The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-08-10
A Steady March to the Full Enjoyment
Of Citizen Rights.
Bonaparie's Coup d'Etat and Arist0-
cratic distractions.
The American War and Abraham
xincoln's Emancipation roclama-
ton Free the English Masses.


marXaole epochs which have occurred in the political
march Of the masses towards complete enfranchsemen
noting as We proceed tho main which Influenced
the arlstocra,s in their policy OF obstruction, well
those which cheercd the people on TO victory II will DO
seen that The vvifyng impulse which has need OF tho
really came from America, and may be claimed
to-day that tho people Of England mainly indebted
to the citizens Of the United in their grand
ton OF the cause oil the Union for that solid demonsra
ton OF the power OF nations will and tho mode Of
welding its forco which has enabled them to wiring
"gigantic' measure of reform from the hands of the
most abie representative of The SANKEY'S OF Derby.
Mrabcag said that an arstocracy traIsitory. but
people eternal. Coninng RANGE of vision to the
field Of British pubic life should be disposed argue
thai tho converse of tins g'tterng generalization"
true; for whereas the British arlstocratc parties haze
very long, active and continuous existence, the lie of
the British democratic party has been precarious ltul
and spasmodic. More ccnaose than the man who
sleeps nearly ono half OF the wen,yiour hours OF the
day, tho British democracy, since the opening OF tho
present cen;urysncc, even the commencement of the
long peace with Francc--has spent n greater span OF
time IA state of political trance than in OF wake.
ulness aud activity Now. however the British work.
Ing classes are once moro Gbou, have become
"a great fact IN public life, and think II duty
neniy incumbent on the journalist unfold the pro.
stimuli BY which they have been gradually galvan-
ICED OF fifteen years and excited into new
career Of activity.
Let frs. OF all examine the causes which produced
that state Of suspended political animation from which
he British democracy ntiy recovered IL be
81 that the first phase Of the continental rcac:ion-that
Of 1910 -50-was fatal To the British democratic party
30 long Parliamentary rule survived In Franco tho
Char;st party, or At least trump" OF the body, re-
mained in existence II tho uD detat of Deccm-
Der 1851 I'm other words the continental reaction in
its second phase, which administered the coup grace
to the British democracy Strange it may SEEM that
coup deat fatal to British democracy as TO the
French cons.ituonailibera aud republican parties
:hc ncighborhood of French military desposm has
always proved itself singular of irritation
anxiety TO the spc tally English people. We see this
phenomenon in the attitude Of tho English towards
Louis XIV. and Napoleon !. Certainly Napoleon Ill.
has given such provocations TO the British nation
did Louis Quaorze and tho first Bonaparts.
Nevertheless, the echo OF the cannon OF the
I'd Of December in England au Invasion
panic and resulted the calling OF the militia.
This unclicd Tor explosion OF nat ouai feeling not
dscounicnanced, but was rather patron.1ed by the
leaders OF the English democracy; but the parry who
rcaped the benefit Of and made political capital OF,
these ard other similar oatbursts or 'John Dusm''
tory party the personal followers OF Lord
Pamerston
The obsructves glad to see the British people
occupied rot with the question of extending their po
l.ca power but with that OF defending the shores of
Britain from the chimcra OF al inva~on. The moro
s'patrotic the people became, much the more did
the democratic feeling Sarely it was as much a
OF the advocates manhood suffrage
and tho ballot in Britain TO make dead scl'' at
throne which founded manhood suffrage and the
ballot as it would have been to have offered
It's occupant Under these crcums ances the Caar,ist
organization died out aud the democratic Journals OF
Ernest Jones and Brouterro O'Bren followed the
trump Of the Chartst body to tue grave.
The leaders Of the British democracy were unable to
turn the Crmcan 1s53-56 TO any account Had
they been well informed the Polish question and
the paramount necessity OF pushing it
into notice. they might siili have held handful of
their folioacrs together and perhaps made head
way. But they wero ignorant OF tho merits and inn
porance Of tho Polish question, aud consequently, not.
outstanding the breakdown Of the British arisocratc
army system In tho Crmean campaign, the British
democracy did not during that campaign awake from The
collapse into which II had fallen N December . 1851.
After the peace C fars March, 1861 the anti
Napolconic fccins ran .,gh IN England more and
the democratic leaders. instead OF combating 1t and
warning the BIZ tsh people tina, their particular enemy
The stream which leading them into dismal swamp.
Another invasion panic the result, aud working
men rushed lli the ranks Of vounteers In 1851
after the conclusion Of the treaty OF commerce with
France. Richard Golden published his pamphlet called
" The Three pancs the harden Of which TO expose
the folly Of John Dulsm Gallo phoba and Nspoleono
phooia, which then rampant and to advise his
countrymeu dcss, from ssch suicidal extinction OF
the national intellect and feeling and to concentrate
their attention internal reforms So long, in short
the Napoleono phoba remained in force, long cid the
British democracy remain entranced.
The substance OF that mania may be set down ~
dating from 1862 or 1884, but such subsistence was
condition precedent Of the renewal OF beautiful vigor
hy the British dmocracy The occurrence OF the great
slave nsurrecon in America useful Ia this
respect that 10 forced the British working classes to
turn their eyes away from France and 10 1x them in
the direction OF the United States
Before commence to trace the new upward move
ment Of tho democratic sap let say by way OF parcn
thesis that there were three movements independent
OF each other and all Independent OF politics. and ycs all
connected scvcray with fraction or the British
ing classes, which quietly pursuing their onward
course during the aforesaid period OF trance. These
three movements werc-arst, tho secuaris movement,
On gious movement Represented
principally by George jacob Hoiyoake, Charles Brad
laugh better known as "iconocast, and Mrs.. Harriet
law and represented in Journalism nrst bv the Reason
former secondly, the cooperative labor movement rep
resented in journalism by Henry Ptmans Ccoperdtr;
and thirdly, the trade movement. which nourished
and greatly extended its rsmidcations wonderfully
throughout Great Britain and ireland during and partly
In consequence Of the abssen,ou Of the people from
politics These three movements, repeat were all
rus riRsr asALrur POPULAR MOVEMENT.
events which nrst injected life into the inAnimate
frame OF the British democracy That chapter o. events