The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-19
For the National Era.
THE ARIST0CRACY OF ENGLAND.

For the National Era.
THE ARIST0CRACY OF ENGLAND.
NO. H.
History has been we'll defined as philosophy
teaching by examples. 1t 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 PEG,
pie, their resistance to tyranny, their heroic eff
forts for Freedom, their successes their reverses
and their ultimate triumph over despotism in
the establishment of representative govern
ment.
Everything is progressive on this earth, and
it is among the highest consultations of humani-
ty that we advance from bad to better, from an
inferior to superior civilization. OF this fact
we are assured by retrospective glance OF So
eiety. Among savages, we see men making
war against each other for food, and eating
their captives-it is the era of cannibalism
Next we view the conquerors sparing the lives
of their prisoners, but compelling them to wor
for their masters-it is the age of slavery. At
later date, the owners partially manumit
their bondsmen, STIMULATING to receive fixed
portion of the produce of their labor or personal
serviccs-it is the epoch of feudalism. 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 we'll 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
fron boo n
knowledge passes from the sole keeping of the
church to portions of the laity, and the mo
-,eposy IS the o,vi-.nx s.>sf Tt--.s
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
duced 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 infalibilty of the church Such was
the status of England about tho 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 were peopled with men al
most free. Intermarriages between the Nor
mans and Anglo-Saxons had to great extent,
fused the two nations, and softened down the
rancor of ancient jealousies and hatreds. There
was some activity in the small harbors of those
times. Trade and c3mmerce had brought into
existence middle class, between the aristocra-
CIV and the serfs, and that class was destined to
exercise q most powerful influence On the in
stitutions of the country.
Magma Charta yves an aristocratic protest
against the kiDgly 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 cooperation Tho son of John did not
profit by the warnings his father had received
INDECENT and dissolute, Henry the Third lavish
ed wealth on foreign fayorites, 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 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 delibeIative, but only
a consultative voice, without a vote; and that
the object of their nomination was to bring
them within the pale of the arstocratic circle,
and keep them removed from the popular class,
whom they nearly touched This view appears
the more correct, as they were simply ordered
e to report the grievances of their constituents :"
in other words to make out a 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 supreme, but they
were opposed by their recent allies, the knights
of shires Leicester saw his mistake for 10
really loved freedom. He appealed to arms,
defeated the royalists at Lewes, in Sussex and
captured the king ana his son, Prince EdTard
Triumphant, he vested provisional Govern
ment in nine persons, to be selected byilmself,
the Earl of Gloucester and the B;shc' of Chi
chester, or any two of them. But y saw the
policy of basing his power On wier tounda-
ton. Accordingly, he threw hipelf into the
arms Of the middle classes, suRioned to Par |
Lament two knights from evsry'hire, and dep |
uties from the boroughs, tbs erecting the
representative revolution by pncing the House
of Commons. This Parliassn was convened
on the Goth of January, 70,
This event is most msorabie In the annals
of civilization and libere true It Is that Ger
MANY had it's Diets gain and Portugal their
cortes, and France s ate General. General but the
existence of all of tEg was epnemerai. The
exist, excep. during transient interregnum
Of Cornwall. and it ry fairly claim the credit
Of having 4 political pol a.. spirit Of En-
institutions of the tted States. Il was weak {
in its origin whepk had only the power of .
remembrance, mott action; when it could do q
no more than petit ia for redress of grievances, !
powerless to apple needful corrections. It's Q
prayers were onE sran.ed at the cost Of taxa b
ton, and in its eiy sistingS It's members ten t