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n .1 Hereditary bondsmen, know ye not, ¦ fi vfbo woald be free, himself must strike the blew V
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Tl to MY COUNTRYMEN IN ENGLAND. TR- Fric...
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O
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conduct of AND NATIONAL TRADES' JOURNAL....
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TO WM. BRYAN AND PATRICK O'HIGGINS, ESQS...
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FEARGUS O'CONNOR, ESQ. M.P. The followin...
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BREAK-DOWN OF MR BAILEY. ' He who Sgbts ...
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MaKran'sRooiEFOB thb next two Ww**;"" Ki...
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FROM THE •• WEEKLY DISPATCH." What does ...
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ANSWER. My dear Eddy,—My duck, I was in ...
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TO THE 'OLD GUARDS.' Let tbe Chartist ba...
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Ctjarttet JtoteUigenm
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Tub Wkst Ribing Dblk«atb Mbet^b was held...
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^ H ^. tV N . t Jr I ^b ! | \
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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.
N .1 Hereditary Bondsmen, Know Ye Not, ¦ Fi Vfbo Woald Be Free, Himself Must Strike The Blew V
n . 1 Hereditary bondsmen , know ye not , ¦ fi vfbo woald be free , himself must strike the blew V
Tl To My Countrymen In England. Tr- Fric...
Tl to MY COUNTRYMEN IN ENGLAND . TR- Fricts , CousraniEN , and Exiles , i One of a persecuted race now addresses yon rtnse you to exertion in behalf of your fathera * The Minirtervrtio laid claim to office upon 10086 0
rbM « h affecti ° ' nas once more ^ " ^ * ° P ? c ' JSj & bb as a remedy for Irish grievances : and the ^^ jjcdlor of the Exchequer has tauntingly boasted uVthe H ouse of Commons , that no more relief is but be £ ent ^ Ireland , and this announcement was ' v ° ^ ith a view to give stability and buoyancy to IC Eng lish money-market . 8 I flowever , Ireland—the battle-field of the invader—¦ sift b ?» to ^ banded OTer to * " * *** - *« mtrcies of a ffo « rowling brigand police , and the resident gentry are
J . ]{ . je a llowed , under the guise of law , to take vengeance upon the starving people of Ireland . You fnc & wiA tf coercion means ; but , thank God . thongh e & e & edt neither you nor I have forgotten our duty to tfee tie 1 * R & ° f onr Dlrtb- H ? ° * -J have witnessed fiiffiie frui ts of former coercion : you have seen your nr irives ravished—your daughters deflowered—your soi sons strangled or expatriated—your hovels levelled , joijod the sea-bound dungeon converted into a deso . fctfcle wilderness , where naught but weeping , and tfi va iling , and gnashing of teeth , and the howl of < Je despair has been heard . And all tbis that a lustful St State Church may lire in splendour and affluence nj upon the professors of a faith which has been cheii lished by your ancestors at the expense of their H Hood , and handed down to yon as a priceless jewel , it to be bequeathed to your successors as the national
fc fejth of Ireland . I appeal , then , to every man in whose veins * $ gjop of MHestau Wood yet flows ; to every mtn v whose Irish heart still heats with love of country ; to fc . every woman and child whose longing hope , ti though exiled , is directed to their one day return to H flat land ; and I appeal to the English people , for « whose rights I have straggled , and am still Strug . jj g ling ; I appeal to one and all , to strengthen the % bands oi the Irish soldiers in the House of Com-I mon * , who , in my conscience , I believe will resist % tbis brutal attack upon our country to the death , if
I necessary . I appeal to all to prepare their petitionst their monster petitions—within the short time that is j allowed us for defence ; and let those in London who i are opposed to Irish Coercion , bring their own petition t tothedoorof the House of Commons on Monday next , l gt half-past three o ' clock , as an answer tothethreat i of the Ministry , which is upon that day to be subi pitted to Parliament ; and let them come " as peace-; fnl and respectful petitioners , without even a walking stick in their hands , or a single shont from their ] ips , as it would be grievous indeed , that any indiscretion of ours should tend to rivet the chains of
onr countrymen . Already a howl has been raised against your p riesthood . Do not place it in the power of man to damage your appeal for Ireland by folly , indiscretion , or intemperance . Come peaceably in thousands and tens of thousands , at half-past three , before the House sits , and if yon see a drunken man , or a riotous man , or one behaving foolishly amongst yon , band him over to the police , as the enemy of
voar country . It will be nonsense if you plead the shortness of time as an excuse ; you have Saturday and Saturday tight , Sunday and Sunday night , and Monday ; Bad who will grudge sixty hours' consecutive labour to save his country from the horrors of coercion ; on tbe contrary , every man who does his duty for tfaose few hours will sleep the more soundly on the Monday night , and rise the more refreshed on Tuesdar morning .
Upon tbe other hand , should those for whose liberties the Irish memhereare prepared to contend , fail in the performance of their duty , the heavy corse of their weeping countrymen and women will fall upon them . Barasley . the right eye of Yorkshire , will do its duty ; and Manchester , the garrison of Democracy , and ' the pest house of Irish pestilence and famine , will not lag in the race ; they , too , will forward their petitions—respectful , but firm petitions—asking for substantial remedies for their grievances , instead of coercion for their perpetuation ; and thus , the Irish leaders in the House of Commons will be able to prove to the Irish people that moral force is more effective , and more GoH-lifce than physical force , when those Wlos are prepared to use their moral energy and moral power to the full extent of their ability , their energy , and their courage .
Up . then , for Ireland land let Saturday , Sunday , and Monday next , the 27 tb , 28 tb , and 29 th , of November , he chronicled in history , as the three glorious days of a moral revolution . I need not remind yon to sign petitions for the Repeal of the Union , which I bring forward on Tuesday , the 7 th of December , and do not withhold those petitions upon tbe score that I will be induced , by the power of language , to postpone that measure ; while ifyon are not prepared to hack the appeal , failure or weakness will be chargeable to you , and not upon the Irish members . All petitions must be left open at both ends , and addressed to the House of Commons , to the member who is to present the petition . I remain .
Your faithful friend and countryman , Feargus O'Conkoe
O
O
Conduct Of And National Trades' Journal....
