The Press.
London, England, 1858-11-06 00:00:00

1074

order of things ; but with those who do not feel
that they arc endowed with the gift of leading
the multitude, their influence and power in the
social scale would be infallibly extingui-hed. 'We
appeal, then, with confidence to the great majority
of Mr. BRIGHT'S auditory on Friday—we mean,
to those who paid for their dinner on that festive
evening—whether they are prepared to back their
representative in destroying their own political
consequence ? We trust they will consider this
in time ; and one great benefit which we expect
will arise out of Mr. BST's recant display at
Birmingham, is, that the different classes in this
country will be taught to estimate the real ques-
tion at issue: which is, not, will you transfer the
whole political power of the State to the most
numerous—viz., the working—class (that would,
if it were possible, be a far less dangerous experi-
ment than the one of which Mr. BRIGHT advo-
cates the adoption), but, will you transfer the
whole political power of the State to demagogues,
who will mass together the units by specious pro-
mises and plausible assertions (such as those with
which Mr. BRIGHT practised on his audiences at
Birmingham), and who will wield them to secure
their own selfish ends, at the expense of the rest
of the community ? That this must be the inevit-
able result can be clearly proved. It is an axiom,
which cannot be set aside, that all cannot rule,
and that there must exist some persons to rule,
before any can be rulers. Mr. BRIGHT'S plan is
not to give power to the many; it is to give
power to those who can best cajole the many.
Mr. BRIGHT appeals to history. Can he find in
the pages of history any single instance of a man
who has risen to power by flattering the passions
of the people, who when he has attained to power
has fulfilled the promises which he made in order
to attain it ? %% e know of no such hero ; nor do
we fancy that he exists in the person of Mr.
BRIGHT.

Mr. BRIGHT'S objects are now clearly ascer-
tained. By giving us no answer to our question,
whether has object was to reform the House of
Commons, so as to "improve" it for the pur-
poses of legislation and of managing the compli-
cated affairs of this vast empire, we have a right
to assume that that is not the end at which he
aims. No patriotic Englishman, therefore, can
have anything in common with Mr. BRIGHT on
this subject of Reform. In every alteration which
wz would recommend, our object would be to get
together a body of men who will best administer
the national affairs. Not so Mr. BRIGHT. We
therefore call upon every man in this country to
choose between two objects. We hold that
with Mr. BRIGHT'S views there should not
be a shadow of a shade of compromise. We are
certain that, if they are carried out, they will
prove as fatal to the interests and well-being of
the working classes themselves as they will be
to every other class. He sustains them by as-
sertions unsupported by facts, and by reasoning
little better than that which the late Mr. Tito-
st.ks ArrwooD used, when he thus addressed the
"men of Birmingham" in the palmy days of bis
popularity :—" I have been told," said that
gentleman to some 1 4,000 of his admirers,—
" I have been told that I am accused of not
" being a religious man. Gentlemen, I am
" a religious man. I may certainly, now and
" then, say damn me, but I hope, when 1 die, I
" shall be buried in one of the churchyards of
" your town, where lie buried many handsome
" men and many beautiful women."
This was Mr. AT [WOOD'S mode of con-
vincing " the men of Birmingham" that he
was unjustly accused of not being a religious
man. He said (we can vouch for the ac-
curacy of the report) neither more nor less upon
the subject. Why should he? The deafening
plaudits with which this, his defence, was re-
ceived, in that same Town-hall which has just
echoed with the plaudits excited by Mr. Baleares
eloquence, proved beyond a doubt that it had
answered to its end. His audience were con-
vinced that he had been accused unjustly.
Poor fellow! he is now gone from us. He was
a vain and a foolish man, with many amiable
qualities. Those who knew him in private life
described him as kind-hearted and generous, and
they always had a friendly feeling towards him.
He was for years the idol of the Birmingham po-
pulace ; but, alas! for popularity he lived to be
hissed and hunted through its streets!
Whether or no such a fate awaits Mr. BRIGHT,
e will not presume confidently to predict ; but,
•iceforth, he can only be regarded as a cla-