New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-07
THOMAS COOPER.
THE STORY OF THE FAMOUS CHARTIST
LEADER

pic Pitctht StHcIdtiOf. edNt W tlOSc Wltu tuluuo
historically inclined And even these latter must
have experienced some surprise when they were
informed not many days ago, of the death Of
this venerable man. The events with which he
was conspicuously identified were of great i'm
portance. They form striking chapter of Eng
fish political, social and religious history. But
they SO entirely belong TO a past time that it il
difficult to think of them having been guided
by men who live aad move in this generation
There is story, perhaps not founded in fact, but
at any rate highly suggestive to this effect, that
Mr.. Arthur Balfour was asked, only some weeks
ago, by Mr. Mundella, TO approve the granting OF
pension 10 Mr.. Cooper: whereupon the young
statesman, With a perplexed air, said, Cooper?
Thomas Cooper? Who is lie ?' 1t is not 10 he
credited that so fine scholar Mr.. Balfour
should have been ignorant of Thomas Cooper's
work and place in history. But had be been, he
would only have shared the lot Of the great
majority of his fellow Brtons. Yet simply as
an example of indomtabe will, Thomas Cooper
deserves to be known ard studied by all men.
The great Chartist came of Yorkshire Quaker
stock, and particularly humble stock at thar.
He really had no home in earliest child
hood, for his father was travelling
DYER who tramped about with his family
from place TO place. wherever he could find
patronage. Thus they at Leicester in March,
800, when Thomas was born. -Four years later
while temporarily sojournins at Exeter. the elder
Cooper died, and his widow took her child and
went to her fathers home at Gainsborough, in
Lincolnshire. There Thomas Cooper lived for
the next twenty-five years.
lie was prccocious child He learned tn read
IL is said, without instruction, when less than
two wears old, and at three years old was en-
tbo;r nd reading IN
children three times his own age At eight he
was sent for three years, TO the Bluecoat School,
and thereafter for four years he attended
private school, where he was regarded as
an intellectual prodigy. These seven years In
school were all however, that could he afforded,
and at the age of fifteen he set ont to make his
living lie apprenticed himself to shoemaker.
and soon made a firm and lasting friend Of lad
who. near by was learning the trade Of basket
maker. The latter became afterward famous as
Thomas Miller. the poet.
Young Cooper worked hard and studied harder.
and received beggary pittance Of wages no
could not buy sufficient food and so lived In
half-fsmished state. Speaking Of those times, m
after Years he once said u not unfrequenty
swooned away and fell along the floor when l
tried to take my cup Of oatmeal Cruel at the END
of the days labor Next morning, of course.
was not able 10 rise at early hour; and then
the next davis study had 10 be stinted. needed
better food than we could afford TO buy. and
often had to contend with the sense Of faintness,
while 7 still ploddci with my double task ~
mind and body How heavy the task of mind
was may he in part imagined from the fact that
he regularly rose at 3 o'clock in the morning IN
study BY the time he was twenty-three he had
taught himself Greek. Latin, Hebrew, and French.
tb and Ero1ish history
and literature His general reading was Of the
most extensive and varied character. and by way
Of recreation he would commit to memory such
works as Hamlet
For eight wears he worked at the shocmakers
bench, and then, at twenty-three. abandoned 10
and opened a school for the children Of working
peope 4 little later he became also local
preacher in the Methodist Church Then, in 1884,
he married the daughter of a brother-preacher
and went 10 Lincoln To live. There ne opened
school; helped 10 found the Choral Society
and the Mechanics Institute; wrote much for
various newspapers: began his great poem on Tho
Purgatory of Suicides - and engaged in politics az
strong Radical and supporter of Sir Edward
Bulwer Lytton. But his stay in Lincoln was
brief He went TO Stamford for little time and
then in $3.50, removed TO London.
Forthwith he plunged into the thick OF the
great political agitation that was then daily
gathering force. But lie could not make
his way In metropolitan journalism and litera-
ture, so within a year he went back 10 ms
birthplace Leicester. There he joined the Chart
lists. became their leader and edited their news
paper organ The Midland Counties illumination.
He was also a Chartist candidate for Parliament,
but WAS defeated at the polls. His eIectioneering
speeches. however, so impressed certain lad Of
o. tIat ha q
Chartst, too, went into politics and has won for
himself an honorable and important place In the
English Government-Mr. A. ]. Mundela. When
Chartism began TO be swallowed up IN the Free
Trade movement, Mr.. Cooper was steadfast in the
old faith The Peoples Charter first, he said.
and then repeal OF the Corn Laws and Free
Trade" But the tide against him. The
better element Of the Chartist party went over
"a Free Trade, leaving behind the turbulent and
unruly. Strikes and riots came on. Factories
were closed. The troops came out. Cities seemed
almost in stage of siege Against all these en-
cesscs Cooper set his face and raised his voice
but in vain. He could not control or restrain his
followers and the blame of their deeds fell upon
him. lie was arrested again and again on charges
of arson, conspiracy and sedition. After several
acquittals he was convicted of conspiracy and
sediton and was sent TO prison for two years.
In his cell he pursued his literary work, writing
much OF The Purgatery OF Suicides" Finding
himself deserted by his Methodist friends, he be-
gan TO lose faith in that religion. Then he took
10 reading Strauss and finally accepted that phi
losophcr's beliefs. On his release from Jail he
wished to reenter the profession Of letters and
applied TO Thomas Duncombe, Member Of Par
lament for Finsbury, for advice and aid. That
eccentric gentleman sent him TO Benjamin Dis
ali xifh a inf nHu ofio fhot. fol
lows: My Dear Dsraeli, send you Mr. Cooper,
q Chartist, red hot from Stafford Gaol, But
don't be frightened. lie won't bite YOU He has
written poem and romance; and thinks he can
cut out 'Coningsby' and 'Sybll' Help him if you
can and oblige yours, I. 5. Duncombe."
Dsrael was kind TO him, and tried hard but in
vain to get some 10 publish his poem, The Pur-
gatory Of Suicides. Then Dickens and Douglas