AND NATIONAL TRADES' JOURNAL . VOL- XI . No 527- LONDON , SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 27 1847 pbh * fi ™™™* or — - . ' " ¦¦«• v * w- ** » vi-UillUlllV ^ l j 10 * t / . Ttve Shilling , and Sixpence per Quarter
To Wm. Bryan And Patrick O'Higgins, Esqs...
TO WM . BRYAN AND PATRICK O'HIGGINS , ESQS . My Dear Friesds , Hunted from my country for devotion to my Countrymen , and an exile for now twelve years , I sit down in the garret of an old farm bouse to thank you , and to express my joy that still in the land of ray birth a few of the old Irish aristocracy—the aristocracy of blood , of patriotism , and of goodnessyet remember me .
Of a tnitb , when I begin to write upon any subject connected with my own most extraordinary carter through life , the dread of becoming discursive almost disheartens me from the undertaking ; however , the circumstances under which yon have kindly testified your approval of my conduct would hutifv a little egotism , and therefore I look for your pardon , while I take a hurried review of my political career during the last quarter of a century . Next month it will be a quarter of a century ance I stood alone of my class in contending against flie grievances which oppressed the Catholics of Ireland .
You reme mber the revolution of 1822 , when the tyrannv of the law church , and the oppression of the landlords of Ireland , who endeavoured to enforce ttepavment of tithes and rents according to the war standard of prices , drove the people « f the south into open rebellion . That was my first introduction to public life . 1 minded with the people—I attended their meetings hy day , I attended their councils by night—ind if I could have discovered the most distant hope of success , I would have taken the field with them against onr invaders . But the leading patriots of the day tareed their backs upon the peophvand I was left
d with their natural leaders—the priests—to deride upon the best terms that could he made for 2 n wmy abandoned by its officers ; and with thirteen men , —holy men , religious men , and brave men , —I assisted by night and by day in saving our c ountrymen from the gallows and the bullet , and a securing , under the circumstances , the best terms ttat the conquered could expect Some of those Patriots , my neighbours , still live , and with them I am still on ' the mostintiraate and friendly terms . I
*« rte pamphlet in that year , setting forth Irish gri evances , and justifying resistance to them . In ttat pamphlet I contended against the tithe system , jta grand jury system , the police system , the midffle-man system , and the magisterial system ; and , til oou 2 h 1 had to fly my country for thirteen Months for the part I then took in politics , I found Jha t every svstem of which I comp lained was legis-T upon , " and a corrective-a poor , pitiful conec'" e-was substituted for each , and which , although fkppiig short of tha requirements of justice , yet
joined our complaint , our resistance , and our war-**• Yes , our warfare , —because however sentitt « ita ! i , ts and mock philanthrop ists , who uphold t Jranny bv physical force , may contend against its f *> I have ever held , and ever will maintain , the Jcrine , that an invaded country is justified in " rowing off the yoke of the oppressor whenever ^ people of that country shall find themselves M to resistance . ' . . . Under the circumstances , then , we made the best toms ihat we could ; the leaders , as they always ™ ^ t * ing the greatest sufferers , and I the Potest of all .
r F «> iu that period till 1829 the question of J-a'hulic Emancipation absorbed public attention . ** taat agitation I took ne part , because from the r * I felt convinced that the leaders were not im""ed with that spirit of justice which alone could 1640 to the regeneration of my country ; and the
To Wm. Bryan And Patrick O'Higgins, Esqs...
conduct of those leaders , when returned to the House of Commons , convinced me that I was right . In 1831 , again , my county was foremost bits opposition to the payment of tithes , and again I became the leader of that opposition , and so vigorous was onr resolution , that the agitation became dangerous to the ahnsfrj when , in 1832 , tha leaders of Catholic Emancipation , and the advocates for the Total Abolition of Tithes , seeing the inevitable sue ; cess of our agitation , again deserted us , and handed us over to the tender mercies of the oppressors' law , when I and others were tried for sedition and conspiracy against the Church .
No power on earth , save the desertion of our leaders , could have resisted the Total Abolition of Tithes ; and again I became convinced that my country should remain / the battle field of faction , until my countrymen were fully , freely , and fairly represented in the House of Commons . In December , 1831 , 1 again took the field as the advocate of Reform , using these words , on December 6 tb , 1831 , in the Court Houseof Cork;—I said " I advocate Parliamentary Reform as a measure of justice to England , but I tell you that it will be the very worst measure that was ever passed for Ireland if not followed by a Repeal of the Union , because the first act of the Reform Parliament will he , to pass some gagging bill to suppress the expression of public opinion in Ireland . "
Such were my words in 1831 , and which I think the Coercion Bill fully verified . In 18321 was returned for the connty of Cork , being opposed by every interest and every class save the " frieze-coated electors . " In 1833 I came to Parliament , and there I very soon discovered that politics is the madness of the many for the gain of the few ; and I found that Repeal was intended as a juggle , that it was the ticket npon the animals for sale , and a mere huggahoo to frighten the Government into the bestowal of patronage .
I was a sincere Repealer , and had paid my guinea for a musket to the Colonel of the Irish Volunteers , under theimpression that in the English Parliament the declaration of Irish feeling was to be made , and that the Irish members , chosen by the Irish people , at a frightful sacrifice , were to set the example of bravery and patriotism , and die upon floor of the House if necessary . But again I was mortified and deceived ; and , resolved not to be a party to my country ' s sale , 1 opposed the debasing and cowardly policy systematically pursued by the Irish leader .
I was threatened with expulsion by their chief , but I preferred honourable retirement to servile acquiescence ; and after continuous andperse \ ering opposition to the chief of the Irish party during the yearsl 833 and 1834 , 1 again went before my constituents , the relatives of that chief opposing me to a man , and I was again triumphantly returned . In 18351 was petitioned against upon the plea of qualification ; and although in the receipt of between £ 3 . 000 . and £ 4 , 000 . a year , and not owing £ 5 in the world , 1 was ousted by the most hellish and unscrupulous machination . You shall hear it . Mr O'Connell stoodat the door of the house during the ballot for my committee , and prevented Mr Bodkin and other members from going in , telling them that I would be better out than in . Mr Maurice O'Connell , Mr
I Morgan O'Connell , and Mr John O'Connell , from : their knowledge of the House , undertook to strike j my committee , and handed me over to the tender mercy of the most rabid Tory Committee that ever . tried an election petition . Major Macnamara , the I member for Clare , was allowed to remain upon that j committee , and that Repealer not only voted for j my expulsion , but voted with the Tories upon every , the most absurd and irreconcileableproposition . He i voted that a notice found upon the sub-sheriffs file , in six months after the election was good service of notice upon the high sheriff ; and this committee not only ousted me , but , contrary to all rule : and precedent , seated my Tory opponent , from the ; conviction , that , if there were a new election , ! should | be returned again , and thus was the county of Cork ; constituency wholly disfranchised .
