The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-06 00:00:00

11 P"
Al 'fling

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1648.

The reactionaires, and, conspicuous amongst there;
our Tory Contemporaries, affect a very pretty, lady-
like horror of what they are pleased to call Demo-
cratic Terrorism. They shudder at it, as the waiting
woman in " Tom Jones " shuddered at the pattering
of a mouse in the wainscot. They are of that class of
political exquisites whom HAZLITT scorned so mag-
nificently in his great prose epic of " Napoleon "
men who hate " the look of the people, the touch of
the people, the smell of the people, the dress of the
people." LYDIA LANGUISH was not near so lacka-
daisical as these petit-maitres of Absolutism. They
shrink from the invigorating influences of liberty, and
find comfort only in the compulsory quietude, the
mediocrities, the stagnation, and the torpor which
are the results produced by a despotic Government.
In those beautiful revelations of patriotism which
constitute the principal portion of the autobiography
of General GualamLuo PEPE, it is observed by the
Neapolitan memorialist that the mass of a population
accustomed to tyranny prefers the certain severities of
an armed force and a rigorous administration to an
insurgent rabble. No matter how magnanimous the
conduct of that rabble; the terrors caused by the
fitful character of its movements are less endurable

to this degraded class of citizens than the sternest
' 'atrocities committed by the soldiers of a despot. This
fact was proved in 1820 at Palermo, and in 1848
at Naples. It conveys a truth of such eternal exist-
ence, that it might be reduced to an aphorism. And
the reason of its existence is simply this—that people
whose souls cannot rise above the dead level of
L. S. D.—men whose intellects are incapable of
appreciating the blessedness of freedom—men whose
hearts have never been thrilled with the aspirations of
civism, of knowledge, or of civilization—look more to
the balancing of their ledgers, and the scoring up of
fresh orders upon their day-books than to the attain-
ment of their liberties or the acquisition of a
constitution. Had these been the sentiments of
our forefathers the great Revolution of 1688
had never tasked the eloquence of BABINGTON
MACAULAY. Thanks be to heaven ! it is otherwise
with the majority, and nations will still continue to
struggle for their emancipation, notwithstanding that
in so doing they are liable to create a momentary
panic in the markets, to frighten a few old women (of
both sexes) into hysterics, and to fill the streets with
that tumult and disorder' which are inevitable upon
the occasion of a Popular victory.
It is rather unfortunate,by the way, that in proof
of the horrors of this
shouldm e" Democratic Terrorism,',
our Contemporaries
pointed the finger of
abhorrence at Berlin mad Democratic
of a'
assassination
because, with the exception It is unfortunate,
moments
(perpetrated in the distraction
the conduct of the Berliners an evil
intervals in which they held undisputed possession during the
Possession of
those two capitals was beyond all eulogium,
in
gard to its probity, its generosity, its gentleness,
and
its magnanimous forgetfulness of vengeance. coll_
treated with the fiendish brutalities of the Imperial
troops, the behaviour of the mob throughout the time
of their triumph was sublime for its lenity and self-
possession. And the recollection of the death of LA*
'roux was effaced by the murder of BLUM, by the
sacrifice of MESSENHAUSER, and by the wholesale
massacre of students, and poets, and journalists,
and civilians, who expiated in a premature
and ignominious grave the crime of having dreamed
the holy dream of Freedom. Even according to the
acknowledgments made by the counter-revolutionists,
the order preserved at Vienna after the expulsion of
the EMPEROR and before the arrival of the Croats, is
described as having been something marvellous. At '
a time when the dregs of society were shaken to the
surface, trinkets could lie about in the kennels with-
out being stolen—as is proved by an anecdote men-
tioned in one of the contributions to the current num-
ber of Bentley's Miscellany. On the return, however,
of the Imperial forces under Prince WINDISCII-

