Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-07-31
MI i s. q u u "a a N & O
THE CORN-LAw RHYrrER

who has not heard of the eCorn-Law Rbv.
mer, whose stirring poems and songs have
Gone SO much 10 awaken attention to the
wrongs of the working classes of Great Bril-
tam But he is not only poet, but an or
a'or 100, and his fervid soul-stirring eloquence
Is only equalled by his thrilling and melting
poetry clever writer in the Boston Atlas
has been giving his recnlleclions of some of
the principal poets and writer's in England.
among which we find the following notice of
the "Corn-Law Rhymer," to whom he was
introduced by James Montgomery, the far
famed bard of Sheffield
On our way back to his house, our CONVEX
salIon turned on the poems of the Corn-Iaw
hhymer, OF which MIR. Montgomery spoke in
very high terms, but deprecated his violence
OF Language. "Would you like to sec e.
lott 70 he asked.
"Much," SAID ].
wei, he lives some three miles from here.
at upperlhorpe but he is to speak to night,
at Corh-Law meeting in Sheffield, and, if you
ike, alter tea, we will 60 TO hear him. and |
will Introduce you 10 HIM"
AT the time specified, we set ou.-the place
where the lecture was to be delivered was Sill
uated IN one OF the most densely inhabited
portions OF the smoky town of Sheffield. As
we neared the hall, groups OF dark LOOKING.
unwashed artisans were seen. proceeding in
the same direction as ourseIves-alI of them
engaged in deep and earnest conversation on
The then one great subject; THE CoRN-Laws
mi h.. l.
hands, and knitted their brows, and ground
'leir 'eeih, and muttered imprecations on
those whom they considered TO be their on
Pressors. Here we would encounter crowd
OF dusky forms, circling around pale anx-
ious man, who was reading by the light of
gas lamp, speech reported in the IN or,hern
STAR or at least letter of Publicola, in the
weekly Despatch, and women with mea-
ger children In their arms-chilGren drpooed
to deaihlike sleep, by that curse of the man
utacturing districts Of England laudanum, dis
guiSed as Godfrey's cordial, were raising their
shrill, shrewish voices, and execratinq the
laws which ground them TO the dus,-and
there were fierce denunciations from mere
boys, and reasonable speeches from Young
men-old men, with half parayzed energies.
moaned and groaned, and said they had never
known such tlmes--all seemed gaunt and
herce, and ripe for revolt. 1t was an audience
OF working men--of such as these. tina, Ebe-
nezer Elliott was 10 address that evening
The lecturing hall was crammed with the
working classes, and as the orator of the
evening mounted the rostrum, wild burs,
OF applause rung from every part of the house.
lie bowed slightly, smiled sternIy, and took
seat, whilst hymn, which he had comros-
ed Tor the occasion, was roared forth by hun.
dreds of brazen lungs
lie was man rather under than above what
is termed the middle height. Like the class
from whence he sprung, and which he was
about to address, he was dressed in WORKING
clothes-clothes plain even to coarseness
He had high, broad, and intellectual fore
head, with rough ridges OH the TEMPLES. from
the sides and summit of which thick subble
hair was brushed up-streaks of grey MINGLED
with the coarse black hair-bis eyebrows
were dark and thick, and shaded two LARGE
deeply set, glazing eyes, which rolled every
way, and seemed to survey the whole of that
vast assembly at a glance. His nasal ORGAN
was as If it were grated on his face; The
mouth was thick Tipped, and the lines, from
the angle of the nostrls to the corner of the
mouth, were deeply acknowledgement in. A
very black beard, lately shaven, made his chin
and neck appear as if it was covered with dots.
and he had thick, massive throat His f.
cure was indicative of great muscular strength.
and his big horny fists seemed more fitted 10
WELD sledge hammer than to flourish pen
Looking at him, the most casual observer
would be impressed with the idea that no com
mon man was before him.
He rose amidst great cheering, and for an
hour and half held that great audience in
entire subsection by one Of the most powerful
addresses ] ever listened to- With terrible
dlstlnctness he painted the situation of the
working mamie showed what he might
have been, and contrasted his possible and
probable situation with what it now was. On
the heads OF those who opposed Free Trade,
the Corn-Law Rhymcr poured out all The