In 1836 , O ' Connell made his celebrated tour through England and Scotland , and upon his return to Ireland , bethought himself strong enough to denounce me as unworthy of the confidence of the Irish people-Well , my dear friends , I replied in a manner that my assailants were little prepared for , and from that hour to the present no language , no pains , no slander , no falsehood , has been spared to degrade , to dishonour , and to sijence me . Bnt my love of country , my love of freedom , and my love for mankind , has sustained me throughout snch a struggle and agauut such odds as no man living or dead had to contend against ; and now I am solaced , comforted , rewarded , and encouraged by the conviction that in the midst of all my troubles , I have secured the respect , the approval , and esteem of srich men as William Bryan and Patrick O'Higgins .
In 1835 , 1 discovered that whatever good was effected in the House of Commons , must be forced upon it from without . I established the present Democratic movement upon that basis which has enabled it , for now twelve years , to withstand the unequal battle of the combined forces of oppression . Within that period I have suffered more tortures of body and mind , than would have killed a thousand men ; and I believe I have only been sustained in tbis unequal conflict by the Irish blood that flows in my veins boiling for justice for my country , bnt never excited for vengeance against the oppressors , because I feel convinced that they have been aided by the perfidy of those who swore fealty and allegiance to the land of onr birth .
There has not passed a year . from 1832 to the present moment , that did not offer freedom to Ireland , if her leaders had been true and trustworthy ; and , therefore , it is to those who . sever the bonds of union between the Saxon and the Celt , and not to the Government who rule both , that I attribute Ireland's woes , Ireland ' s -wrong , and Ireland's sufferings ; and , with God ' s blessing , and with the assistance of my countrymen , I will now prove to the world what one fearless and unpurchasable patriot can accomplish for his country .
I shall now turn to my connexion with the Saxon ; and however shorter long I may live , my association with that brave , that generous , that warm-hearted people , will be an impulse to patriotic action . I have lived amongst them , moved amongst them , communed with them , and the result of my intercourse is , that , like the Irish , I havefdiscovercd that their virtues are characteristic of their natures , and their vices are . consequences of oppression and misrule . _ _ . .
I have ever found them as ready to serve Ireland as to serve England ; and it is my consolation to know , that by r ay own single exertions , I have dispelled everv prejudice against the Irish people and their persecuted religion , which has been hugged as a priceless jewel to the bleeding martyr shear ; and while the spurious advocates of Repeal could not procure half a million si gnatures for the " splendid phantom , " nearly three millions and a half of tbe abused Saxons have DEMANDED that measure as an ACT OF JUSTICE to their Irish brethren .
Oh ! O'Brien ( for that's your real name ) and O'Higgins , it would make your Irish hearts jump with joy , could you witness the manner in whichmy declaration has been received by the millions of Saxons , that Englishmen should never have their freedom a day or an hour before Irishmen had theirs . i fear that I grow prolix and tedious , and now 1 shall tell you the three great maxims by which I have regulated my life . The first is , that" Every child born is as clay in the potter's hand . " Thesecondis , thafEveryyouthmade vicious by bad treatment may be as easily reclaimed as the farm rendered unproductive by had management "—and the third is , that " Example is better than precept . " .
_ „ I felt convinced that the working classes were inured to vice from their birth by the evil teaching of their rulers . I felt assured that , as age crept on the perpetuation of this vice became necessary to their rulers ; and I felt equally assured that reform could be only secured by the example of their ^ Believing sternly and fervently in these rules , I have , at all times , endeavoured to square my own conduct by them . I have been sober , frugal , and
To Wm. Bryan And Patrick O'Higgins, Esqs...
unostentatious , and the people have become so . I have refused all favours , gifts , gratuities , and rewards , lest I might be judged by the same rule by which other leaders have been justly measured , until , at length , I have become the founder of apian which , from its very elements and principles , incul . cates , fosters , and encourages virtue , honour , sobriety , frugality , and independence . To this God-like scheme I devote my life , and because I have thus given a practical illustration of what social improvement may lead to , lam singled out as the marked prey of a faction who-have lived upon the dissoluteness , the drunkenness , the depravity , and the HOPELESSNESS of the working classes . And this brings me to the material consideration of your kind letters , and my reason for accepting their contents .
The press of the blood-thirsty capitalists , who live upon low wages produced by necessity , dependence , and want , have , as you justly observe , entered , into" a foul conspiracy against me ; and the artillery of that press consists of a corps of the most unscrupulous , unprincipled , and debased wretches upon tbe face of the earth . I shall not stop to describe these particularly , but before I let go that hold which they have given me of their rotten carcasses , I will expose every action of their lives , and relieve the press of the country from the criminality that such co-adjutors must bring upon it .
What would you think , if the Nation or the Freeman ' s Journal office was advertised as the depository of all the correspondence of a former editor of an adversary ! What would you think , if the proprietor of the Nation was to advertise , that all the correspondence between the proprietor of thz Freeman ' s Journal and a dismissed editor , was deposited in his custody for public inspection ? I ask you if Charles Gavin Duffy wonld accept the wealth of the world to admit such an advertisement into his columns ? and yet the Manchester Examiner , the property of Ballantine and Ireland , ( into whose public and private affairs I shall , ere long , make a breach that they little anticipate , ) have made their office the depository of my correspondence , both public and private , with the veriest beast that ever disgraced human nature ; and yet , my friends , mark my
strength , mark my power , mark my innocence—I challenge them , I dare them , I defy them , to publish one single letter , written by me and bearing my signature , containing one single sentence , line , or word , derogatory to the character of a gentleman and a man of honour . No innocent man can be frightened at those threats ; they are only used as a terror to the guilty ; and now I dare them , I defy them , I challenge them—to publish every single letter written by me , and I will not prosecute them for the publication , provided the writing is attested by Mr Roberts , solicitor ; Mr Abel Heywood , publisher ; and Mr Edward Biriey , paper-hanger ; who all live in Manchester , and all of whom are thoroughly acquainted with my hand writing . This challenge , I think , eets the threat of investigation at defiance , because I dare them to the publication , and will not prosecute them .
