Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-10
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For the National Era
THE ARIST0CRACY OF ENGLAND.

teaching by examples. Ii presents man under
varied aspects; it traces him from barbarism
to civilization, it notes the struggles and suf.
ferings Of that transition; it Classics epochs
and shows the characteristics of those epochs
it paints the rivalries and ambitions Of kings
priests, and mobiles the abasement of the peo-
pie, their resistance to tyranny, their heroic ef-
forts for Freedom their successes, their reyerses
and their ultimate triumph over despotism in
the establishment Of representative govern
ment.
Everything is progressive on this earth, and
il Is among the highest consultations of HUMANE
ty that we advance from bad to better, from an
inferior to a superior civilization. or this fact
we are assured by q retrospective glance at so
ciety. Among savages, we see men making
war against each other for food, and eating
their captives--it is the era of cannibalisnl.
Next we view the conquerors sparing tho lives
of their prisoners, but compelling them to work
for their mastcrs--it is the age of slavery. AT
later date, the owners partially manumit
their bondsmcn, STIMULATING to receive fixed
portion Of the produce Of their labor or personal
servces-it is the epoch Of feudalsm. This
in turn is succeeded by another form of social
transition the partially emancipated slaves
acquire movable property, which, in due season,
CLAIMS for itself rights and privileges as well as
territorial wealth; then guilds and municipal
corporations the confederacies Of industry
against rapine, appear, and balance in some
degree the power of the legislative assembly of
the mobiles; the home trade increases, and
transmarine commerce makes it's early essays J;
knowledge passes from the sole keeping of the
church to portions Of the laity, and the mo-
nopoIy of the cloister disappears. Thus NOR
al revolution in the pursuits, habits, and modes
of thinking, among people is effected, which,
exciting desire Of participating in all affairs
of State, gives birth to the Democratic princi
principle The popular element being intro
dnced into the body polite, the national voice,
as distinguished from the voice OF classes or
sectarianism is raised against the prerogative
Of the crown, the privileges of the aristocracy,
and the Instability Of the church. Such was
the status Of England about the middle Of the
thirteenth century, when the great body Of the
people had emerged from the degradation to
which they had been reduced by the conquest.
Villages and towns We're peopled with men al
most free. lntermarriages between the Nor
mans and Anglo-Saxons had to great extent,
fused the two nations, and softcned down the
rancor of ancient jealousies and hatreds. There
was some activity in the small harbors Of those
times. Trade and commerce had brought into
existence middle class between the aristocra-
cy and the serfs, and that class was destined to
exercise 4 most powerful influence on the in
situations Of the country.
Magma Charta was an aristocratic protest
against the klngly prerogative; it was class
movement; and if it procured some feeble guar
antees for public liberty, it was simply because
it could not have been carried without pop
ular co operation. The son Of John did not
profit by the warnings his father had received
INDECENT and dissolute, Henry the Third lavish
ed wealth on foreign favorites and the people
murmured Then appeared Simon de Mont
fort, Earl of Leicester, who was the Cromwell
Of feudalism. His first policy was to weaken
the crown and strengthen the aristocracy, for
which purpose he convened a Legislative assem-
bly,, consisting of twenty -four barons Of whom
he was the Chief empowering them by virtue
of their supreme authority to reform the abuses
Of the STATE. Historians, fond Of legitimacy,
or Of the divine right Of kings have called that
assembly the mad Parliament but they made
some admirable regulations. They ordered
that each county should send four knights Of
the shire to the ensuing Parliament; but as up
to this time the better opinion seems to be that
there was only one house. it is pretty certain
those knights had not deliberative but only
consultative voice, without vote and that
the object Of their nomination was to bring
them within the pale Of the aristocratic circle,
and keep them removed from the popular class,
whom they nearly touched. This view appears
the more correct as they were simply ordered
to report the grievances Of their constituents -
in other words, to make out case against the
crown.
But the mad Parliament did other acts
They ordained that three sessions Of the Legis
lature should be annually held; that a new
high sheriff should be annually appointed; that
the custody Of castles should no longer be held
by foreigners; that no more new forests should
be laid out for hunting; and prohibited the
county revenues being leased out to contractors
The king was effectually humbled, and now
the aristocracy wished TO be sapreme, but they
were opposed by their recent allies, the knights
Of shires Leicester saw his mistake, for he
really loved freedom. He appealed TO arms,
defeated the royalists ut Lewes, in Sussex, and
captnred tho king and his SON. Prince Edward
Triumphant he vested a provisional Govern
ment in nine persons, to be selected by himself
the Earl Of Gloucester, and the Bishop of Chi
chester, or any two Of them. But he saw the
policy of basing his power on a wider founda-
ton Accordingly, he threw himself into tho
arms Of tho middle classes summoned to Par
lament two knights from every shire and dep
uties from the boroughs, thus effecting the
representative revolution by founding the House
Of Commons. This Parliament was convened
90 the 10th Of January, 1855.
This event IL most memorable in the annals
Of civilization and liberty. True il is that Ger
many had its Diets, Spain aud Portugal their
Cortes and France its States General, but the
existence cf all Of them was ephemeral. The
Parliament Of England has never ceased 10
exist, except during the transient interregnum
Of Cromwell, and it may fairly claim the credit
Of having sustained the political spirit Of Eu-
rope, and contributed TO the more democratic
institutions Of the United States. IL was weak
in it's origin, when it had only the power Of
remonstrance, not Of action: when il could do
no more than petition for redress Of grievances
powcrless 10 apply the needful corrections. Its
prayers were only granted at tho cost Of taxa
ton, and 10 its early sittings It's members ton
dered their money on their knees. As n rem
iDiscence Ut their former humiliation, il may