The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-23 00:00:00

much labour remained unperformed, then the people would
say they have sent men who simply lived on the pay they
had given tben:e—who merely wished to prolong the agi-
tation in order that they might prolong their pay—and
they would now take the affairs in their own bands. Every
newspaper teemed with public opinion from the several
villages and towns, and stated that the confidence of the peo- I
ple in the Convention alone withheld them from outbreaks ;
and did they suppose that while they sat there moralizing
' and philosophizing, these men would be satisfied with their
moral philosophy unless they showed them that it had been
bent to the fullest of its bearing. In Lancashire and
Yorkshire the people had asked him whether he thought
the Convention would recommend physical force. He had
said he did not think they would. The answer to that
was, " Then, Sir, they must show more moral force than they
have done." He ( Mr. O'Connor) had always yielded to the
opinion of the majority—he had always abstained from
bringing forward:any motion that might create a schism,
but he would tell them that the Convention must make up
its mind upon a principle, and that that principle was, that
as the people had determined on having their Charter, the
country should afford a sufficient number of Delegates to
work out that Charter. When the news reached the
country that the National Petition had been treated (as
it would be) like all other petitions, then they would find
that remonstrances would pour in from the country, and it
was for the purpose of enabling them to meet these remon-
strances, and to accompanyit with advice, that he had brought
forward this motion. When the petition was presented
it would be the duty of the Convention to appoint a per-
manent chairman; to continue its sittings from day to day,
and from hour to hour, if necessary ; and to invite the
country to address the Convention, in order that they
night consider in what way they could best carry out the
objects of their just cause. The Convention would then
be looked on as the only constitutional representative body
of the people—( Hear, hear)—and if it did not bring itself
morally into collision with other authorities, it would do
nothing. Until they came into collision with sonic autho-
rity, it would be impossible for them to show their own im-
portance. So long as they continued to take the opinions
of barristers and attorneys, so long would the people brand
them as Moral cowards. The nearest associates to the
working classes had been the best attendants at the Con-
vention, and the people would see that they had reason to
feel confidence in those men nearest to their own class rather
than in those.men who were placed above want and placed
above labour. The people would appoint another Con-
vention of their own, composed of men who expected to be
benefited by the National Charter,and by Universal Suffrage.
He had often observed a disposition to go beyond what the
Convention had previously professed, and to put down any
' expression having reference to physical force. But he
warned these gentlemen that the crisis was approaching.—
( Hear, hear.) There was no disposition on the part of the
people to come into collision with the law—the people
would not have recourse to that description of physical
force which their enemies would wish. They would not
commence with a desultory warfare, nor hazard their cause
in one battle—( Hear, hear)—but, on the other hand, if
they were refused their just demands, now that the Reform
Bill had been found ineffectual for the objects for which it
was framed—if the masters locked up their men so as to
prevent their expressing their feelings, they would have
recourse to the silent monitor—they would light their
torches and repair to the hill-side, and there remain
until the prayer of their petition was granted.—( Hear, and
cheers.) They would not be so foolish, however, as to
bare their naked and unarmed breasts to desciplined bodies
of soldiers. But that there might be no doubt of what he
meant—that it might not be supposed by the owners of
property that he merely referred to the people meeting at
night by torch light, he would say that the resistance of the
people would consist in their abstinence from labour,
and the men who derived their property from that
labour would find that they could not long maintain so
unequal a contest.—( Hear, hear.) The very arguing of
the question of physical force, as it had been hitherto
urged, had given great strength to the Government, It
had been supposed that the people intended to resist the
military with pikes, and with pistols without locks, and
guns without barrels ; that the people of Lancashire and
Yorkshire, and other manufacturing districts would meet
the cannon with the shuttle, and present the web to the
musket. They might depend upon it, however, that the
moment moral force failed physical force would slip in,
and, like an electrical shock' , effect what the other
had failed to accomplish, lie complained that the Con-
vention bad often been sitting when the absent Members
composed a majority, and if they wished to maize ...keir pro-
ceedings effective, the attendance should not only be con-
stant bet general. He cared not chat reason had induced
them to absent themselves; but he had no hesitation in
saying, that Mr. Cobbett had taken the holdest step ; be-
cause he could not carry his resolution he took the most
gentlemanly, the most manly, and the most honourable
step. But as for those Gentlemen who had resigned, he
could not designate them as any other than paltry cowards.
He had no hesitation in branding them as moral and per
sonal cowards, and he was convinced that the moral philo-
sophers were the greatest bane to the cause. If the Con-
vention had only carried out the principle of moral power
to its fullest extent, they would have heard nothing of
physical force.—( Hear, and cheers.) The power behind
the bad law was greater than the bad law itself ; but the
power of 'he people was superior to all the laws that had
ever stained the annals of legislation in this country.—
( Hear, hear.) If they proceeded timidly and sneakingly,
pretexts would still be found to assail them, whereas, if
they proceeded in a bold and straightforward course, they
would have the approval of the people of this country in-
stead of the revilings and contempt that would otherwise
await them. It was necessary, therefore, that at the present
moment they should have as many members present as
possible.—( Hear, hear.) If Whigs were now stronger than
ever, and considered that they had obtained a renewal
of their tener, of office, and a longer continuance of their
avowed march of tyranny and oppression. Having put
down the Tories for a time, their next effort would be to
Iput down the Convention at once, and for ever.—(Hear,
hear.) He thanked them for having heard him so pa-
tiently, and he only hoped if there were to be any opposi-
tion to his motion, that good grounds would be given for it,
and that the people would be satisfied that the Delegates
could do them more good elsewhere than at the Conven-
tion.—( Hear, and cheers.)
