The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-25
VIEWS OF AN AMERICAN IN ENGLAND

| ana Dy inc ItlDerniai under date Of march 2d:n
"We subscribed for GaIigaaai and Prime, for
three months, and have sent you the latest numbers
received before the post leaves this for LIVERPOOL
| So shall continue TO send them, though 1 regret
the latest dates do not reach in time 10 send them
| on. However this present batch will not fail 10
interest you, containing, as they do, the various
comments on Sir Robert Peel's change Of policy in
| regard to the corn-aws. The world has never be
fore Witnessed and future history will perhaps new
or have 10 record, such peculiar anomaly is at
i present exhibited in the state Of parties in England
minister chosen TO carry out the principles Of pro-
tection the leader, against has ioiH Of the opposition
"a party heretofore the strongest in msjorities de.
feated by its own folly and its own leader The
| plans and intrlgues, the hopes and fears, Of ten
years party strife dissolved into chaos, and the
mighty magician, with the aid of the popular breath
is now about to remodel new world for statesmen
10 speculate upon and nations TO admire-its basis
truth and figures. The "por pop,li uOr Del" is,
however unpalatable to the dukes the main spring
of action in public affairs in this country and view
this regeneration Of Sir Robert Peel as some call
Il, mere concession 20 the democracy-a timely
trimming Of the sails TO save the ship from wreck.
view in this movement the advance, the rapid adj
vance, 10 the overthrow Of the hereditary arsocra.
cy Of England, which is based upon large landed
possessons-the rapid rise Of the manufacturing oil
garchy into power-and, after that shall have had
its sway, (Which, constituted England is will be
mild and judleous one, extending intellectual eul.
lure 10 the mssses) thcn te8e said masses VIII, OF
| themselves, and unbiased by promises or threats
declde-excusiyely decide, as they do with us-as
TO what measures best suited TO their welfare
and then democracy rules. How strangely does il
sound to me-watching, as have done, the events
Of the past both in England and in France the two
most civilized nations on the earth, and seeing the
demoeratcal tendencies which each succeeding event
| whether great small, constantly deyelops-to
hear Englishmen calmly calculate that in the end
the United States must become a limited monarchy
or military despousm
with tne exception Of two speeches of Sir Rob.
ert Peel, and the last rather longest one of Mr.
! Dlsrae, you will find the debate stale and unpro-
6table Sir Roberts mastery and mathemati-
cal. D'lsraell's fine specimens Of the philippe
and tas,efully rhetorical. On reading the former
your judgment is convinced; the latter gratfes the
Imagination, but carries no other conviction 10 the
reader, more than 10 the auditors, than that il
is a pity the flowers OF speech are not equally the
garb Of truth Of fiction. have from the absorb
ing interest have taken in this matter as a contest
in the Advancement Of the human tending to
the eyentful humiliation Of privileged classes,
| waded through every speech on this question, and
am satisfied the protectionists have not only the
worst OF the argument, but the least skilfu logi-
clans IN defending their The House divided
on Friday night with 81 majority for Sir Robert
Peel. There seems 10 me to have been great err
ror in the argument that high prices Of corn (a-
| though admitted TO be concomiant or cO-eXisting
with high wages) are the cause of high wa
ges. The and the effect are placed one for
the other. Wages are the cause, and the prices Of
corn the effect In country teeming, as England does,
with surplus laborlng population, when wages are
low, the demand for bread dminishes and the price
Of corn falls. Infuse activity into commerce, the
demand for labor increases, wages rise and the la
boring population, as they become better able to
buy, require bread and the price OF corn rises
whether Sir Robert Peel will be able carry his
measures in committee Of the Commons in an I'M
| al and xIha h.. n I orda
will approve the bill as returned by the Commons
however little such bill may affect the present corn
laws, IL still matter Of specuation-of apprehen-
| sion with some, Of hope with others. As repub-
lican and lover Of the well-being Of the many ]
feel satisfied that the handwriting on the wall dis
closes the downfall Of the few who have fattencd
and revealed the sweat and blood Of millions,
until they have fancied themselves made Of finer
clay than the other, their fe low-descendants from
Adam.
"But ifthese proud nobles-these pampered dukes
- are cursed with that madness which is said to be
the fate of those whom the gods wish destroy and
will not listen 10 the still voice of reason, and the sol
emn tones OF the people, but should reject any bill
that the Commons may pass on this momentous
quesoa, question in which the different orders and
ranks Of this classified people feel much interest
when magma charta was forced from King John,
the bill Of rights eBgrafted the constitution by
the extraneous means Of an exotic king, the re-
form bill passed in the very teeth Of their lord.
more sudden destruction of their order than will be
their fate if they are wise in time and bend to the
coming storm.
"If the protectonists should succeed in defeating
the bill for the reduction Of duties the importa
ton of corn, and an appeal is made to the sense
| Of the country through the medium Of new gen.
era election and new Parliament, il is very pro-
bable-constituted the principle of representa-
ton is in England-that they could get a majority
returned in favor of the existing corn-laws. Then
would come the strife-the actual and not TO be
mistaken strugge-hetween the Lords and Com
mons-or rather between the hereditary arstocracy
and the people. For although with US, from the
more equal manner in which representation is az
portioned according to population, we accus-
toned TO ascribe the result Of the elections as the
evidence Of the will Of the majority; yet since in
England representation is so disproportoned to the
| actual population, and without reference thereto,
| the protectoniss might, in new Parliament fresh
from the polls have majority Of the votes, and at
the same time would certainly have the majority
| -ay, and large majority-of the people, with a
| powerful and talented body Of manufacturers and
merchants to back them, directly and violently OPP
posed to them. Should such state of affairs come
about then, and not till then sha consider
between England and America, or England and any
other country, probable. The arstocracy, then,
in order to prevent civil war, and an actual de-
structon Of all their privileges and power holding
the rens Of government, with a majority in the
Commons at their command, would plunge the
country into with any nation on the earth.
| In the excitement and nationality Of feeling the
people would turn their weapons and animosities
against the common enemy. So little patriotism
lists, in my opinion, amongst the higher orders, as
they are called, that verify believe they would
prefer the latter alternative to being defeated upon
this question. Some call them generous. Their
generosity consists in making great sacrifices Of
others welfare to protect the privileges and immu-
mites Of their order.
"lf Sir Robert Peel remains in power, the policy
of England will become more than ever peace
policy If war should take place, it will not be the
fault or the seeking of his administration; for,
should he succeed in carrying his measures, his pol
icy may be considered the policy of the manufac-
turers, and their prosperity depends upon peace.
| "Rerenous a martons.' When we reflect upon
all the elements now at work in this great nation
when we reflect that mighty revolution is now be-
| ing effected-boodless, it is to be hoped-but be it
peaceable or be it sanguinary, still mighty revolu-
| ton 10 now being brought about in the social con-
don of this the frat nation of the word-a nation
welded to its ancient customs, and Tenacious of it's
present and past greatness, and all through the d.