The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-09-17
John Bright a, Birmingham

A correspondent Of the New York Tribune
furnishes the following sketch of the recep-
ton of the great English Radical at Birming-
ham, on the 9th ultimo: ,5.Irs s I 2
L have seen great meetings welcome great
men IN America, but never such a welcome as
Mr.: Bright received. The audience rose in a
body, The cheering was as continuous as Nj
agara, and was caught up and rolled BACK INTO
the hall in great waves of sound by the IO,OOO
outside. Mr.. Lowe was right-these people are
Impulsiye, and their hearts beat with an emo
ton which they were quite unable to express.
Affection, admiration, gratitude, passionate en-
thusiasm toward their great leader-au were
there. Mr.. Bright faced it with composure;
stood like granite amid a scene that made all
otner nerves go throbbing and bounding with
excitement. Stood about five feet ten, strong
ly built, upright hands hanging motionless,
not responding by any bow or other sign OF
acknowledgment of the splendid greeting that
was given him. Waited patiently till it was
over-six minutes by the watch. Photographs
of Mr.. Bright are not uncommon in America,
and there is Autograph of him somewhere in
your office, neither of which is quite like him,
and some Of the photographs are abomniable
caricatures. The face is all resolution, its prom
nent feature the eyes, which alone answered
the eyes and voices and hearts that appealed to
him, and which light up a countenance not
otherwise handsome, with singular beauty.
Forehead is broad and overhangs the eyes,
face too long, but still keeps the character of
firmness in the strong lines of the chin and the
peryerse curve of the tightly-closed lips, which
are little like Thackeray's, but thinner Al
| together, massive, impressive face, not want
| ing in sternness plainly accustomed to look on
other faces not friendly, capable, on occasions
| of anger, of blazing wrath which has scorched
| others than Mr.. Lowe with its white heat AT
| this moment you see the firm features beaming
with affection, and still as the great orator
stands, he is yisibly touched by the eager love
which is shown him. When he began TO speak
the words came slowly, but without hesitation,
with deliberate distinctness of utterance that
would remind you of Webster-when he was
| sober
1t is not much to say that this speech which
Mr.. Bright proceeded to deliver was one of his
boldest. The time has come when it is safe to
be bold. The taunt that the workngmen took
no interest in reform has reused them, and
from one end of the kingdom to the other you
hear the murInur which precedes the bursting
of just such storm of indignant denial as
broke in the clear sky of Birmingham ycster
day. AT the head of 100000 men, courage is
not surprising quality. In MIR. Bright's case,
it is the unhinching courage shown through
twenty years of conflict which made him the
leader of the 100000, and which gives now to
his other great qualities an opportunity for
wider usefulness than they have ever yet had.
Yet so unusual is it in England to hear word
spoken out of routine, a word which implies
that the existing order Of things can ever be
overthrown, that hint of revolution makes
people hold their breaths, and bushes even the
comment of the Tory press. Fully unfolding
| the infamous proposal of Mr.. Lowe to exclude
| forever from representation in Parliament the
| 100000 or 100000 Of men now unrepresent-
| ed, Mr.. Bright went on to say with delibera-
ton that became more solemn with every
word: "This policy is not important at all be-
cause Mr.. Lowe recommends it, 1t is impOr-
tant only because it has been accepted and APP
proved of by the great Tory party in Parlia-
ment. And, sir, say who am charged with
designs against the safety of the institutions of
this country-that that is a dangerous policy,
policy which in other countries where it has
been carried out obstinately has done great
things. Through it crowns and coronets have
sometimes been lost; and am not sure that
it is a policy that can be safely maintained
with us" Loud cheersl
Add that to the significant sentence in Mr..
Brights letter on the closing of Hyde Park,
that it was doubtful whether any liberty was
likely to remain to the working classes except
to that the stern announcement in this speech
that the accession to office of the Derby Minis
try was a declaration of war against the peo-
pie, with the instant response: I'VE accept itH'
and who does not see that the question of
Reform has entered upon a new period? The
nArE na'sied- setcrf q. rffs; -BffiyT
l neafd wess ag4 1 fE9l most significant
remark, pointing in the same direction. "They
criticise," said he, ''the meetings in London as
q physical demonstration. But assert that,
in country where the right of suffrage is re-
str1cted to minority, a physical demonstra-
ton may be proper element of political agi-
fation. do not think the time has come for
nearto u sss iassl-- 80 - -