GRATZ, aided by Baron JELLAcmcn, the spectacle

presented was, as the whole world knows, very dif-
ferent- Atrocities as gigantic as any ever committed
under the sinister orders of FougutEtt TIN VILLE
were reiterated in the capital of Austria with the
sandier!, if not at the immediate instigation, of the
Ithidr,i.arommander-in-Chief. And yet after all
tOeriences we are told of the beneficence of

Absolute authority, and of the miseries consequent
upon " Democratic Terrorism."
Although the misrepresentations of the reaction-
aires would lead the contemporary multitude to
imagine otherwise, posterity will perceive, through
.the impartial records of History, that the revolutionary
movements of 1848 have, in the majority of instances,
emanated from the convictions and the patriotism of
the better class of citizens. The people who revolted
against the French monarchy in February were
identical in sentiment and principle with the people
who subsequently rose in arms at Milan, at Berlin,
at Vienna, at Pestb, and throughout Posen. On the
other hand the rabble who fought behind the barri-
cades of June, were the same in atrocity and the same
in ferocity with the murderers who desecrated the
precincts of the Eternal City and stormed the
palace of the Quirinal. No event since the
first dawning of civilization has done so much injury
to the sacred cause of Democracy as that which has
rendered the Roman mob the opprobrium and horror
of Christendom. The insults inflicted by them upon
the venerable person of Pope Pius IX. are enough
to deter any monarch from ever again spontaneously
bestowing the blessings of political emancipation upon
his subjects. The dignity of humanity, the reputa-
tion of democracy, the reverence for virtue, the
admiration fur gentleness, the homage for genius, the
respect for misfortunes, all plead with a persuasive-
ness beyond that of earthly eloquence for the
solace of Pio Nom) in his exile and the repu-
diation of the Roman ruffians in their success. The
voice of loathing which has resounded over Europe
must have penetrated before this into the council-
chambers of the Government of Assassins installed in
the city of the Pontificate. That voice is filled with
the augury of their downfal, and until the downfal of
the bloodstained Socialists of Rome the fame of
Democracy will require some signal vindication.