You must understand , my friends , that there are parties to this scandal who dare not avow themselves . One is a London politician , who has invented a new religion , a minister of the Gospel , who lives in adultery with another man ' s wife ; another is a convicted thief ; another is an irreclaimable beast , perhaps the most horrid of all ; and this is the trinity whose unity is eulogised in the columns of the new democratic paper , the Manchester Examiner . I now conclude by thanking you for that douation which 1 do not feel myself justified in refusing , and for this reason , that it is impossible—wholly . utterly , entirely impossible—for an outlawed individual to fight the LAW'S CHILD without the Law ' s weapons . ¦¦ ' ¦ - ' ¦
I have spent thousands—yea , scores of thousands —in the holy cause of regeneration , and I have never drawn a farthing from the public purse , either in England or Ireland . I have stood and withstood persecution in both countries , and I have gained an unsullied and irreproachable character in both , I hare never eaten a meal , or travelled a mile , at the expense of the working classes , and I NEVER WILL . And , thanking you for your contributions . to enable me to take vengeance of my enemies , and assuring yon that my conduct shall never cause your regret , or bring dishonour upon my country , disgrace upon avself , or infamy upon my cause , I remain . Your attached and faithful friend , Feargtjs O'Connor .
Feargus O'Connor, Esq. M.P. The Followin...
FEARGUS O'CONNOR , ESQ . M . P . The following document has been placed in onr hands for publication , by one who is , in many respects , an opponent of Mr O'Connor ' s , and it therefore bears with all the more force on the subject ef which it treats . We admit it to our columns with the greatest satisfaction , because assured that in so doing we are performing an act of justice . —AWtfntf ham Review . The public conduct and private character of Mr Feargus O'Connor appear to agitate the public mind just now from one end of England to the other . 'I am , uuknownjto Mr O'Connor even by name , and as amatter of course , socially unacquainted with him . I am not a Chartist , nor in any sense his partisan . I
am nevertheless proud of him as a countryman , and when I hear his private character unwarrantably traduced , I feel bound to state , that I have conversed repeatedly with men of high and men of low standing in society , and of allshades of opinions , in the county ot Cerk and elsewhere , who knew Mr O'C , and knew him well , and that one and all spoke in the most positive andunqualified terms of his affability , kindness , generosity , and unflinching integrity . ' In last November I met the late Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork , at the country residence of a city merchant , four miles from Dublin , and be told me that although he did not agree with Mr O'Connor in polities , he respected him as a most amiable man in private life .
' I have lately conversed with a Protestant gentleman , who visits frequently in Nottinghamshire , and ia an extensive landowner in Mr O'Connsr ' s native county , and likewise a political opponent , and he stated that the most unlimited confidence might be placed in his ( Mr O'C . ' s ) honesty of purpose . 'A braver fellow , ' said he , ' does not exist ; he is every inch a hero . ' 4 And now allow me to add my own impression respecting a man whase history and movements I have closely watched for the last 18 years . I think then that he is the subject of tho deepest and sin
cerest convictions—possesses a comprehensive mind , untiring energy , surpassing abilities , and indefatigable perseverance in working those convictions out ; and that whether success or failure attend those labours , his name will be revered by large masses of the people , so long as disinterested philanthropy is venerated by mankind . He is infinitely superior to the other great O'C , who has just quitted the stage of life , withont leaving a practical lesson of industry behind him to his countrymen , or making the world much better for his passage through it . 'A FZBHANAGH MAN . '
Break-Down Of Mr Bailey. ' He Who Sgbts ...
BREAK-DOWN OF MR BAILEY . ' He who Sgbts and runs away , May live to fight another day . ' Nsbcvby Office , Nov . lift , 1847 . Sib , — Being fully convinced that 1 should not be able to obtain a fair hearing at a large meeting in this town , whilst engaged in discussion with Mr O'Connor , unless a regulation for the admission of the audience was adopted , I must decline entering upon the unsatisfactory task of making the at-If you concede the point of admitting the audience in equal numbers by tickets , the preliminar y business may be considered as settled , so f tr as l and yourself & re concerned , if not you may announce the affair as off . . ,. .. . I am , 8 \ r , yours obediently , Thomas Bailet . Feargus O'Connor , Esq ., M . P .
Makran'srooiefob Thb Next Two Ww**;"" Ki...
MaKran'sRooiEFOB thb next two Ww **;"" Kilbarchan . Monday , 29 th ; Bridge of Weir , 30 th ; Barrhead , Wednesday , Dec . 1 st ; Mearns , Thurs day , 2 nd ; Busby , Friday , 3 rd ; Ardrie , Monday , GttJi ; Glasgsw , Tuesday , 7 th ; Alexandria , Wedne sday , 8 th ; Dairy , Thursday , 9 th ; Dervil , Friday , 10 th ; Galston , Monday , 13 th ; Ayr , Tuesday , I 4 th ; Girvaa , Wednesday , 15 th . The secretaries of the above places must take this as the only notice for Mr Kydd visiting them , and prepare accordingly for nlB reception . —D . Shebrikqion , Sec .
From The •• Weekly Dispatch." What Does ...
FROM THE WEEKLY DISPATCH . " What does Fmbgus do with the Intbbest f — This i a . ^? e 8 tl ; on which the subscribers to O'Connor ' s famous lana juggle ought to put to him , and insist en an answer . He has received upwards of £ 80 , 000 of their money ; he professes ; ic . hare placed it where he can and does get i , * 3 i s , and 6 } per cent , interest forthebalances unspent in Dttjing land or in building operations ; but to this day wt „« . Il l ! ecounted tor one penny of that interest ! « . »? lw S ^ anee sbeetspublisbed by himself , it would ap . pear mat the sums thus placed out are very considerable , thr tjar & t' ?* $ /? September last pretended to show ^; S \ - . , . - / emainedmthe banker ' s hands , S ^ , ^ lment ° ? demands up to that date ; and since tnenfiehas spoken ofhaTinir invested , £ 28 . 500 in K-rnho .