Mr. 13 CSSEY, in seconding the motion, observed, that at
one time the Convention was in advance of the people, and
at that period their position was rather a dangerous one,
for he never liked to see them so. Ile hoped their mea-
sures would be always influenced and judged by the wishes
of their constituents.
Dr. FLETCHER cordially concurred in the motion of Mr.
O'Connor, but with respect to his remarks upon the ab-
sence of Delegates he would observe that the arrangements
made in Manchester were that the Delegates from that
district should be placed entirely under the controul of the
Committee sitting at Manchester, as to who should attend
the Convention and who should not. He was a determined
physical force man, yet he believed that a proper exercise
of moral force backed by physical force, would be sufficient
for the attainment of their object. Moral force might be
equally dangerous, if it were not backed by the physical
force of the country, and if any attack was meditated upon
them he would recommend that the Convention should sit
among the people who would support them. He did not,
however, agree with the proposition that they should be a
perambulating Convention—it would not only weaken
their force, but there was the further objection
that some of their best men had not the funds
necessary to defray the increased expenses it would
entail. He agreed with Mr. O'Connor, that they
ought not to trouble themselves about the opinions of
lawyers ; their wisest and best policy would be to keep
within the constitutional law of England. He felt per-
fect confidence in the men he saw around him, and he be-
lieved most of them had made up their minds to the crisis,
if not, he would advise them speedily to do it. —( Hear,
hear.) He, for one, should not regret the infusion of a
little new blood among them. With respect to what had
been said of the small number of members, he believed if
they had not limited it to forty-nine they would have a
much larger number present, and in Scotland they almost
quarrelled among themselves as to who should have the
honour of representing them at the Convention, without
sending too large a number. He recommended that the
Convention should sit in London not only till the 6th of
May, but afterwards, for it was then the crisis would take
place, and they should be on the spot to meet it.—( Hear.)
Mr. WHITTLE contended that Mr. O'Connor had no
right to designate as deserters and cowards those who had
withdrawn from the Convention. He bore testimony to
the sincerity and independence of Mr. Matthew while he
was a member of the Convention. That gentleman, as
well as Dr. Wade, had joined the Convention on the Bir-
mingham resolution for the observance of peace, law, and
order, and conceiving these principles had been departed
from, they should not be sujected to any reproach for retir-
ing from the Convention. After vindicating the conduct
of Mr. Vincent and other members of the Convention, Mr.
Whittle concluded by expressing his concurrence in Mr.
O'Connor's motion. _ _

Mr. DUNCAN, as a working many observed that not one
of that class who had been selected to attend the Conven-
tion had resigned.—( Hear, hear.) It was a matter of re-
gret that men of education and intelligence should have
committed themselves to the proceedings of the Conven-
tion and afterwards retired from it. Nothing had happened
in that room to justify such a course, and he would add
that there were not one of the gentlemen who had retired
who had not heard much stronger language 'used at public
meetings than had ever been used there.—( Hear.) The
conduct of these men would have the effect of creating suspi-
cion in the minds of ethers of the same class as themselves.
—( Hear, hear.) It would be recollected, tkat every
man who had resigned was a middle class man, and in
no one instance had a real workman man given up his
trust.—(llcar, hear.) The people at large would re-
mark on this, and adopt their course in future, when
they would have an occasion to elect other Delegates.
Mr. DEEGAN begged, before the debate proceeded
further, to apprise the Chairman that he was this day to
attend a meeting at Romford, and as he was informed
that Dr. Fletcher would go into a statement of his late
mission, and as the worthy Doctor, as he had been in-
formed, would have occasion to remark on some part of
his (Mr. Deegan's) conduct relative to a question lately
debated by the Convention, he Loped that Dr. Fletcher
would be good enough to postpone his statement until he
could be present to make that defence. which he was
bound to do if any such animadversions should be
made.—( Hear, hear. )-
Dr For,Tcnrot said he would very willingly concede to
Mr. Deegan's request.
Mr. Miro.s hoped Mr. O'Connor would be so just to
those members who were so constant and assiduous in their
attendance here from day to day since the Convention first
commenced its labours, as to withdraw that part of his
speech which reflected on them, as well as on those who
were absent.—( Hear, hear.) And he also thought Mr.
O'Connor was not right in stating that there appeared to
be disunion in the Convention. There was no disunion in
the body except what was described in Mr. O'Connor's
speech, and which was only the creation of Mr. O'Con-
nor's imagination.—(Hear, hear.) With this excep;ion,
he thought the resolution unoxeeptionahl,!.
Mr. HETHERINGTON fully ri,reed with Mr. O'Connor's
motion, but he could not but deprecate the making* of
sr eeches which gave rise to personal altercation. The
manner in which the question of physical force has b ,en
discussed by some of their racnilms had been the cause of