New-York tribune., 1873-03-18

ap
"a an aer,nultural Iaboyer from Warwekshire'
IIn,,I last Spring he never beard oi ''o
smote Of his own chimney. In 10" "c'A' "o ',o1
,amous No man in EDgland can how oia" 49,
audience. AT recent meeting 10 bVnaon's no ""'
soo,ed with burst OF cheering which the most popu
lar orator of the day could hardly command. lie Is
.-,o,, robust red-cheeked, darkeyed man, with
Tho nnmis;akable look OF an English farmer
He smoke with broad provincial accent, and with con
siderable uency and force, but with no attempt at eio
ouence II was plain, simple homespun prose- now and
then enliyened by rough and hearty joke. Mr. Arch rs
the header of Of the most remarkable movements In
England during the present eeneration-a- movement
that most people years would have pronounced
impossible 1t fact the first attempt to bring the
English rural aborers into combination for the improve
ment Of their social condition This. according to Mr.
Mccarthy Is as bad as bad can be- In the inland and
southern counties, the farm-workman Is almost on
a level with the cattle he drives. He drags through
his whole life with Just wages enough to keep
soul and body together. Too often he looks for
ward only 10 tho the refuge OF hs old age
He hardly ever eats meat except miserable fringe OF
rusty bacon at rare intervals He seldom knows how to
read There s world for him outside his own parish
His life is fully occupied with trying TO live, and he has
no time for anything else. When suffrage placed
within the reach OF the artisans in towns 1t left their
ral brothers ont In the cold "Suddeny last Spring,
not long after the assembling Of Parliament vague
mors began 70 reach London OF movement OF some
kind among aborers OF South Warwckshire II was
reported that they had asked for an increase Of wages
then that they were actually forming laborers' unon
after the pattern OF the artisans then that they were
on strike We began 10 hear accounts OF meetings OF
rural laborers-meetngs, positively. where men mado
speeches Instantly the principal papers sent down
their special correspondence ana TOT weeks the move
ment among the agricultural laborers OF South War
wickshlre the country OF shakespeare) became the
sensation of London. Even the Geneva arbitration.
Parliament
talk about every night thrown into the shade.
Imagine what San Francisco would say II there we're
sudden combination and strike OF Chinese. Think OF the
feelings OF Salt Lake City there were strike OF wives
Try 10 conceive the emotions OF sreet-car conductor
on being told that there was rebellion among the
horses Still you could hardly realize by any OF these
approaches adequate conception of the sensation OF
some Tory landlords farmers when they learned that
strike OF rural aborers was actually In progress How
the thing first about is not very clear II Is only
known that wonderful man suddenly made his appear
ance In Warwickshire village He had led wild sort
OF life and had seen many men and many cities.
He had been present at meetings OF dusky
working.Inen in the iron manufacturing dis
tricts, who made their demands In plain talk
Upon returning his native village he told OF the won
ders he had seen 10 neredulous listeners Meanwhile
there came harder time than usual The wages OF two
or three dollars a week utterly failed to keep up the
family. There was sad and suen talk OF starvation.
they could not do it with the rents demanded by the
great landlords. The great landlords said they got 10
more rent than their land WORTH and could do moth
ing Still it clear that the farmers had plenty to
eat drink and wear that the landlords living like
prinees while the laborer the verge Of starvation
Joseph Arch now came upon the stage. His great
idea was TO form laborers' union like the trades
unions of the cities. The idea taken up
with enthusiasm. Village after ivillage came in New
branches were formed every day. Arch kept holding
meetings and addressing crowds The whole movement
naturally passed his hands IL soon attracted gen
eral attention. Some persons OF very different class
from Arch went TO the spot TO offer their sympathy
Among others Mr Auberon Herbert the eccentric and
hghspirited young republican arstocrat, threw himself
heart and soul into the Meetings were held in
various villages and Mr.. Arch found himself in the con
slant companonship Of Auberon Herbert, his wife, Lady
Florence Herbert and other unwonted associates The
simple dignity OF the sturdy aborer deserted the
leader OF the movement, nor did he show
apy disposition to mix up his enterprise with
apy political matters. II has however. now assumed
a political aspect, and the demand Is made for the
eprancisement OF the peasantry 1t s this movement
which has brought Joseph Arch into alliance with the
Radical leaders cities. the English has
now entered into popular councils He is the newest
figure on the political stage Of the world. Coming after
the Russian ser and the Virginia negro, he Is destined
10 make himself felt the civilization Of the age
Other articles Of in this number an essay on
| France and Louis Napoleon" by r. B. Kimban, "A
Contribution shakespearoan Study by Dnrand, and
| "Wnnderings," by Lady Blanche Murphy. There are
poetical contributions by Bayard Taylor, Edgar Faw-
| cett, joaquin Miller. and others.
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