The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-28 00:00:00

tween the Parliament and the Crown ; with this
difference, however, that during the seven years'
war he (Mr. Villiers) did not think there was a
single act of violence or illegality perpetrated in the
case of the League. (Hear, hear.) It should be
mentioned, to the credit and honour of Cobden,

bhi,t there never lived a man who was more tena-

cious than he of moral means to attain an end.

:Hear, hear.) What he often stated was true—

viz., that the scheme of the League was to instruct
the nation, and he collected around him by all the

means within his power all the men of intelligence,
learning, and education that it was possible to pro-

cure, in order that they might diffuse information

that was essential to instruct the people. No man

knew better than Cobden what he derived from the

learning and aksistance of others, and it was not

consistent with the purity or modcsty of his cha-

ratter ever to ascribe more credit to himself for
what was achieved than what was due. Indiscreet

admirers might have assigned to him powers almost

superhuman, and said that he discovered the great
principles on which our commercial policy now
rested, and that by his exertions alone the former
prevailing policy had been changed. That was not
Cobden's view. He always hailed with satisfac-
tion any accession of intelligence, or power, or
education that he could obtain. He (Mr. Villiers)
remembered being in Manchester when Mr. Bright
made his first speech, and he remembered not only
Cobden's predictions of the eminence which he

would obtain as a speaker and public man, but also

the satisfaction which Mr. Cobden expressed at
the anticipation of Mr. Bright becoming his col-

league in his future work. (Hear, hear.) Every

one who remembered those times knew how

cordially those two men acted together, and now
they were considered the two giants of the League.
Nor was Cobden properly charged with having

selfish objects with respect to trade ; because when
the,Corn Laws were repealed and free trade was

avowed, Cobden, true to the scheme of his early
life, identified himself with all those other great
questions which the people considered essential to
their improvement. In all those matters that were
included in the terms Peace, Economy, and Reform,

he became almost an enthusiast. He never shrank

from calling on the Government to reduce the
public expenditure, to make the taxation more
equitable, and above all to foster more friendly re-

lations with foreign countries. (Applause.) Cobden
had left records of his views upon all those

questions. But perhaps the subject that he had

nearest his heart was the one which still was the

most important for us all to understand--namely,
the necessity of maintaining peace with other

nations. (Hear, bear.) Cobden perhaps deserved

more credit for what he did in that cause than for

any of his other labours ; and when posterity came

to judge him, he (Mr. Villiers) believed they would

attach most value to his exertions and writings in

the cause of peace. He (Mr. Villiers) said that
because we were somehow a pugnacious race, and
did not like to be tutored on that subject, those
who preached peace, he feared, were treated a little
like those who preacbed temperance, and not well
received at first. But Cobden's courage always

led him to state what he believed to be true and
right ; and, in spite of all the reproaches and
charges made against him, he invariably tried to
correct the errors and false impressions which people
had on this subject. His writings as well as his
speeches on this subject were worthy of perusal ;
and his most respected widow had done a good ser-

vice to his memory, as well as to the country at
large, in directing the republication of all that he
bad written upon the subject of peace. (Hear,
hear.) Those writings deserved to be studied for
the information and the reasoning they contained.
Cobden had the satisfaction of seeing the success of

the principles that he advocated on the subject of
free trade; and it was one of the gratifying results
of that great conflict that we at this day realised
everything that ever was promised or predicted in
respect to it, and to a far greater extent than even
the promoters of free trade had any idea of. (Hear,
hear.) It would be absurd for anybody to allude
to the technical proofs of such a statement. Men in
that district daily experienced tho results of free
trade. In the last year of his life Cobden made a
remark on this subject which was very expressive ;

he said, " The expansion of trade in this country
has been greater during the past 14 years than it
had been for a thousand years before." That might
convey some idea of the results of the change which
had been effected, of the mischief of the laws which
formerly existed, and of the importance of the
labours of those who effected the change. Cobden
was not without his triumphs also in the results of
his peace policy. Ile devoted himself most disin-

terestedly and courageously, not only to the advo
cacy of peace doctrines, but also to trying to
remove from the public those false impressions that
led to panics, and made them ripe for unnecessary
wars. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Villiers) remembered
Cobden, in a most able speech in the House of
Commons, moving an address to the Crown—that
the Crown would interfere with other Powers for
the purpose of inducing arbitration in questions
whereon nations were in dispute with each other.
That notion was treated with derision. The time
had not arrived for it ; but he urged every argu-
ment in its favour which could possibly be adduced.
Within seven years of that time Cobden had the
satisfaction of observing that his identical resolution
had been recommended to the congress at Paris and
unanimously adopted by the representatives of all
the Powers of Europe. (Applause.) We had there
the declaration that it was the duty of States who
were in dispute with each other to seek the inter-
vention or arbitration of some friendly or neutral
Power rather than engage in the hostilities of war.
Had Cobden been spared but for another year or
two, he would have had the satisfaction of observing
the other day the application of that very principle
in the case where war seemed to be imminent be-
tween France and Prussia ; that scourge was pre-
vented simply by the application of that principle
and the intervention of other powers. (Hear,
hear.) He would say, then, that people should
be slow in describing Cobden as visionary when he
talked of the progress that might be made in pre-
venting war and producing more friendly relations
between the different countries of the earth.
Cobden lived in constant apprehension that war
might break out and disturb all the prospects that
ho contemplated of the improvement of mankind by
means :of better international relations. He felt
certain that, if Cobden had lived, he would have
devoted the rest of his days to promoting a better
feeling between nation and nation. It was that
purpose which led him to engage in the negotiation
of the French treaty. He knew well enough that
it was not necessary for a treaty to carry out the
principles of free trade. We had got free trade
acknowledged here; and there was no fear of its
being taken from us ; but Cobden saw the disposi-
tion in the enlightened ruler of France and his Go-
vernment to adopt free trade, and he went heartily
into a negotiation for a treaty, less with the idea of
extending trade than to establish friendly relations
between France and England. (Hear, hear.) That
treaty had important commercial results ; and he
could not help thinking that there was a better feel-
ing now between France and this country than had
ever existed before, and thus Cobden's object
had been realised. (Hear.) On that account we
had, indeed, lost him too soon ; because he be-
lieved that for the future interests of mankind
nothing could be more important than to cor-
rect those notions which led people to engage in
the dreadful calamities of war. We must feel
grateful that Cobden was given to us at the time
in which lie lived; and he had not departed from
us without leaving a glorious legacy in his cha-
racter and career, which, if studied, would exer-
cise a most important effect upon the rising
generation. (Applause.) It was gratifying that
the moral of his story was not tainted by the in-
gratitude of his country. Cobden's services were
duly appreciated in his lifetime ; they were re-
cognised by the people at large ; and, to the
credit of the Government, the honours of the State
and of office were placed at his disposal. It was
pleasant to think that he left this world after
having not only seen the success of the measures that
he advocated, but also after having received the
grateful homage of his country for the services he
had rendered. Those who bad provided the mon-