We yesterday spoke of the reclamation of the waste
lands in Ireland a,liseing one of the plainest and most
obvious of the rei...Mial measures for that country.
It is no new suggestion; many years since it was
pressed upon the Government and the Legislature, and
it has been since advocated with the utmost zeal and
perseverance by men who have maturely considered
the condition of the sister kingdom, and traced her
misfortunes and sufferings to the true sources.
There is no doubt or difficulty about the matter.
Every necessary inquiry has already been instituted,
and we possess the fullest and most authentic
information respecting the localities of the lands
susceptible of improvement, the nature of the works
to be undertaken, the amount of the expenditure re-
quired for their reclamation, the time within which
they could be brought into cultivation, and the pro-
bable value of the reclaimed lands. Mr. RICHARD
GRIFFITH, a gentleman whose very name will give
authority to any statement, has reported fully and
explicitly on all these points. He has shown that as
a mere speculation it would be of a most profitable
character. Ten per cent. is the estimated return in
the more favourable localities, and the whole of the
outlay would be applied (with the exception of such
sums as may be paid to the proprietors for the fee-
simple of the lands) in the payment of wages to able-
bodied labourers, who are now burdens on the re-
sources of the country, in place of being the creators
of national wealth.
One obstacle, however, intervenes that has hitherto
proved insuperable, and which cannot be surmounted
without the aid of the Legislature, viz., the compli-
cation of legal titles, the difficulty of ascertaining
that the lands can be conveyed to those willing to
undertake their reclamation without the 'risk of being
subsequently deprived of the legitithate fruits of 'their
enterprise and industry. The nominal proprietor
would gladly dispose of his interest therein. With
crippled means and restricted powers, he could never
himself hope to drain bogs or reclaim mountains.
Whatsoever he might receive, either in the shape of
purchase-money for the sale of the fee and inheritance
of the lands, or of rent on a long lease, would be so
much saved, a new source of income opened to him.
He would be delighted to el-operate in any man-
ner, but the law interposes a barrier. He has but an
estate for life, or some other limited interest in the
lands. The remainder-man cannot be bound by any
act of his ; and thus the system of entailing and
tying-up lands practically prevents their ameliora-
tion, and operates most prejudicially upon
the welfare of the community in general. The
lands may also be mortgaged, or otherwise
encumbered ; any lease or other conveyance
that might be made would be subject 'to these de•
mands, so that no sane person would embark his
capital in a speculation where he might be deprived of
the beneficial results thereof from contingencies
wholly beyond his own control. Under the most
favourable circumstances, even supposing the pro-
perty to be wholly free from entail, charge, or in-
cumbrance, considerable costs would be incurred in
preparing the abstract of title, making the necessary
searches, and conducting the other inquiries that
might be deemed essential.
These impediments have hitherto prevented any
extensive reclamation of waste lands by private
enterprise; save in the rare instances where the
owner of the soil is himself enabled to undertake the
necessary outlay, nothing can be done. Of course
cases may occur, and we rejoice to say have occurred,
in which individual proprietors have, by their own
energy and perseverance, converted barren wastes
into arable and pasture lands. But those constitute
the exception, and not the rule, and few Irish land-
lords possess means sufficient to venture upon the
experiment.
This difficulty can only be overcome by a bold
and comprehensive law, enabling the nation to take
possession of the lands lying waste and un-
cultivated, whenever the nominal proprietor
declines to undertake the reclamation thereof
within a certain limited time, compensation
should of course be given to the former owner, either
in money, or in a certain fixed annual rent payable
thereout for ever. This compensation might be
assessed by a jury selected and impanelled, as in
cases of property taken for railway purposes. One
objection only can be made to such a course is
impolitic to interfere with private property. And
this has been suffered to prevail amongst those whom
Mr. RIGHT WASON so properly terms "one-eyed
men ;" so that a course,. which is as equitable and just
as it is wise and expedient, is retarded by the obsti-
nate adherence to an abstract principle, which is
certainly sound in itself, but to which there are many
exceptions.

If a precedent were required for such a course
it might be found in the power given to every railway
company to take lands, against the will of the owner,
for the construction of the line, the due development
of the traffic, or even the mere convenience of the
company. If land that has been improved to the
highest degree, that has been built upon—and which
may, perhaps, be deemed by the owner indispensable
to the full enjoyment of the residue of his property in
that locality—maybe thus taken possession of, notwith-
standing the strenuous opposition of the proprietor,
because the interests of the community in general
demand the sacrifice, surely it is a much slighter
iwn:ras i?n of the rights of property to insist that those
smhni o
juhl have
byseeuerornneonvt
de compliedretre rtheo
tthe
e with the conditions upon
Which their title was originally conferred—who have
suffered lands to
demt am waste and unproductive that
most beneficial purposes—
the privileges they
havreights they have disregarded,
be
emo
ni
fs
earprpeldi e du
ptoon t hmeo
rSet a
et en,e
ri n.
g persons the full and fair value
order that they may
getie and deservin
Parties to whom the
therof being first paid by the
newetitle may be given.

The first step to be takenass oann
Acttha appointingre• assembling of
corn.
Parliament should be to pass
missioners, who should be authorised to take Posses
sion of all lands remaining waste and uncultivated-.
The Commissioners should be empowered to sanction
all sales or leases of land for the purposes of reclarna-
tiun ; and such acts should, after their approval, be
wholly unimpeachable. They should also, on the petition
of any persons who gave proper security to reclaim the
lands, be enabled to make a conveyance thereof upon
the value assessed by a jury as hereinbefore-men-
tioned being paid to the present proprietor. If such
a course were adopted, companies and individuals
would be induced to invest their capital in under-
takings that would afford the fairest prospect of re-
munerating profits ; while more might and should be
done by the State itself in furtherance of this most
desirable object.