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jjis forces to march against the Crystal Palace , and the Christian enjoyment of Sunday P Besides the * ' Sabbath .-observatice" part of their motive , we presume that apprehensions of disorderly conduct are fejt by the agitators if the building at Sydenham is thrown open on Sunday . We happen to rememb ' er something of apprehen ^ sions felt incertainquarters , when the G-reat Exliibitioh ^* opened to 70 , 000 speiotators at a shilling a head . The result of that experiment furnished one of the best and brightest pages in the social history 6 f this country ; and the result of the forthcoming experiment will add another . We write positively or it as a •< . ' forthcoming''
experiment , because we believe that this mischievous agitation is too ' contemptible as an opposition to the good sense , the brotherly feeling , and the popular interest ' s of the country , to succeed . Should results , sdon to come , prove our opinion to be erroneous ; should this last worst tyranny of Sabbath despotism seem really likely to gain its end , then let the people raise their voice in protest , as « oe raise ours ; and let such a popular deputation wait on Lord Derby , before he can get out of town , as shall tend to quicken his official consideration a little , and in the right direction , on the subject of keeping the doors of the Crystal Palace quite as wide open on Sunday as on any other day of the week . '
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NOTES EOS , THE ELECTIONS . THE DEMORALIZATION" OF MEMBEKS OF PARLIAMENT AT ELECTIONS . A point of some .. importance would be gained if Electors would consider how ; easily Members of Parliament may be demoralized , —indeed , how . effectively they are demoralized at almost every election . The nobleman , the country gentleman , or the scholar , comes down to the hustings , and visits the . electors , and the refinement of the ancestral Hall , the chivalry of Oxford or Cambridgej the Courtly graces of the man of letters ,
are at once brought into rude contact with villanous incriraination , the coarsesi familiarity , and the Wildest profligacy . It : isrimpossible that these candidates should not forjn the ; lowest opinion of the people . The gentleruan ; who is accustomed t . o conduct his controversies with opponents with soine degree of self-respect , and to avoid , at least , ' . « evil speaking , lying , and slandering , " no sooner enters upon a contest , ^ han he . is called upon to revel in all the mealiness of calumny , abuse , recrimination , and the coarsest personalities . At the last election for . \ Vestminster , the Secretary of St . George ' s Outward , on the part of General Do Lacy
Evans and Mr . Lushington , made it a condition of his service , that he should be free to tear down from the walls of that committee-room , all the placard bred in the Cochranc controversy , which no gentleman ought to write , nor connive at being written , nor tolerate in his sight when they were writton . Yet those were written by persons who ought to know better , and permitted by others who disapproved them . And Westminster has somo pretensions to being considered a refined constituency , Electioneering tactics are worse olsowhore . No sooner does a contest open , than the borough is converted into a " bear garden . " The
" scoundrel maxim" — " all ' s lair at an election time , " means , that any unfairness may bo resorted to , in selecting and electing a Mqmbcr of Parliament . Election committees initiato and sanction that public vituperation of opponents nnd parties , which , as individuals , they would shrink from individually , as disreputable . This vicious policy prevails still . Already the walls oi stirring boroughs tiro groaning with the weight of contemptible imputations . One effect of this is , that gentlemen of refinement avoid beepming Members of Parliament , or go throiigh tho ordeal with disgust . Silk Buckingham succeeds , where Samuel Bailey is rejected . The end of it all is , that the elected Candidate , Kceing around him all the activity of tho borough engaged in libelling each other—in denying sincerity or know
honour to each other , comes to think they must ouch other best , and that thoro may bo at least that truth on both aides . How caw you expect a member to bolicvo in the honour and patriotism of his conntitucnts , whon ho finds them preferring tho gratification of purty passion , or personal political pique , to tho solemn , impnrtinJ , nnd dignified discussion of public principle- ? Ho acquires a contempt for thorn all . A sensible person avoids tho shop where tho Bhopkcopor pufl ' B Iris wares , knowing that ho who will decoivo you , or exaggerate in his advertisement , or , on his placard , may decoivo you or exaggerate to you over tho counter . So , in a contest conducted as ours chiefly arc , tho best men got disgusted , kcop aloof , and abandon tho public interest to tho electioneering gamblers , who hold thoir carnivul on every dissolution of Parliament . Th 0
