Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-20
COXEY AND HIS ANTE-TYPES
Booted Petitions That Have Made a Mark
in History.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
1.-The thing that hath been Is that which
shall be, and that which Is done IS that
which shall be done. and there In no new
thing under the SUM-"
CoNey and company are but imitators and
history is full Of their ante-types. The right
Of petition has been used and abused In all
nations and i'm all times.
A notable instance in England was that of
Lord George Gordon and his so-called anti
popery riot in 1880. The germ of this riot
was a movement inaugurated by some sim
cere but over-anxious Protestants, who had
taken alarm at the passage of the ',act In
favor of religious liberty" which abolished
the prescription OF Catholics and placed
them on the footing of other denomina-
tions. The opponents of the act thought IL
was an insidious attempt to pave the way
Tor the restoration of Catholicism as the re-
ligion OF the state. although a large major
ity OF the parliament that passed IL were
adherents and friends OF the Church OF
England, the established religion. Petitions
for its repeal were circulated all over Great
Britain. and Lord George Gordon undertook
TO present them to the house of commons.
Of which he was a member
The movement was a perfectly Harmless
one, and. had IL been confined to its orig1-
majors. would have terminated in the peace
full and orderly exercise OF the right of De-
tition. But the lawless and vicious element
that abounds in large cities took advantage
OF IL 10 mask an uprising against the peace
and order of society.
On June 2. 1850, Lord George Gordon. at
tended by Populations from many Protes-
tant associations. started for the house Of
commons to present the petition. His bona
hde followers were perfectly sincere and pa
triotic In their intentions desiring only to
emphasize their interest in the success Of
the petition by their presence. They were
Joined, however, by motley crowd Of hood
lums, and when they reached the parifa-
ment house, instead of an orderly process
sion of church members, a disorierly mob
OF 1Ooo men surged around and into the
building, filling the Hobbies Of both houses.
clamoring for admission, and threatening TO
break down the doors. The house of lords
was thoroughly demoralized. and all It's
Mansfield The representatives of the peo-
ple-the house of commons-however,
showed more nerve, and proceeded with
business, uaterrified by the mob. Lord Cor
don presented the petition. signed. as he
said. by l2O.OoO Of the kings subjects. The
house recognized the right of petition by re-
ceiying It. but refused 10 be inundated,
and by the decisive vote OF 1872 TO 6 deferred
Its consideration for four days. Meanwhile
the rioters were with difficulty prevented
from executing their threats Of entering by
violence and compelling the immediate adop-
ton of the petition. In the midst of the ex-
citement member OF the house approached
Lord Gordon and said: MY lord is IL your
purpose tc bring your rascally adherents
into the house Of commons? IL so. ] warn
you that the instant one Of them enters I
pass my sword not through his body, but
yours. This had its effect OF Lord Cor
don, and he led the rabble away from the
house. The respectable part Of his atten-
dants had retired as socn as they found
they were being committed TO this disgrace
ful demonstration, and returned TO their
homes. The mob now marched through the
city, and inaugurated a reign Of terror that
lasted six days. during which they broke
open all the prisons and liberated their in
mates, rifed shops, pillaged and Quilted the
house of Chief Justice Mansfield, and made
two ineffectral attempts to break into the
Bank OF England. The civil authorities
were paralyZed for the time being with fear
Finally, on the Sth OF June. the military
were ordered to fire on the mob. At the
first volley two or three hundred were killed
or wounded That ended the riot, the rabbls
scattered and disappeared, and London re-
sumed its accustomed tranquility.
Anacharsis KIootz.
Another illustration of the right Of net,-
ton, more comprehensive in its scope. and
more ridiculous in its makeup. was present.
ed during the French revolution by a Pr-is-
sian exile. one Anacharsis Klootz who
styled himself Orator of the Human Race"
kootz professed to be the representative
Of no less constituency than the human
species. He gathered together In Paris q
lot of t-amps from all parts of the world
and dressed them I'D in the costumes OF
the various countries. As he could not
even In Paris. find natives OF all regions
he supplied the deficiency from the vara-
bends of the city, hired for twelve francs
per head, and arrayed them in the refuse
OF theatrical wardrobes. Placing himself
at the head of this motley collection he led
them in solemn procession TO the bar Of the
NATIONAL assembly. as the delegates of all
nations awakened TO a sense Of their de-
graded condition by the glorious example
OF revolutionary France, and presenting
their petition that the sovereignty OF the
people should be acknowledged and their
oppressors destroyed through all the uni
French Revolution" thus pictures The
scene; ION the 10Th Of June, l7sO, the suns
slant rays lighted a spectacle such as cur
foolish little planet has not often had 20
snow; Anacharsis hlootz entering the Sale
de Manege with the human species at his
heels. Swedes. Spaniards. Polacks, T,rka
Chsldeans, Greeks, jewellers In Mesopo-
tamia; behold them all They have come
to claim place in the grand federation. Nav
ing an undoubted interest in it our am
bassadors' credentials. said the feryfd
hlootz, are not written on parchment. but
on the living hearts of men, Absurd ss
this may seem to us now. the national as
sembly took il all In earnest and invited
hlootz and his ragamuffins TO seats IN the
assembly. Scott. in his Life OF Napoleon"
says: 80 far this absurd scene was the
extravaganza Of mere mailman, and AZ
the assembly had sent Anacharsis to Ped
lam. and his train 10 the Bicetre OaiD IL
would have ended as such a farce ought TO
have done. But the president in the name
OF the assembly, applauded the zeal Of the
orator, and received the homage OF his
grotesQue attendants. as II they had been
what they pretended. the deputies Of the
four quarters of the globe"
Whether Gen. CoXey will turn out 10 be
Lord George Gordon or an Anacharste
hlootz remains TO be seen. II he should
play the role Of Lord Gordon, and invade
the Capitol with his army, bearing their
banners with the strange device Good
Roads,, il is to be hoped that the Senate
Will not, like the house OF lords run away
and leave the tariff unconsidered, and that
the House Will not have to adjourn for
want OF quorum. On the other hand.
should he come like Klootz clad in the
sacred robes of the ambassador of tramps,
IT is fair to presume that Speaker Crisp
viii know how to welcome so distinguished
a guest J. s. T..
nUINn TIGEnS nDEU