The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-28
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
IFr0m our regular cors.pondsnl.l

1 a.
MIR. Hume, several years ago. drew up a charter
embracing certain articles or heads of reform ~
the British constitution--such as the extension Of
the right o. suffrage; the Introduction of voting by
ballot instead Of viva voice. at present. the dis
connexion Of church and state, with the abolition
OF schurch tythos; together with a reorganization
Of the House Of Lords, Judiciary, &c.
These proposed gradual reforms were prefaced
by kind of preamble, setting forth the rights and
claims of the people to larger share in the govern.
ment, based principally upon the rights of MIN.
The whole was embodied and published in a
cheap pamphlet or handful, and called "Ths Peo-
pies Charter" in contradistnction to Magna Char
Ia" This charter was widely circulated among
the people, and those who became lis jealous ad-
vocaes were called ''chmtists" This party soon
became one of the p,ost numerous and powerful
since the days Of Cromwell. II had for its basis
more rational grounds than the reformation Of the
Puritans under Cromwell. Even John Hampden
only commended for the correction Of the abuse IN
the taxing power Of the sovereign. He never con-
templatcd any revolution in the English monarchy
or in the English constitution. Had Charles |
yielded strict obedience to Magma Charta--had he
abandoned plan of taxation not authorized by the
constitution, John Hampden would have remained
quietly on his farm in Buckinghamshre, and the
protectorate of Cromwell would not probably have
ever been heard Of But the '.peopies charter" or
the chartists, looked to a higher goal-to nothing
ton, and the acknowledgement under It Of the peo-
PIES rights to a large share Of self-government.
Mr. Hume stated to the writer, that, in draughting
the charter he looked to the gradual establishment
of the great reforms it proposed, by discussing
them in peaceable and legal manner. Nor did they
justify, or did he intend they should OCCASION nor
were they calculated to produce any disturbance,
attempt at revolution, outbreak among the people.
He believed the diagram Of reform laid down
might be, in the course ofme, the people became
more enlightened, attained by gradual, peaceable,
and legal means.
He wholly disapproved of the outbreak at New
port, Wales; and thought it was neither justified,
caused approved by the charter or the chartists
generally. Be all this as it may, ''the peoples
charter was briefly and ably drawn up, and took
a strong hold upon the minds Of the great mass Of
people.
The government became greatly alarmed at the
formidable increase of chartisni, which spread
among the people like wildfre. 1t found power
ful support in the south of Wales.
The Welsh, who love their native hills, and their
independence, with an affection that has known
little or no change since the landing of Caesar on
the island, were delighted with the charter Since
the days Of Prince Lleweyn, their greatest poIiti
the monarchy of England, called the Prince of
Wales. Abolish this distinctive title Of royalty,
and it would even at this day, produce revolution
in the principally The fire of the ancient Briton
would be rekinded in the bosoms of this remnant
of their noble race at such an ndignity.
Such was the spread of charsm in the southern
part of Wales, that the government found it neces-
sary to order large reinforcemens of troops TO that
quarter. A section Of Welsh chartiss, with Frost,
Jones, and Williams at their head, contemplated
rising against the government, and to bring about
The speedy establishment of their liberty The
time and place was i'll chosen, by which the aid an
cooperation ofther friends not available. In
deed, the whole thing was prematurey begun, and
badly managed, resulting in utter failure, with the
capture and imprisonment of the leaders, who were
tried and condemned to death. But, such was the
excitement in Wales, that had the government sum
marily put the Welshmen Frost, Jones, and Will
Hams to death, powerful revolution would have
Immediately broken out in the prncipaty, as well
as in other parts Of England. The government
were compelled to conciiiate the Welsh to some ex-
tent, by committing the sentence Of death to trans
portaton for life.
No one acquainted with the state Of feeling in
Wales and England at that time, but will admit, that
had the Of the chartiss been in the hands Of
powerful, wealthy, and influential leaders, able to
have supplied the Welsh and other charsts with
arms. England would have been completely revolu-
tionized. The cause failed, because the government
had deprived the common people of arms, and be-
cause they had no powerful, prudent, and energetic
head.
To this day, the chartists in Wales and England
are numerous, notwithstanding the powerful exer-
tons of the government to put them down. They
can now hold no meeting except in The presence of
magistrates, policemen, or soldiers in the pay Of the
government. In South Wales, the government are
still compelled to keep up considerable garrsons of
soldiers, ready to act in an emergency. AT the
Dowlas iron-works, in Gaimorganshire, Wales,
which visited, and where about FIVE thousand la
borers are employed, strong military force is
toned. Sentinels stand at the gates of the works,
between whom the workmen have to pass, in going
..,l t1,csr lohn mas Oood thoxy
sometimes held chartist meetings under ground.
What right has the English government to
preach about African slavery, declaring their nen-
ton or wish to shave it abolished throughout the
world" when poor men, laboring for bare pittance
to support their haslarved familiesbeing also de-
prived of all Just political rightsare marched back
and forth to their hard daily toll between the bay
onets of mercenary soldiersi Who can blame the
poor downtrodden creatures for being chartsts'
The Welsh, or descendants Of the ancient Brit
ons, are very peculiar sort of people. They never
intermarried, to any extent with any of their nva
ders, except with the Saxons. The Romans held
military possession of part of the island for four
hundred years, yet there was no mingling Of races
till the Saxons came; when, somehow, the Saxon
invaders stole Welsh wife, and Brton got him a
Saxon wife. The Saxons migrated to the country,
to cultivate and settle it, they come to America
This pleased the Britons, when they discovered that
the Saxons did not wish to enslave them, vaung
their liberty more than land.
From the Saxon invasion, we may date the origin
Of the great Anglo-Saxon race; and wherever the
English language is spoken, are heard Welsh and
Saxon names. From the Welsh, all the Morgans,
Evanses, Lcwises, Williamscs, Joneses, Lleweyns,
Owens, Davys, Powells, Floyds, Prices, Dxons,
Lloyds, Davises, Thomases, Hugheses, Elses,
Gwyns, Civilians, Rogcrses, Robertses, &c,
have sprung. From the Saxons we have the i'm
mensc family of Smiths, (Schmidts,) Blacks,
Whites, Browns, the Vans, &c. In the north Of
England they have sprinkling Of Danish termina-
ton of "sons," such as Robertson, &c.
The Norman followers Of William the Conquerer
were, like the Romans, mere military followers,
who did not mix by intermarriagc with the mass OF
people who have remained essentially Anglo-Saxon
from that day to this. Indeed, the throne Of Eng
land was not secure in the hands of the Normans
till the intermarriage of a descendant of William
with Saxon branch of royalty. From these facts,
we may we'll imagine how misapplied Mr.. Gushing
used the term of .angio-Norman race substitute
for the long, wel-established Anglo-Saxon race.
The names of the present Anglo-Saxon race
a. <,f n