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948 THE LEADER. [Batpbb at,
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THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE « AMICUS" LETTERS....
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Till: DOWN I•NII-HTIIKKT CHIt HKHUH. Loi...
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[IN THIS DEPARTMENT , AS AM, OPINIONS , ...
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There is no learned man but will confess...
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THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING WORKBrr MEN'S ...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Napoleon Hijklrsqijki) 15v Honaj'alttk. ...
France . We read that he has been styled " the Elect of God "— " the Man of Providence "— " Saviour of France ; " in short , the latest work of the French Deity , who , having evolved such a perfect creature , forthwith rested from his labours , and ceased to create Frenchmen . To us , looking fixedly , curiously , and with some amount of awe , these bewildering phenomena have danced for a long time before our eyes , like a dream , a nightmare , a phantasm of fever , or any other horrible delusion . But we are now convinced they are factual phenomena , and that they must have a meaning . We believe that our patient and trusting contemplation has been rewarded ; we believe we have found the " mot
d'enigme . " The fact is , M . Bonaparte has been enacting a grand and stately travestie for the benefit of France . From his earliest public appearance he has had one aim—to make his uncle ridiculous , and to cure the French people of their idolatrous worship of that towering name . All things have come about in his favour . He had determined to be the Resurrection Man of the empire —it was his " star : " and lo ! France gave him the opportunity . He had determined to perform the most costly burlesque in history , and fortune made him a present of the " properties . " As an
antithesis to Napoleon the Great , he made himself Napoleon the Little . The other extreme in every respect , he substituted the calculation , of effects for the spontaneity of genius , and his own obstinate fatalism for the far-reaching earnestness of his reputed ancestor . Proudhon enthroned Irony in the Void . That was the latest oracle of the century . What was pleasant theory in the terrible dialectician , the Nephew of his Uncle tried to reduce to practice . In a moment of inspiration , after one ^ of those long intervals of silence for which he is famous , M . Bonaparte exclaimed , " There is but one Proudhon , and I
am his Prophet V The dim truth of this , like an unapprehended prophecy , had long haunted his mind , shaped his actions , and governed his career . Henceforth ali was plain . Irony was the deity of Proudhon , and Proudhon was the inspirer of Bonaparte . He would cure France of idol worship , and use up , once for all , the prestige of the empire . This was the " vraie idee Napoleonienne . " Was it not a grand conception ? What a height of patriotism and self-sacrifice—to make oneself a puppet and a scourge , in order that one ' s country might never again believe in either empire or glory ! Wo have not arrived at these views without
serious thought ; we have not adopted them without some grounds upon which to rest our theory of Bonaparte . Did not Napoleon deify the- Army ? and has not Bonaparte done the same ? ]) id not the former persecute genius ? and has not the latter miserably typed that persecution F Napoleon procured himself to lie the elect <>/ ' threemillions ; Bonaparte has outdone him , Jie proclaims himself the elect of seven millions .
Napoleon had his Fouclie ; . Bonaparte Jms his Maupns . Napoleon was in real danger from an infernal machine ; Bdnnparte has incurred « 'iu immense danger from the Marseilles invention without having run the risk ! Napoleon revived the violet robe of Ch ; irlenia , giu \ bespangled with golden bees ; Bonaparte has bee-bespangled Notre Dame . Napoleon grape-shotted the sections one year , and . expelled the Assembly another ; Bonaparte has again surpassed him ; the " 2 nd of" December was his ISIh Bruniaire ; and the -i > Lli , his
Oth Vendemiare . Napoleon married an Austrian princess ; Bonaparte would marry a Swedish I ' rincess , if Ik * could . Napoleon had n t-umbaceres ; Bonaparte lias a . Bnecioehi . Napoleon crushed the ideologies ; Bonaparte has gagged the press . . 11 " Napoleon won victories , and overran Kurope with the eagle and the tricolour , . Bonaparte has dislributed sausages and champagne at Satory ; eagles on the Chump de Mars ; annisted at nhavi / ighifl , and crossed the IMiine in sport I Napoloon captured Toulon ; Bonaparte executes n mock naval engagement in the
harbour I If this be not all irony in Bonaparte , how can we style ( hat earnestness in Napoleon ? But there ure some nets committed by the hIuiiii Bonaparte which the real Napoleon eouhi not have performed . Take an instance : — "M . Simla ( Jnrriga pot up 11 i "< Uo in ( Juinna in honour of the I ' linco President * by ( lie
livinsported felons in that colony . The programme of the fete was published by the official journal . These unfortunate men were made to erect three triumphal arches , on one of which was this inscription , 'Au Prince President les transportes reconnaissants . ' The other two arches were in ' honour' of M . Ducos and M . S . Garriga . A felon was appointed to make a complimentary speed ) , the Governor laid the first stone of a column to be erected hj felons to the Prince President , and the day concluded with private theatricals , in which the actors were felons , followed by a . felons' ball /'
How dismally appropriate , this crowning irony of a felon ' s fete in honour of successful crime ! Well , the corpse-Empire is fairly 'disentombed ; and , to complete all , General Hegnault St . Jean d'Angely , or General Cotte , now at Home , is said to be engaged in persuading Pius IX . to come to Paris , and perform the part of Pius VII . in the ghastly coronation of the Emperor Napoleon the Third ! Irony to the last !
