The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-21 00:00:00

EVENING SUN

cHARTISMANI) ITS ADVOCATES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN,
Sin—ln my former letter I ventured to disapprove
of some of the plans of the Chartist leaders, but, as
they . were past errors, I did not comment upon them
at -much length. I have now to allude to what I 'hums
bly venture to pronounce one of the greatest mistakes
in their tactics. I allude to their plan of opposing
and overruling all public meetings, excepting those
called for the purpose of advocating the Charter. I
call it a mistake, because I wish to speak in the mildest
language of the conduct of men who are suffering under
the cruellest oppression, ond who, I believe, are ho-
nestly striving to rescue themselves from misgovern.
meat. I term it a mistake, too, because the plan is cer-
tain to prove a failure ; and such abortive efforts tend
only to weaken and discourage their party. Public
meetings are never cslled unless by a nume-
rous body, who take an interest in the question for consi•
deration—requisitions, placards, and advertisements are
put forth stating the objects of the meetings, and a
certain organized support is therebq secured. Now to
oppose auocessfully such a movement, the Chartists
must issue their placards and advertisements, and get up
a counter-movement. This requires money as well as
men. Before people will subscribe funds for such pur-
poses, they begin to consider what good is to be effected.
The more sagacious of the working men stand aloof,
and thus we have seen that, in nine cases out of ten,
either no Chartist opposition is attempted, or, if it be,
that it fails ; and even where such a plan succeeds, it
is difficult to see what good object is attained to com-
pensate for the expenditure of time, money, and labour,
necessary to secure success. I wish it to be understood
that I do not dispute the right of the very poorest man
to take a part in all public meetings ; but thot is a rea-
son why he, of all others, should be favourable to the
principle of holding public meetings to discuss every
popular grievance. Such meetings are the poor man's
parliament, where he can proclaim his views and wants to
the whole world. But besides being a mistake in tactics,
the plan of upsetting or interrupting idi public meetings,
is, I think, unjest in principle, whenever they are held
for the purpose of forwarding an object in which the
working classes are interested; and, by way of illustra-
tion, I will allude especially to the Anti-Corn-law meet-
irre. When it was lately recommended, by a leader of
the Chartists', to oppose the public meetings against
the Corn-low, it was almost calculated to make the
dead bodies* t Cobbett, Hunt, atal Cartwright, start
from their graves!
I am old enough to remember all that passed when
the Cernslaw of 1815 was enacted. London has never
since witnessed such scenes as then pe;3ed under my
personal observation. Tens of thousands of people
surrounded the House of Commons, assailing the ob-
noxious Members as they entered, dragging them from
their carriages, tearing their clothes from their persons,
and taming them upon the backa of the crowd like so
many scare-crows. The prlice force sea: unable to
guard the avenues of St. Stephen ; the military were
called out, and took possession of Periienient-street. Le a
word the Corn-law was passed, whilst the indignant
populace were kept at bay at the poir t of the bayonet.
In the riots which, for three days and nights afflicted
tho metropolis. several lives were lost, houses were et-
tacked, and Ms. Robinson's mension (the author of
the Corn-law, and now Lord Ripon) was gutted, and
the furniture thrown into the street. S mult tneous
risings took places all, over the north of England.
Public meeings were called in the principal manufac-
euring toone to protest aeaiest the Corn-law. Many
places in the south of England sent up petitions to the ,
same effect. A meeting was called by Lord Dan•
leo, and the landonners of Kent, in footle of the law,
ssu: the people attended and carried a resolution against
remember, tee, that Williare Cobbett, then a
farmer at Bogey. got _up a requisition to the High
SI esiff of Hampshire, signed by 600 persons, for a
.county meeting, in which requisition he st ted that the
farmers lied no iraereg is deer corn and high rents,
and that the Corn-law could net beet-fit any holly but
the landowner!.
I remember the effects of the Corn law of 1815,
the distress,. want of employment, aed fell of orog,:s
that ensued for several • years, and, in fact, have
continued their baneful operation to the pre-
sent day. The great popular move:sleet for radical
reform tercet out of the passing of the Corn-I iw of
2815. The manuinetusieg districts were cover quiet r
Iron; iii it time. At ail their public tnectives tes
raised aloft sire Laura r of "No Corr.-lava" atid the
elearler3 and orate:ll'e of the ruoverueet never failed to
2eclahn ngeiest the Giro-leo, re; tlx elms:: of miss
ose_snment. When, in 1319, Henry fleet held his
great inee"ipif in Manchester, the fires Upon
the field et .Pekrtio, bore the inserip7ion of " N
Corn lac.' 'new oNtrupion of the people was etect
Member for Predon, Leo sears Liter, upon the same
poouler cry ; and one of his first alerts in the House
,of Commons was a motion for the repeal of the Corn-law.
The.peoplo (I mean tie working class) prayed, by
eiics• sietermined opposition to the Salvo:Lion Act, that
they some fey more al.ve than the epees sissies it
those evils which all are now able to _see .