SSfffl . JLI . * W 0 B 0 f - . a > iD 8 Wm fiTe P " -West : and £ 15 , 000 of it paying 6 J percent . Again , we ask what £ m ££ ** $ * £ moB fr < "n time . to . ttaehasbeeii paid into banks , from tha month of September . 1 MB ger - of the people's money' has published six balance sheets , in every one of which be pretends t « account for * very farthing . placed in htaihands , or accruing . t » the society , up to the particular date ; but ia no one instance does he account for a fraction of interest that must hare accrued , if the money had been placed as these balance rheets set forth 1 Again we repeat the question , what h ' as become of the money t Is Feargus not a curious sort of treasurer , to keep these large sums out of the
accounts % By his own showing , he must have realised upwards of five per cent , on the aggregate sum placed cut at interest and invested inExciequer Bills ; andsuppo . sing this aggregate sum to hare been feut £ 20 , 000 out of the £ 80 , 000 subscribed , for the last year , that thro per cent , would realise £ 1 , 080 . Where ia the money ! Howls it that it has not been given up to the subscribers of the £ 80 . 0001 or how . is it that no account has been rendered of it ? Surely Feargus will be able to answer this , or explain away the very Auspicious circumstance ; and let us tell him that he will be far better employed for bis own honourin doing this , than in inditing blackguardly diatribes about the ; Dispatch . With such facts as the abave against his precious management lie may scribble away , until his face is as black as his own heart ; but he
will not rail away theirtffect on the minds of the thinking and reflecting portion ofthewarking class ; and these tacts will find their way into theminds of even the most in . sane of his infatuated dupes , These dupes may for the present be captivated and mystified by the arrant buffoonery and fallacious statements of this prince of quacksbut these will in time lose their effect , become st ale vm ' . profitable , and even disgusting ; while the facts will remain , and then tell with woeful-effect against the selfconstituted 'National Bailiff . ' Then will their eyes be opened ; and loud will be the outcry . It will then be universally seen what'ducks and drakes'have been made with the ' people ' s money !' and then it will be seen also why the Dispatch has so constantly raised the warning voice . To expose humbug in every form and degree has
been the peculiar / cfK of the Dispatch . During the last twenty years wehave been the means of driving from before the public < on whom they were preying ) , into their native nothingness more quacks and shallow pretenders than all of the rest of the press put together . And it Is because we see in this Land' Scheme' of Feargus O'Connor , all the signs of a monstrous mistake which will inflict ruin upon hundredsVjf poor but simple mon ; it is because we see these unmiBUk « aWe signs impressed ' on the very front of this cunning scheme , that we caution the public against it . And our cautions have not been without their effect . The' blows and sore discouragements ' we have been the means « f inflicting en Fearfsus and his designs have been severely felt . Witness the ferocity with which the arch schemer turns on his assailant .
Witness his wruMnngs— his tortuous contortions . He foams and spits venom like a maddened asp ; but all falls shortof the mark . The ' fire and fury' is all wastcd .-The Dispatch is on him and the Dispatch Trill not leave him , until it lias either made him do right to the subscribers of the £ 80 , 000 he has already netted , or until it drives hint from the society of honest men . Not all Feargus ' s bluster and ferocity will avail him . He will have to do right . Among other things , he will have to account for the heavy sums he has received for the uso of other people's money entrusted to him . He will hare to'fork out—put those sums down in his balance sheet , and show where tbe money is ; the
interest , as well as tbe principal . A pretty thing indeed , that tbis man should induce thousands of Englishmen to entrust into Ids hands thousands upon thousands of their hard-earned money ; that he should have these heaps of money for years together , o « t at interest , and that he should never , from the first moment to the last , give up one stiver of that interest ! Can a fact more disgraceful to a management be conceived ? Wonld any properlyconstituted Joint Stock Company in the world have tolerated such a course of conduct ! Would they not speedily have cashiered their 'treasurer , ' and if he had not disgorged , prosecuted him for peculation and fraud ? KearguVwuERK is thb hobby ?'
Answer. My Dear Eddy,—My Duck, I Was In ...
ANSWER . My dear Eddy , —My duck , I was in great hopes that your sometime-silence was indicative of . returning health , but I find , from your last melancholy epistle , that you are still labouring under a monomania / Dearest , you must seek repose , and must not allow your mind and dreams to be disturbed by the ^ revelations and the ravings of that nasty fellow ( Boyer ) who is your universal correspondent . Dearest , itisdisgraceful in thehi ghestdegree , that you should hold intercourse with such a
drunken fellow . It was onl y Thursday last that he was discovered by the police in a low public house , in a filthy alley , in the most uncivilised part of the metropolis . He was groggy , and got into a shindy with a . cabby , who came in for a glass of gin and bitters . Cabby recognising him , said angril y , " B aint you the chap what keeps the name of ' Publieola , ' that ' s dead this two years ? " Whereupon a row ensued ; Cabby tapped his smeller , threw his hunch of fives into his figure-head , and so disfigured his frontispiece that his mother wouldn ' t know him .