Member elected after the present fashion , does represent the people , —he represents their venality , their passion , their party strife , their political piques , their neglect of great public interests and national honour . Then we hold public meetings , hypocritically to deplore that demoralization which we find in Parliament , which demoralization we first industriously created at the hustings . "We have changed some of our barbarous sports , but have not abolished them . If we no longer suffer the rustic patriot to bait his bull on the village -green , we reservo the same , luxury to the savage politician , who ,
with the newspapers * consent , baits the Candidate on the Ifamination day . Then , clamour , rage , violence , and all unfairness reign . Every " hole and corner , " and every clique , sends forth its orators and brawlers . The most dangerous contempt , felt by our present rulers for thepeople , has been engendered in elections . The common people only are not in fault : there are mobs of gentlemen as well as mobs of poor men . Whoever clamours , so that his opponent shall not be heard , —whoever lends himself to violence , when his cause requires reason , is one of the common mob , whether he wears fustian Pr broadcloth . There is no
difference , except that the better the man is dressed , the more disreputable is his conduct . The philosopher , the gentleman , and the cultivated patriot are wrong , when these exhibitions drive them from the discharge of their duties . They ought to show themselves , and , by their presence and influence put down , as they might put down , these disgraceful practices . JBut philosophy and good sense in England is somewhat dainty and cowardly , and prefers to contemn the folly it ought to reprove . Let all , therefore , who claim to be the friends of the people , strive to bring into contempt those customs , which keep the most estimable men in the nation out of the arena of politics !
By all means let public questions be put to candidates . In no other way can we ascertain whom we should trust with the national interests . But let the questions be well chosen and well considered . "Whyshould they not be written , and sent into the candidate before the time of asking , that he mi g ht have time to consider what answer they deserve ? Personal interrogatories should be disallowed . Only such questions as affect distinct bodies of the people should be put . Then the most suitable person as to character and influence among the electors , likely to represent the question , should be appointed to propose it . How
often does swaggering insolence and ignorant presumption , interrogate the gentleman candidate as though ho were a cabman , higgling you out of your faro ? If . you do not insist on the candidate being respected , and treated scrupulously as a gentleman , you have no right to complain if he fails to be one when elected a member of Parliament . At every step the candidates should find that they have courteous and earnest men and real interests to deal with . If elections had tho proper dignity infused into them which befits the septennial contest for national interests , we should not havo so many juvenile , trifling , and speculating political
advonturors appearing before constituencies . Proper public spirit , distinct purposes , serious intention , and a respectable bearing , . would rebuke tho flippant audacity of so many colonels , lawyers , landed boobies , and noble dunces who , without having rendered a single public service , or personated a single noble and serious princip le , now venture to approach tho electoral hustings , nnd bawl themselves into Parliament by the aid of wrangling Committees , a noisy populaco ,, servile , npw . s ,-papers , and a difgustcd constituency , tho majority of which it ia their policy to outrago into indifference .
Whatever newspaper shall set its face against tho popular tactics of electioneering agitators of tho day , and use substantial influence to infuse good sense , respectful languago , and manly seriousness into our local contests , will do more to elovato tlio chnrftctcr of politics , and to secure a Parliament of honourable j and able men , worthy of England and cupablo of discutpng tho European questions now pending , than all tho whining homilies can accomplish , which vainly afflict tho public ear for tho six or seven years after each general election . Ion .
