The Sun.
London, England, 1838-12-20 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR—Having read and beard so much about the physical.
force men of the North, and the vast numbers that assemble
in country districts to listen to the advocates of the People's
Charter, I was led by curiosity last evening to attend the
meeting in Theobald's-road, where Mr. O'Connor, Mr. Vin-
cent, and others, according to hand-bills, were to explain the
objects and plans of the Chartists. The meeting was not
large ; the great proportion of the audience appeared to be
sober, hard-working artizans, with a few stragglers, and some
half dozen of women. The speakers were listened to with
great attention, and the proceedings altogether were con-
ducted with propriety and good order. I arrived too
late to hear the whole of Mr. O'Connor's speech, but had
the benefit of listening for an hour to Mr. Vincent, who gave an
outline of what had been done, and what was intended to be
done; and which, considering the position he holds in the
Association, may be taken as the opinion of the whole body.
Though not a little was said about physical force—about thick
legs, and strong arms, and vast numbers, amounting through-
out Great Britain to four millions, ready to assert Universal
Suffrage and Annual Parliaments—Mr. Vincent repudiated
all idea of violence, and affirmed, with every appearance of
sincerity, that a revolution by bayonets was not the revolution
which they wanted, or which could ultimately end for the
benefit of the people. If physical force was not directed
against them they would remain peaceable. If their demands
were not complied with, all the operatives throughout the
kingdom would strike work on a given signal; and if the
Government and the Parliament did not give them their
rights they would take them. These sentiments were gene-
rally cheered ; but the audience seemed to expect something
more, possibly some demonstration how the plan would work ;
how two millions of operatives could get food without labour
or plunder, or take their rights from an established Govern-
ment without physical force—of these, however, not one word
was said. The brave patriots of Canada were pitied, and the
Government abused for putting them down ; but the responses
were neither general nor hearty. Indeed, a more discreet and
sensible audience it would be difficult to find, and no speaker
could be more cordially cheered than 4,11 r. Vincent was, when
he touched on practical measures—when he denounced the
Established Clergy for keeping the people in ignorance,
and arraying themselves with the Aristocracy and
the Three per Cent. men, only to put money in their
pockets ; when he pointed to the vast load of debt incurred by
the extravagance and robbery of the upper classes, and called
on all good Reformers to be sober and eschew disunion as the
worst of evils. But the epilogue spoilt the whole, for al-
most in the same breath he beseeched them to avoid dif-
ferences, and denounced Mr. O'Connell as a tool of the
Government; Lord Durham as the first cousin of Nicholas;
Lord Brougham as a mischievous rascal; and Lord John
Russell as a little man only four feet two inches high. If we
take Mr. Vincent as a specimen of the Chartists, they have
been cruelly maligned. He is evidently a kind-hearted mart,
loves a joke, and feels sincere sorrow for the starving hard-
working classes ; but I would say, he is the last man
in the world that would have recourse to " cold lead," or
" sharp steel."
Dec. 20. A RADICAL REFORMER