Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-10-03
sNCiL1sH CHART'IsM.

Since Thomas CarIyle's work upon that sub
;ect. has seemed to have gone under n cloud, for
in the whole range of newspaper talk in this
and European countries we scarcely of late find
a mention of it Either Mr.. Carlyle effected his
object in his book or he 50 mystified and heclou-
ded the whole subject as TO leave people in drea-
r. doubt az to whether the movement was
sane or insane one. For orr part We DO not
give much credit to Mr.. Carlyle for what few
items we haze gathered upon the subject Char
tism in its origin seemed synonyme with De
mocracy, and Mr.. Carlyle ostensibly wrote on
democratic subject so that Democracy or the
people might have light But the answer of the
people has been, we can't understand your rid
dies and allegories about sphinxes; let some
body put your meaning into English. This
subject, it seems, By the English papers brought
by the Baltic, has turned up quite prominently
before the public The London Times, Lord
Palmerston's organ, Is, Us usual with al reforms
its bitter opposer and denouncer. John Frost
the Chartist agitator of fifteen years ago, who
was expatriated on account of the tumultuous
symptoms of his doctrine, has just returned
from his chain-gang apprenticeship in Van Die
note, is undergoing process of liOnizing, or ra-
Their apotheOsing by his party. The Times
holds him up to ridicule by quoting the poetry,
sung at these ovations of his followers. But
the English people know that it is the paid con-
tract Of the Times, so to do and notwithstand-
ing its affected sneers at this insignificant de-
Inonstration, as it terms it. NC believe its senti-
ment is deep seated-is. popular with the Eng
lish working classes to-day. According to
pamphlet published sometime ago, called the
"People's Charter" their demands are some
thing of this sort: They wish radical change
in the old, rotten system Of returning members
70 Parliament; of making the House of Com
mons less minion Of the House of Lords, by
grAnting universal suffrage and exercising it
By ballot This was what John Frost purport-
ed to embody in his creed, and for the prornul-
cation of this and for the riotous proceedings
ensuing from it, he was sent into exile The
very fact that these Chartists at this time are
allowed to hold their meetings, to sing radical
and Democratic sentiments to the air Of God
save the Queen shows that the organization
is really power-an influence felt by the min
listers Of the law.
We believe that England has progressed health
lily and steadily, and that she will yet attain
To full grown system of seif-government.-
Charles Kingsley, clear-headcd and sagaci-
Gus man, wrote a work few years ago called
ALTON Locke-Tailor and Poet" which has
been read and universally admired for its pic
lures of Chartism and the life of the agitators.
And thus tits that English operatives are learn
ing from one anothcr-from penny papers, from
John Frost receptions and Kingsleys writings,
that there are 100000 acres of waste land in
that country, and that il their public lands were
thrown open to the working classes, thousands
upon thousands of them might be living indie
pendent upon an allotment of fifteen acres to
each man.
We look upon the boasts of the London Times,
that they are the only people in Europe who
would have permitted such demonstration in
their midst, as sham How came they to be
80 lcuicut? 1t was extorted from thenl-the
people have been forcing the Ministry time after
time from their tendencies to absolutism. The
Times belongs to class of nominal conserve
tiyes-a classin Europe who claim the office of
breech bands in the general tackle belonging to
the governmental Wagon. But they arc not
they stand still! until they are forced along by
violent symptoms among the people. They al
ways como along growing. There Is. no good
will among them for the lower classes. To be
sure they are wonderfully pathetic over foreign
ills. Like the Duchess of Sutherland, they can
toady Harriet Beecher Stowe, and yet for their
own whims' sake they can turn thousands of
acres into walks and parks, and shut off the
living of hundreds of tenants. That's the kind
Of conservatism and wholesale progress the Lon
don Times, Lord Palmcrston and his clique,
propose for England. They give away to catho-
lie emancipation bills, corn laws and chartism,
because, in spite of the national tic of debt, they
can't help themselves.