The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-19

| by the struggles of her martyrs for liberty and
renowned for having at one period OF her career
under the PTOtectorate, attained to something like
tree Institutions. Her Mltens, Hampdens, and
Sidneys. have filled the world to circumference
with their sublime and indignant protests against
tyTahts, NIL the cry has reverberated home again;
and her Cromwell chastlsed contumeliOusly, the
lie OF right divine, by substituting tor il the voice
OF the people az the voice of the King OF Kings
Besides, in science, art, and literature England
boasts the greatest names, who have In prose and
verse achieved the precedence for British genius
over the competitors OF every cline and age.
And even the forms OF liberty themselves, have
been instrumental in their very perversion, for
good. For instance, popular representation was
designed to be- whatl s-the vilest cheat ever sue
cesstully attempted. The people were by its plan to
be systt matcally antalized, with the name of 60
vernng, while IN TACT they were to be only go
ysrned by handful Of knaves and aristocrats.
| The thirty millions of Epgishmen were to be
made believe that they had something to do in the
conception and discussion and passage Of the laws
people might be claimed for the entire class le-
| gslation of the crown and nobility. Perhaps it Is
wrong TO say the people were to be tantalzed with
the mockery OF representation. They have
valuable part in legislation Although excluded
by the so-caled constitution, altogether from one
OF the two houses OF Parliament, and having only
the proportion OF rather less than one-seventh of
! the votes IN the other, we have been talking OF
| popular influence; and that, too, when the dis
| proportion ID aggravated by occasional losses of
one more OF the peoples fifty odd, by purchase
| or by iaitery, or by jealousy. on the one side
opposed to perfect identity OF interest and sohdity Of
| ranks in the other GEO members who superlntend
this island for their masters with more than the
| fidelity OF Cuban overseers. representing Spanish
| pIopnetOrs. And yet indirectly, and in a very
| different way from what is enormously supposed,
the hgment Of House OF Commons in England
| has been advantageous although a false picture
IN reality, 1t has been tor the authors to
act occasionally as il it were true, or that the
| people sometimes get nod OF reluctant recogni-
uon. Moreover, an election IN a great town like
Manchester or She field gives occasion for COM
Iliments and professions which are not 30 easily I'M
needed by rulers as if they were suppressed and
at long intervals man of the people, like Golden
or Bright elected from such place, gets that hear
ing by the government which the truth requires to
be respected; and something IL extored, as IN the
case OF Catholic emancipation in 1929, the Reform
Bill In 1882, and free trade 1872, from the fears
| OF the arstocrats, and with the aid of France,
| which is always necessary. These means OF pro-
| pagatlng truth and justice principally assisted
| by the corruption which attends a common per-
version of so-caled popular elections among great
constituencies. The wing and tory mobiles. in their
struggles against each other, are ever anxious for
extrnsic support; and hence they vie In affecting
liberal sentiments, so that the highest bidder at
the auction OF popularity may invest himself with
the confidence OF thousands, instead of units, of
his fellow subjects. l do not mean to assert that
| the price OF this petit treason 10 the order Is
always paid, according to either the loyal or the
moral litigation OF the contracts that Is to say, as
|
the bidder knew, at the time he gave it, II was
dersoOd by the seller; but part OF the considera
ton isgenerally exaced. 1t ID thus and IN various
other forms, that Parliament has been useful,
| though lntrnslcay only a cunning device, and
wholly unworthy OF any comparison with the
faithe st West legislature tor integrity, ability, de-
| cency, or usefulness.
The British system, of jurisprudence and courts
OF justice also wear the vlsage OF impartallty and
efficacy: but IN the language OF one OF the present
Chief Justices Oenman) on another subject, they
have proved, and are constantly proving 1t, IN
practice, ga shame, deluslon, and snare"
The whole of this machinery is useless, except to
destroy all who, by speaking, writing, or acting,
endeavor TO produce melloration OF the govern
ment I" JUSTICE" Lord Brougham (bad autho-
| nty, admit, for anything, because on every side
| OF every,hing) says, ais not delayed 1t Is de-
MED )" and l may add what he omitted, that IN
criminal cases. injustice, ensangmned with cruelty,
is the robe OF the bench and box, OF the judges and
the jury Everything Is seditlon, or felony, or
treason, as Sir John Jervls* sees tit; and life is
taken, or liberty, or property, as the case ID sup
posed to require; death, or imprisonment, with
commission enables the government, through the
bench, to assign the most INSCRIPTIONS Judicial
character, for the arbter of the law OF the case by
which such partlsans as Hide, Plat and Will:
iams, or such reprobates as Erie and Crescull and
Patterson ard LEROY, hector the counsel and
tIample the accused during the inquest, and fulfil
more than the functions Of Jefreys hlmselt by the
onsly dosed up together in about equal parts
AS to the jury, they have not acquitted In single
case In England, even upon the slightest evidence:
They are made by the crown, most ertfully and
cautiously packed upon system, out OF the vles OF
| the middle class, enemies to freedom and hu-
manly, which the ucerous centre OF nation Of
shop keepers has festered into pecunlary prosperity
Servlliy and venom, and hatred, skilfully appor-
toned, IT seems by the experiment of the Chartlst
trials, can be made to constitute model juror for
political offences. Even the ignorance which
always enters into the composition might be
omitted A Catholic, however, is discovered to
be the most tremendous dIsinfecting agent, as one
OF them, in several Irish cases, neutralized the
other eleven; and sweetened the panel SO as to
luteIy necessary for naughty England to acknow-
ledge her total weakness in Ireland to the world,
by DISTINGUISHING, the Island, so far as seven
sights OF the population were concerned. Q~ere;
there be more Irishmen ready to repel them
than there were OF National Guards to assist
l. Philippe? A question somewhat searching,
but requiring prompt solution from the authorl-
ties. But the fact Is, that Mr.. Cuffey and his
friends were denied by EDglishmen the privileges
OF EDgllt hmen, and yet they were not 1rishmen
Mr. Cufiey, who Is man vastly superior to the
Judges OF the tribunal which tried HIM, demanded
fair trial by his peers, according to the principles
LAID down In Magma Charta. He fully explained
to the stupid creatures who were hooking his dis
tress that he had most intelligent meaning for
he very logically said -" 1t Is my right to be tried
by my peers but l am journeyman tailor, and as
these jurors are employers and tradespeople, my
right is violated" That humble but upright pro.
test will live forever and before the judges who
scoined 1t 60 to their account they may make
similar appeal IN vain. Yet, Ito return) in spite
Of these cnormlies, courts Of English justice have
done a very little for popular rights. There Is an
oral discussion with open doors, that is all /; yet
that is something. II immortalizes the judicial
misdeeds Of las
AS 10 the churches and schools, 1t will always
be difficult TO ascertain what good they have ever
done tor liberal opinions, such are their exclu-
slvenass, and most profane and indetenslbe gene.
raj career; and yet It is possible the balance in
cijnes almost imperceptibly towards the friends
| rather than the foes Of mankind. One must, how
ever see the universities and the Protestant Epis-
ctPal establishment. to appreciate the repulsve
mass OF corruption which only does not exceed all
the real and conJectural benefits of both.
Inc Englleh newspaper press ls even a greater
enigma. ltwould appear impossible that some