Now , dearest , I do not wish you to embark your character in the same boat with this correspondent , and I will proceed to tell you very plainly what Feargus has done with the interest , and why no account of it appears in the balance sheet . You appear to forget , owing no doubt to your present state of debility , that up to the time of settling that Balance Sheet , the major part of the funds of the Company was invested in Land , and Labour , and Stock , as fast as it came into the Treasurer ' s hands ; and that no banking account wa * , settled at that time , the treasurer showing 20 , 000 / . and . odd in the London Joint-Stock Bank ; and over 6 , 000 / . in the Gloucestershire Bank , and you forget , dearest , that in Feargus ' s letter , accompanying the Balance Sheet , he stated as
follows—Bot the Auditors will have to go over every column ; to test ever ; item ; to examine the Banker ' s books : tec to tlie interest ; and receive vouchers ; from the very commencement to the day of complete registration . And now dearest , observe the proper analy . sis of the interest upon the funds . . Five per cent , is paid in rent , five per cent , on deposits in banks , and the remainder , invested in Exchequer Bills , brings interest according to the value of those bills . And you have Feargus ' s permission , through me , to wait upon Robert AIlsop , Esq , his broker , whose address is , "Royal Exchange , London , " and you may learn from him the date of deposits in the bank , and the date of the purchase of Exchequer Bills ; and from him you will learn that it was impossible to carry the interest upon
those funds to the credit of the Company , in a balance sheet made up to the 14 th of August . But , my love , as I fear you are not practised in financial questions , allow me to explain to you . I have seen the banker ' s book of the London Joint Stock Bank , and I have seen an entry in that book , dated the 15 th of October , 1847 , with an entry of interest , 129 / . 9 s . Od . Now , dearest , that entry of the 15 th of October , could not have appeared in the balance sheet of the 14 th of August previous . And then , dearest , there is only 9 / . Is . as interest , AS YET , inserted in the book of the Gloucestershire Banking Company , because the Treasurer still banks there , and the account of in-i terest has not been carried forward to his
credit . Then , as to Exchequer Bills , why Feargus HAS PAID ALL THE INTEREST UPON THEM ; but as this may appear a conundrum to you , I will explain it to you . Suppose he purchased , as he did , 32 , 000 / . worth of Exchequer Bills , he pays to the seller of those Exchequer Bills all the interest upon them that is due to the holder by the Government up to the day of purchase—for the interest upon Exchequer Bills is calculated by the day , and is threepence upon every hundred pounds . Well , then , if Feargus purchases a 1 , 000 / . Exchequer Bill on the 1 st of November at par , for the March account , he pays 1 , 030 / . for it ; and if he sells it in three days ' after , he gets 1 , 030 / . 7 s . 6 d ., or three pence per day interest : and if he keeps it till March , when it
falls due , he gets 1 , 045 / . 12 s . 6 d . for it , or 4 / . lis . 3 d . per cent . But Feargus had an eye to business , and purchased them at 25 s . per cent , discount , which makes six and three-quarters per cent ., * msteadof 4 / . lis . 3 d ., so that you see that if Feargus had not been such a blab , he might have diddled the Company out of two per cent , upon 30 , 000 / , or 600 / . . _ Now , love , haven't 1 shown you that those items could not appear in the balance sheet for August , and if another balance sheet was struck now , the Company would be debited , instead of credited , with the interest upon all the Exchequer Bills purchased and not sold . Now , my love , let me implore you to take a few of Parr ' s PiUs , as Morrison ' s do not agree with your
con-8 titution- ~ antt I fear , from defective digestion , you have : become dyspeptic , and are tending towards deliHM'tremens : ' TDearest ? as to ^ the Dispatch being ' upon Feargus , 'it is a very light incubus—a very innocent nightmare—as they tell me from its curtailed margin , lighter paper , and economical appearance , it is becoming weekly a less burdensome weight—and from its altered colour , well calculated to give its readers the BLUE DEVILS . Boyer complained the other night , in the tap-room of the Pig and Whistle , in Slush-alley , that he "be Mowed if he could scratch enough off the margin , now , to light his pipe with . " Adieu * dearest , and ever confide in one who has left no means untried to
restore you to a proper , state of mind . Ever yours , dearest Eddy , Onh o p your Old Female Fhiends . P . S . Dearest , if you knew the fun that your ravings afford Feargus , you would be mortified . Yours ,
To The 'Old Guards.' Let Tbe Chartist Ba...
TO THE 'OLD GUARDS . ' Let tbe Chartist banner be now unfurled , and Oh ! ye Democrats of 1839 / 40 , Ml , ' 42 , and ' 43 , rally round it , and defend it entire , from the enemies ' assaults
Brothbbs , —As an humble co-worker with the 1 Old Guards' in tbe glorious movement , which had . and still baa , for its objeet , the political and social regeneration of the masses , I am induced to address you at this particular and eventful period , pregnant with circumstances such as never before surrounded the people of the British empire . I am , also , impelled to throw in my little meed of help , to push forward the good work , from reading in last week ' s luminary , a brief , but pithy and well-digested address , from the ' Executive Committee , ' calling upon us , at this , the opportune time , to re-organise ourselves , and prove , by our actions , that we are not onh Chartists in name , but in reality .
Brethren , what is the state and condition of , at least , five-sixths of our order at the present moment in the United Kingdom 1 Unhappily , the question ean only be answered by recording the every-day fact—the dreadful and soul-harrowing fact—that a vast portion are enduring all tho horrors of famine and pestilence , while the remaining portion are on tbe verge of destitution . Need I ask you , the eld veterans , who have had imparted to you such a continuous stream of political and social knowledge , the cause of th-se frightful evils ? No , friends ; for you are as fully conversant with the source from whence those evils emanated , as the men who instructed you i Ton know they are the result of misgovernraent ; and you also knowthat misgovernment had its origin in class-legislation .
You are , likewise , aware that to class-legislation may be traced the monopsly of the land , the monopoly of everything beneath its surface , and which includes all other monopolies . Consequently , there ia no necessity of dilating upon this subject , neither is it essential that I should here prove , tbe Charter the means to an end , and that end , the happiness of British society , without any distinction or reservation , f » r upon this subject , too , your minds are made up . Well , then , aa you know what has produced the disease in the body politic , and the medicine that will heal the disease , the only thing that remains for us to do , is to get tbe medicine into our possession , and apply it skilfully . This brings me to what learned gentlemen , who scorn to use plain language , would term the * Modus operandi , ' which simply means the mode of operation .
