Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-04-28
LIBERAL. PRINCIPLES.

LIBERAL PRINCIPLES.
One Of the most remarkable and gratifying 81
tecls of the extension of free principles and &C
ZION nv a communication with our RePuohcd'
Institutions is presented at this time oy ,ne ,aaa
10 stand OF the Free Trade League Oh nn aA1
In no country have the wealth OF .ne af's.o.'e.'
-, -. ;ns;dious workings Of class-leglslauoL
.1.r,.d more universal or deeper influence
I'm, the triumphs of steam and commercial ski
have made the people of England familiar VIII
the beneficial operations of our Repuohcan sSs
lem. and have excited in them desire 70 Initiate
our example, and think and act ior 'nehise's.
III. men Their necessities, too, have iorce.
,hsr ~ feel The evils under which they i've, ano
70 .eek for a radical remedy. The restrictive
system they find, is the great source OF all lneil
.ufferincs. The great statesman, or hooei
Peel, has changed his views entirely on .n's
noint and brings his experience anc his ihhu'
ence 10 the aid Of the reformers Even the iron
Duke ha. been compelled TO change front, ana 10
take sides with the people.
The repeal Of the corn laws IS Inc oolec' .hey
SO anxiously aim at. That measure mas recei'eo
the sanction OF the House OF Commons, Ou' ~
ha. 10 undergo the ordeal Of The Lords, Inc iano'
owning interest and therefore personally INTEREST
ed in keeping up an abuse, upon winch 'ne'f
wealth and their power are based They threat
on 10 hold back and defeat the reform. But they
canno, long stem the torren, OF public opnion-
The following extract from the London League
OF the 18th March, speaks in tone which can
M, Ia misunderstood, and which must prevail
In manly and eloquent language II teiis Inc
Lords that the repeal OF The corn laws is ques-
tion of life or death-that it has vitality ana
mower 10 revolutionise The Government oil Eng.
land ilself-,hat, il the House OF Lords resist the
demands Of the people, backed as they are by Inc
Ministry, the land-owning Lords will themselves
fall sacrifice to the popular will.
We do not believe that they can stand tup
against such an appeal. They must be blind,
indeed, if, by stubborn opposition TO the repeal
Of the corn.laws they will peril the safety, and
even tho existence Of their own order, and pull
down the pillars Of the British Constitution
The language of the League indicates the spirit
~ freemen. worthy OF liberal and enlightened
age. A few years since il would nave oeen
treated as Jacobincal. The wonderful progress
Of free principles, acting upon the suHerlnss OF
a whole people, gives 10 II a consistency and force
which cannot be checked. Ii is the signal OF
the downfall Of the British restrictive SYSTEM
nIftheir !ordships OF the Upper House have II
in concentration 10 throw out this bill-or TO
,amcnd' il which would come 10 exactly The
same thing-lhey will do vel! 10 prepare them
selves for very disagreeable consequences. In The
event OF the Peel measure not becoming law,
there will be such a revulsion OF public leeling
as England has not seen yet-not even IN those
Reform Bill days, which few of their ordships
may happen te retain in fresh remembrance
The people had never felt 50 sure OF the Reform
Bill as they feel now OF the Free Trade Bill
The people had never felt the Reform Bill TO be
already as good as passed, as they have now, ioI
upwards OF two months, tell the Free Trade Bin
10 be as good as passed. There never was such
a union OF parties in favor OF the Reform Bill,
as there is now in favor of Free Trade policy
that arrays on one and the same side all the hrst
eoasomeies ana q SRs fRSARrFu aR
shadow of distinction between Wing and Tory;
or between capitalist and operative. There
never was such unanimity for the Reform Bill, as
that expressed and represented by the deputations
from Lancashire that have visited London within
the east two days. And there never was the
same physical and social necessity for the Reform
Bill which there is for abolishing prohibiiory
food tax in the face Of famine. We tell Inc pro-
tectionists-as they were told not long since by
Mr. Cobden-that there is opinion enough on this
question to change The Constitution Of The country.
Let them look 10 il, that this stupendous, bCt as
yet quiescent mass of moral force DC no, siimula-
led into active ard anlagonistie sell.asserllon.
Assuming that if it visibly came TO be ques-
ton between protection and the order our pro-
tectionist peers would mostly De lot ie'ing pro-
tes,on 90. and standing by their order, we beg 10
give them early notice that this IS the question:
The rejection Of the Government measure by the
House of Lords would bring Us at once TO The
broad practical issue, lehich IS The stronger, the
House Of Lords, or the empire minus the House
of Lords2 There would be nothing to break or
divide the force Of that Ie-actioEary movement
which would instantly sci in against aristocracy
as a political power. II would be, me Lords
against the country, and The country against me
Lords. The case would be terribly distinct and
simple. The Lords would stand Alone The
sympathies OF no one class or party in the coun-
,ry would be with them. They are, essentially,
a elias. by themselves. No other class is mixed
nm with them Lords are only lords. They
have no merchants, no manufacturers, no middle
class men among them. They are all land
owners. and only landowners. lfrumor be cor
rect in stating that the Duke has, in quiet way,
pressed on their lordshps' attention the dire pos
sibliiy OF a New Reform Bill as the penalty OF
obstinacy, rumor has certainly done great honor
10 the Dukes sagacity. No institution, or con-
s,itution, on the face the earth could stand the
stress of such struggle as would commence in
this country, from The hour in which the house OF
Lords should declare itself non-eoatent with the
Bill for giving hunger and industry their own. y