The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-23 00:00:00

I CHARTIST DEMONSTRATION.

(From the Tune illercury.)

On Monday, the day" appointed for an extra-
ordinary demonstration among the Chartists, at which
sonic of the members of Convention were announce] to
exhibit, did not present any appearance in the town
different from the ordinary appearance of holidays, until
after twelve o'clock, when several pan.ties from different
parts of the surrounding districts arrived, with music,
and banners bearing various inscriptioL and emblema-
tical devices, which were carried in procession from St.
Nicholas'-square to the Town-moor, the aprointed place
of meeting. Some of the inscriptions on the' flags were
rather significant, and we subjoin a sample
It is better to die by the sword than to perish with
hunger. 7 . • . _ _

•°'Patience and perseverance will obtain our rights."
" They that would be free, themselves must strike the

blow."
6' Universal Suffrage."
" The outcast producers shall their right yet enjoy."
" A rigid master was the law,
Demanding bricks, denying straw ;
But law and justice dare unite,
Where truth and mercy kindly meet."
" A day of liberty is better than an eternity of bondage."
" We live to die of hunger."
" Liberty, at whatever cost."
" Freemen or no men."
" Man is man, and who is more?"
" Beat your plough-shares into swords, and your prun-
ing-hooks into spears; let the weak.say I am strong."
" May the true soldiers never be made the tools of the
oppressor."
Why should children die for bread?"
" Freedom and the nation's rights."
" Call ye this an idle threat ?
Crimson tears may follow yet."
Such was the tenor of the inscriptions upon the flags.
Several of the parties in marching up Dean-street, when
opposite our office, gave us a round of applause, and
occasionally we were greeted with a hiss, mingled with
certain indescribable sounds which were extremely dif-
ficult to decide whether they were intended as compli-
mentary or otherwise : we presume the former. The
Chartists have always selected a holiday on which to
hold their demonstrative meetings, and on this oar
casion they have made unusual exertion to get up
a large one, by itinerating in all the villages round
the town—exhorting the villagers to come in numbers
to support the Charter. Indeed, the greater part of
the procession was composed of young men from the
country, the inhabitants of the town, speaking generally,
caring little about it, except as a matter of curiosity.
About one o'clock they began their march to the Moor,
and were joined in their progrt ss by several sections
from the country ; we suppose the extent of them
was about a mile in length. We were at considerable
pains to ascertain as correct an idea of the numbers
as possible, and we beard many specadations offered at,
to the probable amount, varying from 10,000 to 40,000.
The result of our own calculation is, that the mean
area occupied by the mass round the hustings was,
as near as we could poss,bly ascertain, sixty yards by
thirty-five, which numbers being multiplied by 5, about
the average number in each square yard, gives an
aggregate of 10,500 individuals ; and if to these we add
the number of persons who were straggling about, or
lolling at their ease on the grass, or playing matches
with stone bowls, we think the numbers will fall short
of 15,000. Mr. Attwood was on the ground on horse-
back, but merely as a spectator. Every accommoda-
tion was provided for reporters. One person in
the crowd amused himself' by politely requesting
the Journal's reporter to count their formidable masses,
and another was desirous of paying his personal respects
to Mr. Peter Putright, until this bye-play was ended
by the commencement of the ostensible purpose of the
meeting.
Dr. Taylor, Mr. George Julian Harney, Mr. Lowery,
and several others addressed the meeting. The speeches
were tame, and every thing went off quietly.