Brethren—In the firstparagraph of the Executive address , we are very forcibly reminded , that as a new Parliament is about to assemble , it is our imperative duty to impress upon its mind what are our wants , wishes , and desires ; and give the men composing that honourable house , to understand it is our unalterable resolve to have them complied with ; tor ba assured , unless we constantly urge our just claims upon their attention , they will say that we are not really desirous to enforce them . It may be said that nineteen twentieths of the present House of Commons are inveterately opposed to the principles of Democracy , and , consequently , there is not the least use of appealing to them . If the above sort of reason be taken for granted , then
indeed we might bid adieu to everything in the shape of progress in the right way . The friends of Catholic Emancipation did not helieve in such logic , for if thty did , that measure would not have been carried up to this day ; and though it only conferred political immunities upon comparatively few individuals , while it committed almost incalculable injury npon hundreds oi thousands of honest industrious men , their wives and children , yet the fact of a powerfully organised body of men acting upon a Tory government , and compelling that government either through fear , or what is called state policy , ( it matters not which ) to accede to their demands , is a complete refutation of the stand-still doctrine . It must not be forgotten
, too , that the members of bis Majesty ' s then administration , together with the greatest majority of both Houses of Parliament , were previously amongst the moat bitter foes the Catholic Association had to contend against . Those foes were , however , vanquished by tbe irresistible force of a well directed public opinion . The Free Traders put no faith in the keep-quiet argument , otherwise they would not have commenced their agitation and carried it to a successful issue . And surely it is well known that Sir . Robert Peel , Lord John Russell , and almost every leading member of the House , and those who were not leading mer abew , but merely the silent voters , were vehement
and even vindictive in their opposition to the principles of Free Trade . Still , it is as well known that the cotton lords not only conquered those of the Lower House , but also the landlords in the Upper House-Mr Duncombe , whose severe indisposition every lover of patriotism and integrity must deeply deplore , placed no confidence in the let alone doctrine , when he , with unparalleled vigour and indignant eloquence , attacked that hell-begotten monster , the Master and Servants Bill , and with the petitions , memorials , and remonstrances of the Trades , and yours , my brother Chartists , succeeded in sending it back with ignominy from whence it came .
I might instance the Reform Bill , and many other bills , that were passed through organisation , nothing in comparison to what we might put in motion , if we will only energetically propel the machinery we have at our command . Recollect , friends , that we are surrounded by more favourable circumstances than those who acted their part in carrying scme . of the measures above referred to . The country never was in such a state as it is now . Trade depressed to the lowest ebb ; scores of thousands of our brother operatives without employment in the North , and myriads of * navvies ' a distinct and peculiar class of workmen , who will not tamely submit to starve , now that they ate thrown loose upon society . The bastiles filled to overflowing with svstera
made paupers—the jail crammed with system made felons — the middle classes on the verge of ruin—the shopkeepers standing behind their counteis with their arms folded , ruminating and repining that their shops are deserted , their tills empty , while the tax gatherers make their accustomed calls , bat with an increased demand each time , and which demand it is utterly impossible they can satisfy » These ate circumstances—these are- events favourable to the bringing forth our claims for afall measure of justice Again , we have got seme new blood in the House ' this session-blood that flows through Democratic veinsand
; amongst it will be found our osnindomitable and incorruptible chief ( O'Connor ) , who will periorm wonders , if well supported by those who nave said , and still avow they are , Chartists to the back-bone . Recollect , brethren , and you ought to oo proud of it , that Chartism has passed through the ordeal of gibes , sneers , contempt , insult , slander , persecution , and prosecution , unscathed ; and that it is now a thousand times more fashionable than it was even five years ago , when the humble individual who pens th ' is hastily-written letter , has been hunted out of a village as if he were a venomous reptile ; but who would now be received with the arms of friend-
To The 'Old Guards.' Let Tbe Chartist Ba...
ship , by the very persona who so'bun'ed and revi '/ d him . But , above nil , and brfore ail , do not l < - > ruet that you have forty thousand brothers and sisters , with a stake in the hedge ( 1 mean tho members of the Lind Company ) , who will rally round you , and assist yon in the holy work , and whoso petitions must , and will be , attended to by the aristocratic portion of that House . Then , friends , let us commence operations for & .
with , and follow out the instructions of the 'Executive . ' Let nota city , town , village , or hamlet in the kingdom , neglect to seud a petition numerously signed . Let us prove to those miscalled our representatives , that we are in earnest—that wo are reaolved to be represented within the walls of Parliament ; acd tha t , then , and then only , will our la * hour , the source of all real property , be protected , justice secured , plenty of God ' a choicest gilts toman enjoyed by all , peace established , and happiness flow ,, like a gentle stream , thrjughout every ramification of society . I am , yours , Ah . OidPwnbbr . November 22 nd , 1847 . '
Ctjarttet Jtoteuigenm
Ctjarttet JtoteUigenm
Tub Wkst Ribing Dblk«Atb Mbet^B Was Held...
Tub Wkst Ribing Dblk « atb Mbet ^ b was held at Bradford on Sunday last , Nov . 21 sc . Delegates present : —Bradford , W . Clark ; Wakefield , Isaac Wood ; Halifax , James Boden ; Keighley , J . Coupe i Queenshcad , John Bates ; Littletown , James Charlesworth ; Dewsbury , George Sykes ; UuddersEeld , Eaock Sykes . By letter , Ellast ) , Sorrerby , and Holnmuth- Mr Boden in the chair . It was resolved :. — 'That the minutes of the last meeting be confirmed . ' 'That it is the opinion of the delegates $ resent , that it is the duty of the Chartists of the Pest Riding to send their quota to the Executive ,, accsrding . to rale , in order that the Executive may employ a lecturer fur the organisation of tbe Riding , and that tbe delegates be requested to bring the same before their constituent ? , and each delegatepay in his quota for the Executive , at the next delegate meeting . ' An address was then adopted , and tbe meeting adjourned till the first Sunday in January , 1848 .
