Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-25
wRRITIsn REFORM.A
The manches r u e Orm CIub-SPeech
: by John stuart Mill.

which about a hundred gentlemen were
present. The chair was occupied by Mr..
Hugh Mason. of Ashton-under-L and
amongst those present were Mr.. j. 5. Mill
Mp, MIR. GoldwinsSmith. Mf: CheethaTn,i
NJ. P.,- Mr.. T. B. Potter, N. P- MIR Whit
worth, M. p, Mr.. George Wilson, 81.
The health Of the Queen having been
drunk, 49, 2 = ~ 4 A-A-eA - - - ~
Mr.. Jacob Bright proposed the toast of
Earl Russell, MF. Gladstone, aud the Lib
eral members of Parliament"
The following letter from Mr.. Gladstone,
who had beenelected an honorary member
of the club, was then read:
'tMY DEAR Mr.. PoTTER:4I. thankfully
accept the honor you have been pleased to
confer OH me, and though shall not be
enabled to profit by yourhospitablei invita-
ton to the luncheon of the new club on
Monday i would ask you TO believe that on
that day, as indeed on most others. my
thoughts viii be an nxiousIy directed towards
the attainment of the salutary changes
which L trust the session, now about to
opnr may see accomplished. 'H' '~
"I re main, very faithfully. yours, o.sd
-5- T. . WILLIAM EwART GLADsToNE.' g..
Mr.. Cheetham, NJ. p, in, responding to
the toast, referred to the cabal now afloat
in London for the purpose of displacing
Earl Russell and Mr.. Gladstone from. their
positions as leaders of the liberal party.
He expressed his conviction that the liberal
party would not submit to any such in
trfgue, and said that for his own part he
would never follow the lead of any titled
nonehtity,a however distinguished might be
the name he bore. .7 IL, =. ~. M
Mr.. T. B. Potter, M. p, proposed the
toast. "Political Progress, the only Safe
guard Of Civil Liberty,r coupling with it
the names of Mr.. Stuart Mill, Mp, and
Mr. Goodwin Smith. - 7fhai = = /
Mr.. J. Stuart Mill, M. P, who was loudly
cheered, In responding to the toast, said
You have done me the honor of associating
my name with the words political progress.
It is with you-the men of Lancashire
that that idea should be more particularly
connected. We of the south are accGs-
toned to look to you of the north as in
variably leading the van, not only in the
Industrial progress, not only in the COM
mercial progress, but in the political pro-
gress of this country. And in doing so
you have confirmed the idea that we have
heard from our childhood, which is admit
ted and even asserted as n general principle.
by conservative as well as by liberal
thinkers. that manufacturing and commer-
cial populations are always the leaders on
the side of progress. and that agricultural
populations, and particularly an aristOcracy
of great landowners. have different
function in the community function
which is sometimes necessary, although it
function-the function of keeping that
which is good, and, am afraid sometimes
that which is bad. too. GCheerS and laugh
teri But to you it particularly belongs-to
the manufacturing and commercial commu-
mites of the world, and to the manufacture
ing aud commercial part of mixed cOmmu-
pities-it belongs to you to take the lead in
Improvement both in ideas and in the ap-
plication of those ideas to practice. It is
natural that it should be so, because those
who are constantly employed in devisiug
more and more new contrivances for maxi
ing the laws of nature applicable for the
increase of national wealth, and for attain
ing all the objects that are pursued in the
economical department OF things, with ever
increasing facility, and those, very large
proportion of whom are always men who
have made their own posi- ions and theil
own fortunes, and who are always rising
a Succession of them rising from an inferior
to a higher pOsition-theSe are the persons
whose practice and whose course inlif nat
urally ought to make them. and very gen
orally does make them, habitual imprOvers
and reformers; these are the antecedents
which turn mems minds to improvements in
all departments of things, as we'll as in thcil
own. [ wish it were not unfortunately tC
be said that, owing to the general intirmi-
ties of human nature, even these very men
after they have once raised themselves, anC
after their fortune is completely made
they and their descendants very often cher.
ish the rather low ambition of fpassing ove1
into the class of territorial en-Tcheersl-
and from that time they would rather see
their influence employed on the conserva-
tive side-often wholesomely, sometime:
not quite so wholesomely-than on the side
on which they have themselves made &
position. [Cheers.l Still, however, it is tC
this class that we must look in all great
fOV
ment; and tits, to them that we must loOE
mainly for victory in the great battle in
which we are now engaged against what
remains of privilege in this country.
GCheers. The sentiment which has beer
given by my friend Mr.. Potter, associates
political progress with civil liberty as be-
ing the sole condition CT it; and think nc
person who uses the smallest reflection car
doubt that that is true, for our history anG
our principles together combine in show
ing, in the first place, that the nation which
is not going forward always goes back, anC
the nation which is not constantly employ
ed in improving whatever 1t has, both o.
material and also of spiritual good-whict
is not constantly engaged in improving
gets into state of stagnation and menta
Incidence, the sure consequence of which is
decline. And zoe haze declined IN these things
We hare declined either IN material prosperity
or in mental and moral culture, and with tha
decline comes, necessarily, where people
has been free, the gradual loss of liberty
Consequently, it is not to be expected tina
any country should long retain its liberty
which is not engaged in political progres;
which does not keep political progress
constantly going. But more than chat
there is point which very specially de.
mandS and invites our attention at thi;
very moment, namely, the question how 6
country, in the new state of the world, il
to protect not only its liberty, but even its
national independence against foreign
countries. Look at the armed hosts which
are rising up ally over the world just now
Look at the immense extent to which al
the Governments of Europe-all the more
powerful Governments-are devoting the
whole of their resources, and the whole,
almost you may say, of their people, to the
maintenance of enormous armies; and not
merely as defensive but of aggressive
armies. Is that not menacing to this cOun.
try? Does anybody suppose that those
Governments look with pleasure upon the
degree of freedom that we enjoy, and upoT
the contrast, which, in many respects. Oul
position offers to that of their subjects
owing to our freedom? Not at all. AnC
vet, what post ion are we in We, with oul
small army-and hope we never shall
have alarger-still cannot keep it up. We
cannot get recruits, because-and this is
point to which all mems attention, I think
ought to be turned, as being one of the
most. remarkable signs of the times-the
people of this country, and indeed of othel
Countries, but especially of this country
will no longer fight for cause which il
not their own. Men will not be soldiers a
a mere profession; at least the number il
constantly diminishing of those who viii
hire themselves out to shed the blood O
others, when it is not for their own prOtec
tion and their own freedom and laws. Bu
zoe haze a noble example Of hoao a pc pie cal
.fqht ao1aen it is for Themselves, for their oa0I
cause, when it is for their own liberty, o
for moral principles which they regart
equally with their liberty, in the late herot
and -1GILnnt St97E11le of the United States