The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-14


Radicalism In Constant Progress.
The democracy Of England proper have
commenced an agitation on the land question,
as it presents in that country, which bids fair
to overtop, both in its points of demand and
compactness and application of the moral force
power as means Of its accomplishment, that
which is progressing so rapidly towards a
healthy and equitable issue by peaceable adjust
ment on the same subject In Ireland The
English agitation is radical in the extreme and
consequently, revolutionary as regards the
existing baronal interests and ancient mano-
rial settlements. Its leaders appear to ignore
the laws of entail in landed property COM
pletely, and ask aud require the soil of the
country for the use of the commonalty at large,
involving, of course, redistribution of the
ownership Of its acreage, small holdings and
the accordance of the right of titles in fee to
the people. This movement, as reported in
our mail dispatches from Europe yesterday,
has been inaugurated in Birmingham, centre
from which the toiling aud closely packed and
seething, sweating democracy of Britain peer
daily through the smoke and coal dust of huge
factories at palaces on one hand and poor
houses and prisons on the other; beholding at
the same time to them dark and apparently
impossible gulf between. A hall has been
opened in Birmingham for the use of the
new organization, the platform Of which was
proclaimed in very few words by prominent
English public agitator thus :-''There were
two land questions, he said-the English and
the Irish. The Irish was to be considered first,
because the people there had starved till they
refused to starve any longer with becoming
meekness, while the British people were only
beginning to starve. The people alone had q
right to the land, and must be put in possess
sion of 1t"
These words are more than signifcant-they
are dangerous. We publish them, however,
as setting forth, in an unmistakable form Of
Indication, the current of popular feeling in
Great Britain, leaving for inference, as our
readers may incline, the consequences which
would ensue in that country from Its assuming
the shape of constitutional tide in its ex-
preston and effect At this distance it ap-
pears as if the obliteration Of the law entail
in real estate in England would within a
very short time sweep away the titled arts
Of less than a couple Of generations Of
men bring the then existing representa-
tives of it's titles to social and class
level with the educated workingmen, who
would in the meantime be steadily ad-
vancing upward, and thus meet them in their
descent and save them from any violent fall by
a national, friendly, good-humored amalgama-
ton, not only in everyday interest, but by
family alliances. With its aristocratic class
props taken away the throne Of England will
OF would become too heavy for the country, and
evidently must descend step or two also.
Its adornments and ornamentation would have
to be suited to the requirements and necessi-
ties of the day. 1t must be trimmed and deco
rated in more homely fashion, so as to make it
lighter and more easily borne on the broad
they do and will like it-bear it for time
only for time though. Radical financial
economy must accompany secure national
radical progress, and that system Of State
tax economy which was SO rudely proclaimed
in Britain by Watt Tyler, but which has been
SO successfully practised by the late Joseph
Hume, Richard Golden, Henry Brougham, Mr..
Gladstone and Lord Clarendon, will evidently
and eventually force the people to seek about
for cheaper government, no matter who may be
at its head working Guelph, IL may DO as
salaried executive or adopted intermediary,
neutral and honest, between the claims Of the
home artisan and the hereditary interests
interests political and Of family. While noting
the legislative tactics of the French ''Reds,"
it is useful to remark and chronicle the system
England.