Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-22
A NOBLE LIFE.

VINO nus sat III lne HOUSE, VI SOmnlous us
heir representative uninterruptedly since
he autumn OF 1857. Tue man is worthy the
Ionor, for there are few uobler figures than
Ms. Mr.. Blight is emphatcally one OF the ,
people. In one of his early addresses to his /
constituents he used these striking words;
81 am workipgman as much as you. My
father was os poor us any mun iu this crowd.
lie was of your own body, entirely. lie
boasts no.-nor do l-of birth, nor Of great
family distinctions What he has maize, he
has made by his own industry and success
full commerce. What ! have, comes from
him, and from my own exerlions have
no interest in the extravaganza OF govern
mcnt | have no interest in seeking appoint
mcnts under any government have no IN
teie3t in paudcring to the views OF any gov
ernmcn,; have nothing to gain by being
the tool of any party. ! come before you AS
the friend ol my own class and order; ns
one ot the people; AS one who would, Oh all
occasions, be the firm defender Of your
rights, and the asserter of all those prlvil-
eyes to which you are Justly entitled. 1t is
on these grounds that | offer myself 10 your
notice il Is on these grounds that solicit
your suilragcs; ii is for this alone, the as
scrton of my principles and the maintenance
Of my opinions, that | am prepared to sacrl- |
flee the comforts of my present mode oil HE
to give up II home which is dear to mc--to
leave family which is dear Ia me and to
part with comforts which can not hc enjoyed
by any man who takes n prominent part IN
public affairs"
At the a.c of fifteen Mr.. Bright left school
to work in ha fathers mill. While still al
very young man he took lively Interest in
public affairs, and then as always was found
on the side of education and progress and hu-
manty. lie ardently favored Catholic
emancipation, the cause OF temperance, uni
veIs Il education. In 1899 he made his first
speech in behalf of Tree trad, hut it was moi
till two years later thut he flung himself into
the work with all his energy, and assumed,
with Golden, the lead of the agitation The
touching passage in which he las himself re-
corded the circumstances is well known, but
it will bear repeating. His first wife had
just died:
Eat that tine | was at bennington, and
on the day when Mr. Cobicu called on me
for he happened to br there at the same time
on visit to some reations-l was in the
depth OF grief | might almost say of despair,
for the light and sunshine Of my house was
cxtnguished. All that was lett on earth OF
my young wife, except the memory OF a
santed life and of Il too biicf happiness, was
lying still and cold in the chamOer above U.S.
Mr.. Golden called on me AS my friend, and
addressed me, US you might suppose, with
words Of condoleucc. After time he look
ed up, and said; There are thousands OF
homes in England at this moment where
wives, mothers, aud children ure dying oil
hunger. Now when the first paroxysm o.!
your grief is past would advisey tocome
with Inc, and we will never rest till the Corn
law is repealed"
1t was in the next year, 1912, that MIR.
Bright made his first attempt to enter Parlla-
ment AT a days notice lie attempted to
take by assault the aristocra,ic city Of Dur
ham, and though he did not succeed, he
polled 4O5 votes against Lord Dungannon's
501. petition followed Lord DUNCAN.
non was unseatcd, and in the second election
Mr.. Bright was returned by 4sS votes against
40 recorded for his opponent MIR. Purvis
1t is interesting to notice that the Dean oil
Durham and one Of his prebendaries wert
found voting for tie Quaker and Radical
candidate but so lofty and convincing was
his cloquence and so genuine the emotion in
favor of liberal reform which he inspired
that the city was carried by storm. The cX
ci,ement which the victory caused through
out the country was considerable, and the
Protectionist majority In the House OF Com
mons began to be angry and alarmed. From
that time to this Mr.. Bright has held seal
in Parliament almost continually. When i'll
health prevented lin from appearing tt
fight his own cause lie lost lis election afte
the dissolution of 1865. Up to this time hi
name is always TO be found among those wht
spoke and voted iu support Of what wer'
then thought advanced measures, many Of
which have now for some time taken thei
place on the statute book But the great even
of the years in question, and the even
which most deeply moved Mr.. Bright, wa
. the Crimean war. Ills opposition to tina
, war was consistent with his previous PROBES
sions, and with the views of the Society o
Friends but he lad few sympathzer
among influential persons, and his speeches
brought him into great unpopularty. Iii
exclusion from Parliament was not for long
In August, 1857, vacancy occurred at Dir
mngham the seat was offered 10 him b,
the vote OF public meeting, and he wa
elected in his absence without a contest. l
need not be said that the tie then formed ha'
!, never since been broken, and that the names
: of Birmingham and Bright are inseparable
To describe the various measures in which
during the twenty-four years that have pass
ed since his election, he has taken n leading
part, would be to write the political histor,
of England for that space Of time.
During the War for the Union Mr.. Brigh
was the firm and stoadfast friend of thu
North, and made many speeches, in and on
of Parliament in our behalf. An interesting
tribute TO Mr.. Brighl's advocacy of our cause
was an invitation to visit this country. ex
tended to him by President Hayes. Presi
dent Hayes wrote him:
T "Tir people of this country have from
time t. time INDUCED the hope that YOU
public duties at home might admit of YOU
D paying n visit to this kindred nation across
( the sea, and that your personal inclinatlon'
might MT dissulde you from gratifying thi!
hope. | n,ei not say that at any time THU
many years your eminence in the public lil,
. of your own country would have ensured yo,
8 u most cordial reception from our people. i
, will not. am sure, seem either unnatural Of
, dspleasing to you that this title to our re
j spect should be heightened by the apprecia
A ton OF the great value to rs Of your opinions
and their courageous maintenance during thu
stress upon our Constitution and free Gov
u ernmcnt, through which we have now, /
c may be hoped, completely passed"
To this Mr. Bright replied, declining thu
y invitation on the gr lund OF advancing year