948 The Leader. [Batpbb At,
948 THE LEADER . [ Batpbb at ,
The Authorship Of The « Amicus" Letters....
THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE « AMICUS " LETTERS . We have received the following letter from Mr . Newton in reference to the article which appeared under this head last week . The promptitude with which the explanation is tendered and the spirit it breathes are alike noticeable . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sir , —Being here in Manchester , I have no opportunity of consulting any members of the Council of the Amalgamated Society , on the subject of the authorship of the " Arnicas" letters , to which you refer in your journal of last week . I believe , however , I speak the opinions of them all when I say that they do not believe Mr . W . J . Fox either wrote the letters in question , or had anything- to do with them . The letters were much directed against myself personally , and I have been often asked whether I thought Mr . Fox was the author or not . I have always said that I felt certain he was not . I said so to Mr . Fielding when he first mr . de the statement in j : > ublic . The most careless observer might percaive that the tone , spirit , style , and composition of the letters were utterly at variance with the character of Mr . Fox's writings . It is a serious pity that an unfounded charge like this should be allowed to injure the character of an honourable-minded man . I know not what to think of n man who , like " Amicus , " allows another and a worthy man ' s reputation to be traduced , his prospects of usefulness materially lessened , the countr y made to suffer by his absence from Parliament , and still preserves an incognito which at the best is of questionable honour , and , where personalities are concerned , is truly disgraceful . You will perceive the impossibility ( however strong our belief ) of 2 ~ > roving that Mr . Fox did not write the letter in question , but what can be done to assure our friends at Oldham of our disbelief 1 am sure we would rendily do . There are , however , two ways in which the public may be . satisfied on this point . One is for the Tiiiifti to publish the fact plainly that Mr . Fox is not the author ; the other is for the veritable author to honestly avow himself , and free Mr . Fox from the imputation . . If he is not . suniciently independent or honourable to do that ; , no doubt some friends of Mr . l ' ox will prevail on the Times to make the necessary statement , which I believe they would willingly do an an act of justice . I am , Sir , your obedient servant , William Newton . MonJder « ' ArniH , Mnneliefttor , K <>])( . 29 , IHOa .
Till: Down I•Nii-Htiikkt Chit Hkhuh. Loi...
Till : DOWN I NII-HTIIKKT CHIt HKHUH . Loiu > I ) Kit it v assumed oliice us tho triple-champion of 1 ' roteet . ion , I ' rolcslnnl . isiii , mid lVopIe-eomprenMion . It , wore an insult , to the common sense «> 1 " our renders to waste won In on tlic . chivalrous ( jood faith which lias Hold the Himici-. M : Lord John Russell him exploded the bu ^ hear of democracy : there remained the banner of Protestantism , around which pnrHon . s of the porl-wine school of constitutional theology , arid sf . at . o churchmen ol' the lion and unicorn creed were lain to flock in stern array to ( litiHiuniiioiiH of tho " liiwl . of (/' onscrvat . ivo . Ministries . " What thon is I ) nwriiii ££ -N (> rcoti doing for the sacredcuuHe r J ^ eta voice from Home reply . Assuring the Pope of its cordial anxiety to he on good teruiH with the Holy Hoe , soliciting « coiiconinl , and proponing an ambassador to tho Vatican . So much for the Protestantism of our Protestant Cabinet , which him tho sympathy and support of lCxolcr-hall , and of I he KsfMhlishiuciu' .. Verily , this iJorbyito M iniatry in a (' erlierim ; throw it oflice for a Hop , it will put its Protectionist fondue in its chock , forgot its territorial teeth , and waff itu tail at t . the Pope hi Hindi '
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[In This Department , As Am, Opinions , ...
