The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-02-11
The Last Struggle OF the Aristocrats OF
England.

England.
few years ago Great Britain was on the verge
Of a volcano. A system Of class legislation had
been carried on for centuries, which had egisated
one portion OF the community into surfeit, and the
rest into famine. Thousands and hundreds of
thousands Of British subjects were slowly dying
for want Of food; and as there were no other re-
sources left to prevent general starvation Sir Ro-
bert Peel came forward with his great reform nea-
sure, and the corn laws-that colossal system of n-
euity-were abolished. The barriers which had
hitherto been raised TO keep foreign grain from COM
ing into the English markets, had sustained the
pnces Of food at famine rates; and every year i'm
mense numbers of persons died by starvation, and
millions suffered, throughout those islands, from
lack OF bread. 1t was perfectly understood that the
corn laws, in the beginning, were invented for one
single object-namely, to raise the price Of food.
II such was not their tendency, they would have
been useless TO the landed arlstocracy; and this
same aristocracy never would have sustained so
vigorous and unrelenting a struggle, before they
yielded TO defeat and overthrow. But SIR Robert
Peel was q great statesman, and being the only
man whom the tory party could at that moment
pu, forward and keep themselves in power. they
were compelled TO swallow the bitter pill which he
nut into their mouths and consent to give up their
long guaranteed and unprotected monopoly, or
suffer the sceptre Of power TO pass out OF their
hands OF the two evils they chose what they
esteemed the least, and their howl and camor
died away; and for two or three years England
was quiet, and there was a greater abundance and
cheapness of food than there had been for very
long period.
Blu, il appears, now, that the monopolists and
arstocrats have again rallied all their forces and
under the dexterous leadership Of D'Israel, the
now recognized champion OF the ul,ra-conserva-
iiyes, they are rallying their forces, and making
another desperate effort 10 produce a reaction IN
England, which will again establish that odious
end dsmnable system of faInine-RGkng laws,
which will once more fix the price of bread by
legislation and not allow it, like all other commo.
diues, to depend upon the ratio OF demand and
supply. BY the recent English journals, we per.
ceive that, IN all the large towns, and in probably
every county ia Great Britain, the sristocrats and
monopolists are getting up large meetings, and by
the force Of bribery, corruption, dinners supPers,
ale barrels, barbecues, and humbugs Of every de-
scrip;ion, immense masses Of people are drawn
together, and hired speakers, sent down from Lon
don. are employed in the hopeless effort Of once
more pulling the wool over the eyes Of famished
millions II is clear that the last desperate struggle
is fast coming m in England between the rich aud
the poor There is determination on the one
side, to retain ell those privileges and monopoies
which were granted in former ages, when the
rights of men were less clearly understood, aud
when il was supposed that those who were born
with noble titles and rrncely estates, could ride
with IMMUNITY over the necks Of the poor. There
IS a still more desperate determination, on the
other side, perhaps, TO recover those rights Of
which they have so long been robbed, and which,
theyhaveIecenty discovered, are inherited from the
greet Lord OF all and although the struggle may
seem unequal. and the most powerful and popular
journals are made the medium OF dlfiusinr the opin
ious the movements, and the efforts Of the mono2o-
lists yet there is more manly and desperate feeling
excited by this outrageous system Of humbug and
desrotism, than has ever been stirred before
Golden and other powerful leaders Of the liberal
movement, are also in the field and they have
thrown down the gauntlet, and boldly invited the
aristocrais TO the encounter. The friends Of re-
form in England, no longer limit themselves to the
laws Of etiquette, or the mild arguments they once
used on the contrary, in recent speech on this
subject, Golden, IN his straight forward and un-
mistskable way, plainly told the arstocrats,
il they wished to bring on the struggle, and try to
force back the progress Of legislation to where It
stood before the abolition OF the corn laws, that
they CHE reiormers,) would not limit their efforts
the next time to the mere overthrow Of the mono
poly Of the sgrieuturis,s bu, tina, they might ex-
pect that their colossal systems of wrong and out
rage, which had been so long sustained IN Eng
land, by the force Of Preceden, and the power of
law, would be finally invaded, and the Who'll. sys-
TEN Of oligarchieal privileges and aris,ocraucal
power be hurled 10 the dust
The day has gone by in England, when mis- !
focracy dares to meet the spirit Of the age, and
attempt to cheek H. The progress OF mankind on
the road TO liberal Institutions, is sure and IRE
ristible, and It Is az idle for the ausocrats and
monopoIists Of England to a,tempt TO restore the
abolished corn laws, as il would be in this coun-
try to try to wiring from the present Congress a
high protective tariff. or a re-charier Of the old
United States Bank
THr Eaurss Miit.-oving 10 the storm on sstur.