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PEACE AT ANY FIUCE . Tjonn Maimesbuby at bay , exclaims , in a passion , ? o Mr . Mather , " Would you havo mo go to war about it P " And Mr . Scarlett , in 14 s last published lottor , oxcuBJbg hia acceptance of a thouBand francoaconi , " hopoa ho may bo forgiven tho expression of u doubt whether any negotiator could linyo obtained a lar / jor compensation in tho shape of monoy from tho Tuscan Qovovnmont , without very serious extremities . ¦ Foreign Office and Logation know too well liow to close tho mouth of " Liberals" at homo . Hold out a threat of " oorious oxtremitios . " Nol no ! Pookot tho francosconi ; uay no more about tho national honour , or the
Assassin ' s outrage—it might lead to war . We have lost our honour—we have lost all—but we have preserved Peace ! This is the Peace of shame and ruin we denounce .
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A FEW WORDS TO LANCASHIRE . Sill , —Some of my Lancashire friends tell me that you are all wrong on the war and military question ; that they do not understand how an intelligent journal like the Leader can support the militia cry ; and that it is monstrous to do so in the face of our enormous and wasteful expenditure upon soldiers and forts , on ships and dockyards . They say , too , that military drill is no improvement to a nation—we are beyond that ; and that if it be , it is too expensive a luxury for men of business and artisans . Further , they allege that if we had a militia it would be composed mainly of the scum of the population ; that no honest , honourable men would willingly enter it , and that those who might be compelled would speedily become so demoralized as to be fit subjects for the hulks and the house of
correction . Now , Sir , I am a plain Englishman , and have a firm faith in this axiom , that physical education is as necessary to the body as mental education is to the mind . I believe that military drill is the best kind of physical education which u man can receive , since it compels subordination , the soul of discipline , teaches men how to act in concert without confusion , and brings out of them or puts into them the invaluable habit of
selfpossession . To me it seems as clear as a theorem m Euclid , that , given two men of equal mental and moral culture , but one of whom has had a good drillingmaster and tho other not , the former will inevitably be the better man of tho two . His bearing before his fellows will bo manlier , his toughness in danger will bo greater , his moral pluck will be more sufficing , aud in every emergency he will act a man ' s p : irt . And if this be true of one , it will hold good of millions .
Ono thing is demonstrated by history . No nation ever maintained a permanent placo in tho world that relied on hired mercenaries , and encouruged laxity and effeminacy in tho ma . ss of the people . Tho English people have , nT 6 ro or less , in rustic games and sports , and in actual sound drilling , been always used to arms . By these means we have attained , in a great degree , to that position which enables Manchester to manufacture and sell cotton goods ; and by these moans alone shall we retain that position .
As to tho expense , I hold that argument cheaply , The question ia not how much wo spend , but how wo spend our money . Bccauso wo may ' wasto fifteen millions a year on a standing army , that is no reason why tho expenditure of 300 , 000 / . on a militia should bo wake . If you reduce tho Htanding army , and amend tho principle of its formation , you may havo a national army at less cost . Granted ; but that is no reason why you should not havo a national army . Expcnso is relative . Aivenic is dear at any price as food ; but brend may bo clienp at 101 . tho loaf for the ' samo purpose .
I should like my friends in Lancashire , who havo plenty of courage and genuine British bottom , to reinomi . ; - ' that pence at any price is not peuco with honour ; t . i . at national life cannot , under penalties , bo dovoted to money making ; '« nd that as physical strength degenerates , other things . being equal , bo public spirit dcclinuH . They aro public spirited hjecftiiso thoy nro more intelligent . Ilow much higher , and how much jnoro resistless would bo that spirit if thoir limbs wero a « intelligent as their brains . Physical education is physical health . A militia is a sanitary institution . Daniel . Detob .
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June 26 , 1852 . ] THE L £ A DEL G 11
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There is no learned man but will confess he hath much , profited by reading controversies , his senses awakened , and his judgment sharpened . If , then , it be profitable for him to read , why should it not , at least , be tolerable for his adversary to "write . —Mii / ton .
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[ in this depabtment , as all ofinioits , howeveb exthbmb abe allowed an expression , the ebitob nbcessabilt holds himself besponsible tob none . ]
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Leader (1850-1860), June 26, 1852, page 611, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1941/page/15/
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