here arisen from it. Tne people ewe with in.-
fstiflekive and uaerring ,azaeity. that . a lsw ;
frArsood ilkirr the • avowed purpose of slit:tong cut tool •
from oar shores could not he other than a hurtful law
to them. Ail the flimsy sophistries of eclucatchl and
eelielliy hearties; politicians, weighed as •cluet is tic
ibalence in the unsephisticated reieds of working me
against the one glaring f',,, that the Corn-yaw was eel
oulated to make bread scarce aid dear. It I warted an
argument to convince a Corn-law repo Jar of the policy
of making universal Buff age the law of the land, I
would remind him of the fact, that if the people hail
had votes is 1815, the Corn-law would not have been
passed. I believe that the Corn-law has done, and is ,
doing, more to degrade, impoverish, and weaken the
working class, and more to rivet the chains with which
the aristocracy have bound the people, than any other
act in the long catalogue of legislative crimes under
which we are now suffering. Bslicviee this, I
have seen with deep sorrow the sad' mistake
into which the. young If adicals of the present
day have fallen, in offering frequent opposition
to the Anti-Corn-law party. They are thus fighting
the battle di- the aristocracy, and, if they wish for proofs ,
of their error, let them mark the cheers withwhich the
Duke of Richmond hailed the announcetreet the other
nigla in the House of Lords, that the Chartists slue
opposed to the repeal of the Corn-law. I have observed
that some of the Chartist speakers do net scruple to
argue obi/nuclei in defence of the Corn-law ; and of them
I shall only remark, that they are unfit to le td the
people, riuce they must be ignorant of their lesst in-
terests. In most eases, however, they are found heartily
joining in condemning the Bread-tax, but objecting to
the attempt to repeal it, on the ground that it is in vain
to expect to succeed with the House of Commons as at
present constituted. The Chartists are therefore advised
to oppose the aeithtion, on the plea that the middle class
cannot succeed without:their aid, and they core
over to their ranks, in dresptu'r, and go for iliewCh-"hart:r.
Upon this most importarrt practical point I should wish
to offer a word or two of comment.
The Reform Act has given agreat share of political
power to tiri3 middlewhenever they choose to
exercise it. The ten-pound ratiichise is a very
state of things from the borou different
are
hamperede -mt:angering system, and
although the electors
aristocrealo influences, they e and trammelled by
now
kind,
whenever
driven by distress or necessity of , to carry a
muddle-class measure of reform; wiZsuctintdlile, aid of the
corn
electoral
non-electors. The present sufferinle,
class are forcing them to take up question.
Toe aristocracy see this, and, with their
of
iruscuoaril cunning,
they ore prepared to play the game
The present Corn-law is, therefore, condemrlePdmblnyise. all
parties—by Peel and Buckingham, as well as their
aristocratic rivals, Melbourne and Russell. T
question now ie, what law shall be substituted 'incitnhYe
place of the present ono ? The new.. six months will
decide this. I repeat, the middle class can carry a
middle-class me-assure, without the help of the non-
glectorn, but this, can do no more ; with their aid they can
sorry tz tkonougrh measure of justice to the whole people.
Under these circumstances 1 sugeest that the working
SIAM eater heartily into the agitation, on one condition,
that tile-Apia-Corn-law party go /or the total and int_
medfake repell vf all taxes on bread and provisions.
ine_etine ()fight to be held, and no petition signed,
lot lees than the eptire measure of justice to the whole
papist. ''Fbe aristecoacy will use every effort to
present this juretioa of the middle and working
classes. They will spend money ia profusion to save
their moaopoty ; and they will endeavour to play the
game of 1819 ooer again, by bribing some of the leaders
of the psesPle to betray them. I believe that the
lendowcer3vsil risk every thine, up to the very point of
an overthrow of the monarchy and a social coevulsion,
before they yield up their darling food monopoly ; but,
spite of their rage and desperation, they will be forced
aiesurrender their blood-staieed booty, if the midair
working classes are united e ti-ere
In a lvi.. -•
Wore," eing this union, Ido not wish to see the
'l"Aerriven lose sight of their right to the suffrage.
until
Ltzlipery,lsi,aivtnia t:hae will never enjoy equal laws
the they
in she Legislature. I could add
death), or my disapp,obetion of the culpable
the masses ; but 111! class to the wants and interests of
queitiotons.
busies and dissents.' this is no tine for feeding eLss jecl-
when the We have arrived at the time
practical
cluesnn
isft the Corn-laws has become the
in a few months. I must .be decided next year—nay,
am milieus that the middle class
six old net ague to
I.(r ne4eieneg the 0 frood duty, and have an excuse
-41-;pealing to the facte.ls:.B. 01, the tctlt hit; classes, be
ware ing the total and ;1.4" tiOe letter rstused to aid in
hew, when such ale wa;nrueilotte roped of the earn-
effect it. Most happy sh:,rei6zary to eni,ble them t.)
object alt.tinkid ; because g 4 be to
lice to "e tlfts
teeth stud eases of the woe lit cent inert' that if 1.11,!
extra( teo, there will be a
far better prospsct of wreeeft;':
his raliznoes :nary
the remaieheg right 3 of the w:frefleal.
I am, 5;, ng C!3.
s se.
-AN OLD RADICAL.

OA, 14.

The days arc so shori--:---"'"
In the Nonhern Sates,
thc.4 the people sit up all il-o;.,ht