Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-04-05

Brights effigy was burned with all manner
of insulting Accomplishments, and such cpl
thets as "traiter" and Communist" were
freely applied to him in public platforms as
well as in the press.
His fame in Parliament, which he entered
in 1S43, was founded upon his heroic advo.
cacy of the repeal of the corn laws. Richard
Golden and John Bright together educated
England up TO the idea that duties levied
on all the people for the benft of the prvi-
legged agricultural class was an injustice
and an outrage. The common people of
England had to be brought literally to the
edge of starvation, and thousands Of them
pushed over it, while the corn Of the world
was kept from them by the high protective
duties levied by Tory lords in the interest
of their rent-rolls-though nominaly, Of
course, for the protection Of iarmers-beiere
the clean cut argument of Golden and the
burning, lavalike oratory of John Bright
prevailed.
When the Infamous corn laws were re-
pealed, and the Tory policy of high protec
ton forever laid in the grave, as far as Eng
land was concerned, it was reserved for Sir
Robert Peel and Tory ministry, of which,
by the way, Mr.. Gladstone was member,
TO draft and carry the repeating act. None
the less to Golden and Bright, and more
especially to Bright, as leader of the out
door agitation which fairly terrified the
Tories into submission, belongs the credit
OF inaugurating free trade in England.
Many noble services to the cause of human
liberty and progress were rendered by this
phenomenal man, notably his splendid work
in behalf OF the repeal of paper duties, by
which repeal the penny newspaper press
was called into existence; his advocacy of
the lowering OF the franchise by which the
House of Commons was practically revolu-
tioniZed, and became for the first time in its
history the real voice of the common peo-
Pile, his championship of the disestablish-
ment OF the state church in Ireland and his
efforts in co operation with Mr.. Gladstone
for the reform of the Irish landlords
This is the record which gave John
Bright clear title to the lasting gratitude
Of his countrymen In this country we re-
member him because of his fearless friend
ship for the American Union which he
showed on scores of English platforms, as
well rs on the floor of the House of Com
mons. We can recall at present his effort
upon the occasion of the seizure of Mason
and Slidel, when English popular feeling
was at white heat of sympathy for the Con-
federacy, John Bright then said, and we
give his words to show the natural turn
Of his feelings, not because of any sympa-
thy either in their spirit or desired effect :
"Whether the Union will be restored or not
or the South will achieve an unhonored in
dependence or not, | know not and l pre-
dict not, but this | think know, that in
few years, a very few years, the 100000
of freemen in the North will be 100000
or even 100000, a population equal to or
exceeding that o: the kingdom, when that
time comes, pray that it may not be said
amongst them that, in the darkest hour of
their country's trials, England, the land of
their fathers, looked on with icy GOODNESS,
and saw unmoved the pcrils and calamities
Of her children. AS for me, have but this
to say, am but one in this audience and
but one in the citizenship of this country,
but, II all other tongues are silent, mine
shall speak for that policy which gives hope
to the bondmen Of the South, and tends to
generous thoughts and generous deeds be.
tween the two great nations that speak the
English language, and from their origin are
alike entitled to the English name"
THIS passage gives an excellent short
example of the great simplicity as well as
the fire and force of Mr. Bright's oratory.
Let us remember his utterances, now that
he has passed over to the silent majority,
and draw veil over any of the mistakes OF
his declining years.