[ IN THIS DEPARTMENT , AS AM , OPINIONS , HOWEVER P-ttb ARE ALLOWED AN EXPRESSION , THE EDITOR iraCBSsW " HOLDS HIMSELF RESPONSIBLE FOB NONE ] "OABILT
There Is No Learned Man But Will Confess...
There is no learned man but will confess he hath m profited by reading controversies , his senses awaked andI nis judgment sharpened . If , then , it be profitable for him to read , why should it not , at least , betolerab e for his adversary to write . —Milton . Ui « aDie
The Society For Promoting Workbrr Men's ...
THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING WORKBrr MEN'S ASSOCIATIONS , AND THE CO-OPF RATIVE CONFERENCE . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sik , —I have read Mr . Shorter's reply , as secretary to the Co-operative Conference , in answer to the questions put by me in your number of the 4 th instant . As those questions involved , also , some particulars regarding the " Society for Promoting Working-Men's Associations , " and Mr . Shorter answers them by distinctlystating , that the Co-operative Conference was called by the said " Society for Promoting Working-Men ' s Associations , " of which Mr . Shorter is also the Secretary , the information sought for may be considered as given by Mr . Thomas Shorter , in his two-fold capacity .
The report of the Conference contained in the Morning Advertiser , does not seem so correct as Mr . Shorter believed . But , as we are told that a full report of the Conference is in the press , and also that a report of the " Society for Promoting Working-Men's Associations , " will Tse shortly published , I postpone , until these publications appear , further remarks on the proceedings of a movement which I consider is , on public grounds , entitled to attention .
Having referred rno to the No . V . of the Tracts on Christian Socialism , as regards the queries about the constitution of the working-men ' s associations , and of the council of promoters , and to the Christian Socialist and the Journal of Association , as regards the transactions of the " Society for Promoting Working-Men ' s Associations , " Mr . Shorter takes the opportunity of expressing his belief that a revision of the constitution contained in Tract No . V ., is in contemplation , in consequence of the changes that will bo effected in tho " Working Associations by passing of tho Industrial and Provident Societies Act . " The constitution of the society is to be revised . Such revision was wanted , quite independently of the passing of the industrial and Provident Societies Act : and if
it happens that the reformed constitution be so framed as to preclude the necessity of repeating my former queries , 1 shall bo gratified . The Christian Socialist and Journal of Association having been discontinued , one is now at a loss where to look for the scanty information wo could formerly gather from the domestic papers of the society . Certainly , Mr . Shorter , in tho name of tho society ho represents , bus somewhat slightingly answered tho and
question put by me . Had I not perused over over iigain tho constitution of the woeiety ( Tract No . V . ) , and tho whole of tho immborH of tho Christian Socialist and of tho Gazette of Association , I should not have proposed those queries , which are all tho more timely and necessary after reading that constitution . 1 have sought for more particulars than are to be found in tho Christian Socialist and in the Gazette of Association . There is much vagueness in tho reports therein published , and many facts have come to n > y
knowledge uninciitioucd in those papers . The first , tract- on Christian Socialism declared time in the , eyes of tho society , tho Association for Working Men was nn experiment ' . 1 do not consider that to >« a bond jlde experiment , whoso particulars »»« l' ° " ~ ditions are not brought to bear for evil as well ns l <> good . Neither is that ; a well-organized body wJm * ^ constitution is published without ; names appends , «' without conditions of membershi stipulated . iiniiiiM'i"iij
any p VVBI'IUMII * 4111 y ( V / llUMill'lin * . /* . -- M ^ 1 1 /» Secret societies , and still more so , mixed , half !» " » ^ half secret , societies , are open to serious objections , shall solicit tho privilege of offering a few more rcnifl when the aforesaid publications nro issued . Yours , rtwjxNitflilljr , A L . oOK « a ^*'
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 2, 1852, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_02101852/page/16/
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