ADDBSSS OP THIS WKST RID ! KG DELEGATE MEET ISO TO THB OUARII 3 IB OK THB WEST RIMKG OP IOaB .-6 HIRK . Brother Chamiws , —It is with mingled feelings of sorrow and pleasure that we appeal to youatttiis momentous crisis . With -sorrow , at beholding in addition to the exorbitant taxation which the people of this country have to pay , such depression in commerce and manufacturers , that the labouring classes are undergoing unparalleled misery-and destitution . Even in the so-called times of prosperity , what security have the labouring classes , when it is notorious that the capitalists , in their competitive race to amaze princely fortunes , introduce machinery to displace manual labour , without at the same time
making provision for the labourers so superseded . Except , indeed , a Whig Malthusian bastile be considered a sufficient provision for the willing labourer , who is deprived of the means of an honourable sustenance . But it is with pleasurable anticipations we look to the Chartist movement which will confer political enfranchisement on the sons of toil , and will enable them to choose representatives who . will make laws to remedy the evils we now deplore . Therefore , we earnestly call upon our brother ChartUts in their several localities , to persevere , with redoubled energy , for tbe promulgation of their principles . We are also anxious to impress upon the members of the Land Company the paramount necessity of joining tbe National Charter Association , as by their united efforts , we are convinced that they will
accelerate tho attainment of those great principles for which we are struggling . We moreover look forward with intense anxiety to the New Parliament , and we are desirous that Feargus O'Connor , Esq . may as soon as possible have an opportunity of testing its spirit . We trust that the Chartists of the United Kingdom will without delay sign the Nation Petition , which , for its numerical strength , will far outstrip its predecessors , and so convince the Legislature that it must ere long yield the inalienable right of a virtuous , intelligent , and united people . Chartists of the West Riding , arouse yourselves to a sense of duty , and organise yourselves in order to support our indomitable champion , Feargus O'Connor , Esq ., in his noble struggle against despotism . Signed , on behalf of the delegates ,
W . Lact , West Riding Secretary . NortutjmbbbIiASD asd Durhau . —A district delegate meeting of members of the National Charter Association was held in the house of M . Jude , Cock Inn , head of the Side , Newcastle-upon-Tyne , on Sunday Nov . 21 st , at two o ' clock . The following resolutions were passed : — ' That 100 bills be printed , announcing tbe sale of tbe various works in the towns in the dhtriot , for tbe benefit of the district funds . ' 'That 100 copies of the Blue Book of the House of Commons be procured for sale in the district . ' ' That 100 copies of Mr O'Connor ' s letter on ' Rich and Poor , ' be procured for sale in the district ' ' That the district secretary write to Paisley , to obtain specimens ot the O'Connor Taitan , with
conditions-of sale and agency . ' ' That tbe next district delegate meeting , be held in the houseof Mr Winlow , Ship Inn , Jarrow , on Sunday , December 29 th , at one o ' clock in the afternoon . —Jauks Nisbeit , District Secretary . —P . S . —Parties desirous ef becoming purchasers of the O'Connor tartan , will please to give their orders as soon as possible to M . Jude , Cock Inn , or G . Watson , bookseller , N « wmarket . —J . N . Cm of Lokuon and Finsburt . —At a meeting of the members , held on Sunday evening last , at the Good Intent coffee house , Back-hill , Hatton-garden . Mr Wilson in the chair . Mr . An till and Mr Hughes were elected on the council . The report from delegates was received . After some discussion , the following propositions were agreed to '<¦ — ' That onr delegates be instructed to support the motion to be brought forward at the next metropolitan delegate meetmg , to
pay the Executive of the National Charter Association one shilling per annum , exclusive of any local expenses . Afro that we pledge ourselves to use every endeavour to ebtain a large and commodious hall ,, and that we use our utmost exertions to get our friends to take up shares for so desirable an object . ' A vote of thanks was unanimously passed to the Directors , for granting the use of a room for the delegate meeting . Also to the editor of theNoBXBBBN Star , for his kindness in allowing the columns of the Star to remain open on Thursday evening till a late hour , for their reports . The meeting then adjourned to Sunday , the 28 th . After the meeting , Mr Stall , wood delivered a most interesting lecture on the ' Charter , the Land , and Land and Labour Bank , ' which was much Applauded , when a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to the lecturer . -
TO THB CHARTISTS , AND HONBST W 9 RKINO MEN OF IBS iTATFORDSniRE FOTIBB 1 ES . BbothbrCharhsis , — 'Now s the day andnow ' s the hour , ' to rally to the camp of Liberty—to strengthen our forces , and swell the ranks of Democracy . Now > we say , while our enoraiea are disorganised and divided against themselves—squabbling for political ascendancy—while tho working classes of this country are sunk into the vortex of misery and distress ! and the peasantry ot Ireland are dying by thousands through their oppression and misrule . Remember that' United we stand—dividsd wo fall . ' Then let us unite ourselves in one grand body , under the flag of Chartism , and march 'Onward ' to the struggle for liberty and independence . Already the citadel of
oppression and misrule totters to its foundation , and one determined effort on our part will level it with the ground , Experience has taught us to rely on none but ourselves for political redemption , and social emancipation ; and not to trust to middle-class support , ' Your principles are good , ' say they , but then tbe name they do not like . The plain truth is , they neither like the name ner the principles . Only let them get you to give up the name , and soon they will fritter away the principles , ene by one , until nothing but a visionary shadow is left . Let us rely on our strength , leaving the ' respectables' to themselves , and demand the Charter , whole and entire . A few of tho good and true of the Hanley district , have re-established a branch of the National Charter
Association , in the hope of furthering those just , glorious , and immortal principles contained in the People's Charter . Fellsw working men , to you we apoeal to aid us in . the good cause we bav © espoused , assuring you that no sinister motive has induced us to take this course , and that ne exertion shall be wanted on our part , to further the best interests of this Association . In this district there are upwards of one thousand members of the National Land Company-more than five hundred in the Hanley branch alone I What has induced these persons to join that Company , which was b * ought into existence , and nursed Iroainfant weakness toils presentgigantic proportion by the Chartists ? Is it a selfish motive to suit their own purposes , regardless of the welfane of others ? No ! it cannot be . They have felt tho weight of oppression ' s chain , and desirinn to be unfettered
and frtfe , -have fled thither for rescue , Then they cannot—they will not—be guilty of the unnatural crime of ingratitude to their parent—the Charter . Its principles need only to be known to be appreciated by honest men ; and one penny per week from each of these persons wonld enable us to have frequent public meetings , to develope those principles iu ibe mind of every working man who is thirsting lor liberty . Fellow men , will you longer submit yourselves and families to hunger and starvation , and allow your wives to give birth to a passive race of slaves ? No ! A little self-denial will accomplish our object-political redemption and social emancipation . We entreat yon to leave those dens ot infamy—the beer-housesand attend our meetings , which , with your assistance , will be numerous , and soon your rally cry will be' The Charter and No Surrender !' Yours , ever faithful in the cause of
'Right against Might , ' Thb Committm . P . S—Subscriptions will be received from persons disposed to become members , from seven to ten o ' clock every Saturday evening , at Mr J . Yates , Miles ' b Bank , Shelton .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Nov. 27, 1847, page 1, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_27111847/page/1/
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