The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-17
sss,Iy accomplished, alnos. w,thou. shedding a

easily accomplished, almost without shedding q
drop OF blood, From these historical consIdera.
lions, We may form an idea in some degree Of the
power OF the aristocracy in England; and that
power, though it may be somewhat divided, is not
diminished in the present day. They are rich
enough (and even have zeal enough to do i) to
purchase men enough from the masses to shoot
down and extermnate all the rest. The French,
by bloody stroke, exteminated all the aristocra-
cy at the time of their first great revolution unlike
the English, who left the trees growing in the
ground, hardly looping off few luxuriant branch
es. Hence the present revolution in France has
no old aristocracy remaining to contend against
IL.
The question recurs, how and by what classes
will reform be effected in England! We have
seen the abortion of the puerile and spenetic
movement OF the chartists--a mere monkey-like
imitation of the manly and heroic men of Paris.
We have seen that the lower classes in England
never have originated any movement, or have ne.
yer succeeded in any. They are besotted, selfish,
punderlng race-quite different people from the
Partisan boys who drink wine, dance at Tivoli in
the open air, and go to the opera. This reform,
therefore, which Is become inevitable, will only be
effected and brought about by the action of mode
rate and sensible men, from among the middle
classes.
Such movement has, indeed, already COM
menced under the guidance of such men as Hume
and Cobdene Having once begun, it will 60 on
increasing In force, power, and action, absorbing
within notwithstanding circle all the middling
and sensible class of the nation, while the lower
and inferior classes, with the various insignificant
sects OF chartists, communists or Fourerites, and
others, will follow in the wake, as inferior ad-
uncts, which is their true position Such an action
and movement, begun by such men, will carry
with 1t a moral force and energy which may be
the means Of effectuatng, gradually and peacefully,
revolution, which, if suddenly and violently at
tempted, would deluge the country with crime,
anarchy, and blood.
This movement, however, will, unlike the
French revolutions, not have London for its centre
and the scene of its action. The royal power, the
arIstocratic power, the mercantile power, the 60
vernmental power, are all centred in London, and
have no element in the popular mass to oppose it.
The mere people of London either live in their
employ, and are their humble servants, or they are
degraded race, hanging loose upon society,
destitute of "moral force and principle" who, when
they move, move only to rob and to plumber, to
break windows and, at the sight of few policemen
TO run away. London, therefore, will be excluded
from much, if any participation in the great work
of demonstrating the old broken down and toter-
ing system of British msrule. The ball will be
set in motion at Manchester, or some of the large
provincial towns, which have become the seat and
the centre of middling and enlightened class Of
people, without the admixture of local aristo.
cracy. =
Events are rapidly Fastening on-a changeof sys-
tenn, and renovation Of the present order Of things
must soon take place; and the manner we have in
Dictated appears the most probable, as well as the
most desirable mode in which that inevitable
change will be accomplished. Let US look at
Manchester, Birmingham, or Glasgow, for the first
step.