New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-06
BRITISH FEUDALISM.
EARL DARNLEYs ARROGANCE.

VI
the ranks OF the land reformers lie has just blum
dored into Of those curious anacllronisS winch
men who are heirs to the fortunes of other ages seem
so prone to commit. He is great landowner IN
Kent, and for 30 years past has had MI William
Lake as tenant Of one Of his farms-aways good
tenant, paying punctually, treating the land fairly
and enough II person TO be chosen Mayor Of
GravCsend. So stood matters when it CHANGED that
Earl Darney fell into quarrel with some OF the ON
GERS Of the West Kent YeOmanry, regiment OF winch
his lordship was colonel OF the merits OK the dis
pute know nothing, but the end of 1t was thatL 'rd
Darnley resigned hs command Thercupon he
caused to he understood that he expected those oil
his tenants who had enlisted prvates in the same
regiment 20 withdraw from it; which they all did
Mr.. Lake was not in the regiment but his son WAS
and Lord DaTncy personally requested Mr.. Lake To
use his influence with his 10 induce him To retire.
This Mr.. Lake, though the request was enforced by
a threat refused to do, and for refusing has been
turned out of his EARN.
The correspondence which passed between the
Earl and Mr. Lake is most curious. " our son'
writes Lord Daulcy last March, "lfas singled INN
sell out from the body of my tenantTy 10 attach HIM
self To- colors 10 which | am well known not TO be
friendly and which The rest of the tenants and ten
ants sons considered themselves bound, as maHer
theml and good feeling toward their landlord, TO
abandon of their own accord" Mr. Lake himself,
moreover, had not honored Lord Darnley-this rs
the EaIls own languagc-witlr his company at the
tenants dinner since ISL and bad only been pres
ont once during the last five dinners. These two
awful facts seemed to tho Earl sufficient reason To
call on MIR. Lake to give mp his holding. Ii Is" lie
says the characteristic of tho tenantry on the
large estates in this country that they are not mere
rent-paycrs or customers for the commodity called
land, but on the contrary, retain just so much OF
feudal tradition as without compromising their due
independcncc serves to establish some kind Of sym
patty OF sentiment aud identity of interest between
themselves and their landlord; and 1t appears to me
to be fair matter Cor consideration bow far any
person who prefers 10 disregard that kind of under-
standing is justified in keeping out some one else
Who would not disregard it,"
Sr Lake seems not to have been persuaded 70 ac-
copt this fcudal notion of his position, and matters
remained as they were ill September, when thc
Earl renewed the correspondence with a no
,ice to quiz. In the interval Mr. Lake had laid
out good deal of money the land OF which the
Earl gets the benefit; nor does he give any other
reason for not having acted at Oh the purpose
he had evidently formed IN March, Still he dis-
claims al personal feeling, has i'll will 10 Mr.
Lake aad simply means that his estate shall be ad-
mnstercd on the fcudll principle he has announced.
And he concludes the correspondence with the re-
mark: IL were willing TO have tenants upon such
terms as yours, might az wellSput my farms mp to
public competition Indeed, it would be FOOLISH not TO
DO SOL rs should get CHER rents than now receive,
and very enterprising gentlemen residing at Biz
mineham or Liverpool or wherever else you will,
would answer every purpose"
II is not surprising that in age which is consld
erably less feudil than Lord Darnley thinks il
ought TO be this correspondence sh0uld have elected
sOmo comment. IL mas been pointed out that
yeomanry regiments raised in tho service of the
Queen, and that it is very extraordinary preten-
sion for one subject when he leaves the Queens
vice TO require Others do the same. Lord Darnley
is told that he has been guilty of amazing imperti
nence aud leading London journal asks: " Is there
not room in Kent for Lord DarDey and the Queen,
and are their subjects there SO unhappy that they
must choose between that noblcman's favor and the
service of their sovereign 7" He is told that he
deceived himself and insulted other landowners by
declaring that the degradation Ne designs for his
OWE tenantry is indicted others habitually. Says
The Daily Ncr9:
Tho great landlords Of England respect their
because they respect themselves They DO not give out
that Whoever holds their farus must cspOuSe their cause
in their private qulrges they DO not tell their tenants
that The difference their and the market
value Of their farms ~ be paid IN servy Ia do not
srve an occuuier with notice to quit and clqbOratcy
explain that IL because he does attend the rent
jiers ana syoil hs landlords state, aud they VIII
thank Lord Darncy for preen ing that their practice is
1uch So keep him in cOunt'nance.
And the question is raised whether any notice
should b taken of Lord Darnley's presumptuous
and disloyal attempt TO procure the dissolution of
cavalry regiment by private solicitation and to
serve personal end" | am not saTo whether the
great landlords Of England would agree that
Liberal journal was entitled to speak for them,
that they would repuiatc Lord Darnley so en-
phatically for themselves rs that journal does in
their behalf However that may be, the great Kent
nnbemau could not rest under the criticism, and he
has so far condeScended from his feudal state as to
forward an explanation to tho press. The cxplana-
ton amounts 10 this. that Lord Dlrneys quarrel Is
with the officer comuiandnga troop in the regiment
not with the regiment az n whole, aud that his
tenants viii be permitted to ro6nlist this
officer shall have been forced to resign. The dis
tnction is fine one; for in point OF fact, his ten
ants 10 not enlist in any other troop, and evidently
would not be allowed 10, since Lord Darniey, by has
own account has notified 81 tine present colonel that
nothing can he expected from him his so long re
tits officer remains. That does not concern Us.
Tine picture of tho feulal landlord and feudal
tenant, dcspotic on one side and slavish on the
other. Is an interesting one. 1t is extreme case.
no doubt The fact that it is possible that such
IDEAS do exist, thai such relations exist between
owner and occuper o. land. gives rise to reflections
I: is only last session that the House OF Commons
and tho newspapers echoed with protests in favor of
freedom OF contract between landlord and tenant.
II there are many Lord Darnleys. they Will echo
with A different cry some day The tenants for the
moment eide with their landlord, and certificate
from them 70 that effect ia actually published. SO
much the worse for both The fact that slaves were
contentcd with their slavery was always one OF the
strongcst arguments against the system
The survivors OF the Six Hundred who rode into
the Valley of Death are to have banquet at the
Alexandra Palace on tie anniversary of that