systom which brings them neither present repose nor the prospect of a tranquil future . The only monuments of the Empire likely to bo permanent are its ' facades , exactly as tho Baths of Oajiaoaxt . a preserve tho traditions of the Eoman decadence . Romnn history is shadowed forth in 3 loman walls and arches . Augustus , creeping to
the throno through the shadows of L jrsau s memory , imitated nil but his genius and laa glory ; ho completed the theatres and basilicas begun by his uncle ; n few fragments ot tho uncle ' s plan sufficed to employ tho whole of the nephew ' s capacity . In _ h ypocrisy , however , this despot , of a quality new m Homo , may bo allowed to have been consummate . Ho set tho example of dissembling tyranny under a popular disguise , of venerat-
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NOTICBS TO CORRESPONDENTS ? **" Sk ^ S Jffi * . «*»«•«*«* *™ - » 4288 ^^ t lriS ^^^^^ of matter ; and-when omitted , it S < freowutir frmE *^ ¦ was quite iud ^ pcudeut of the * merits offi £ 3 We cannot undertake to r ^ . tUTti rejected commirnicatiouc Communications should always be l ^ ibly ^ Stten ami ™ oneSIdeof the . paper only . If longjlt inoreaaes " thedim * culty of fiuaiag space for them . * - » - <«« - « . ine uiffi *
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Th « re is " no learned man but will confess he hath much profited by reading controversies , his senses awakened , and his judgment sharpened . If , then , it toe profitable fox him to read , why should , it not , at least . betolerablefor his adversary to write ?—Mii / roJ * .
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- ? rm this 'mspAmitBNr , as all opiniojts , howitsh bxtxeive , ask AXW » - » rED AN BXPOESSION , XllE EUlXOn NECESSABII . Y HOLDS 11131-JBttF BESPONSIBXE FOR NOSTE . ]
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394 THE LEADER , jyo . 370 j ^ j ^ mi ) AY
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Tub Klkctiox ok x Si * bakbii .- —Tho following circular lias bucii issued to the niembei's of tlio Liboml part } ' : — " Whitehall , April 15 , 1857 . —My < loar Sir , — An the first business upon tlio nsaombling of Parliament will bo tho election of a Speaitcr , I trice tho liberty of Informing you that Mr . J . Evelyn Dcnison avill bo proposed as a camliilato , and I trust that- tho whole of the liibnml party will attend and concur in hia election . May I venture to pross upon you tho importance of being present on the 80 th of this month , on which day tho election -will tako place ? I should feel greatly obliged if you would havo ( ho kindness to inform me whether I mi \ y rely on your prcisoneo and support . — Vury lr \ ily vcurH , W . G . Haytku . "
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SAIMJRDA ^ , ; . A ^ aEKEi , 25 , 1857 .
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m ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ . . There is nothing st > Tevolntioiisty , 'beca . v [ S& thoie iai&thiB . ^ -iso lannatural a ^ ndeon-vulsive , as the strain to keep things fixed when all the -world is by the ver £ law of its craation in eternal . progress . —Dr . Auk oxn
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Leader (1850-1860), April 25, 1857, page 394, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2190/page/10/
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