Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-02
FAMOUS NIcKNAMEs
.The Great. oommoner."

The nickname, "The Great Common
 er,', is one that has been applied to a number of prominent men, very much of
 the same caliber and possessing the same sharacteristics, but history points to William Pitt, the English statesman, the first of that name, as being the one 60 whom 1t was originally applied. He was also called "The British Cicero"
 The nickname, "The Great Common CT, was also applied to William Ewart Gladstone many years after 1t had been given to Pitt, and in America it had been given to John Quincy Adams Henry Clay, Thaddeus Stevens and more recently to William Jennings Bryan The people called William Pitt The l Great Commoner" because during the period that he accomplished the greatest good for his country he was without a title of nobility. He was a. 'fcommoner.' 7 fighting for the cause advocated by that class, and for the up1ft of the common people of the British nation.
 | Pitts speeches in the House of Con- mons were always eloquent and straight forward. One day he spoke against a | measure proposed by Horace WaIpole then Prime Minister of England, which so offended the latter that he had Pitt dismissed from the army, and from that day to the end of his life Pitt was mixed | in the turbulent affairs of his nation | There was no orator in the House of Commons whose speeches commanded Sc much attention as those of "The Great ECommoner." But the source of his pow Ter was no mystery. It was the simple Ifact that he invariably advocated meas ures when he believed them to be for
 the benefit of the people
 Amrica has reason to be- much inter
 ested in William Pitt, for he was always a great friend of this nation He de nounced in the Commons in a most fear.
 less manner the arbitrary and unjusi measures of the government of Lord North toward the American colonies IT his Defense of Liberty" one of the great. est speeches he ever delivered, he said
 -Fhe gentleman treplying- to Georgt Grenville) tells us that America is ob- stinate; America Is almost in open re beilfon. rejoice that America has re
 sisted. sThree millions of people, so
 ldead to all the feelings of liberty as vol
 intarf1y to let themselves be mad
 slaves, would have been fit instrument
 ! to make slaves of all the rest.
 i "The Americans have been wrunEed They have been driven to madness b,
 atTstice. W9H you punish them fec
 the madness you have occasioned Rather let prejudice and temper com first from this sidel will urdertaAz , IOE sA14CI1C6 I1e1t 5AI0 WILT IO1tDSV LLl0 SI . ample. Let the stamp act, be repeale
 and let the reason for the appeal = be l cause the act was founded on an CT Foneotls pEincfpie-be assigned. Let . be repealed absolutely, totally and i'm [ nediafely."
 E At the close Of the reign of Georg
 ! IT Pitt was in the zenith of his glor, 'The Great Conmoner" was the fir 1, Engfishman Of his time, and he had mad
 England the first country in the worft Had the wise counsel of Pitt prevailed } tf1ere is nc doubt ti1at some conprornfs . satisfaefcry to the dignity of Engiari 5 ctnIld have been agreed upon. Even wfie fafafiy stricken he still pleaded with Ii fellow members for the colonists. o ! tfe aoth Of May, TIT, he said! 'sYo : may ravaee but you cannot conquer th : Americana I might as we'll talk of drf, ing them before me with this orutch." His last public appearance in the hous : of commons was made on behalf of Ii { ! American cousins At the time he wa
 | wrapped fn flannel and supported o
 crutcnes as he entered the house H 3 fingered for about q month, and when | z died the entire English nation, in the co 7 enies as we'll as at home nourned wit r ! genuine grief the loss to the world { 'sTahe Great Ccennaunes"