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THE NORTHERN STAR. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1842. THE LEAGUE PLOT.
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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.
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A GREAT PUBLIC MEETING AT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION HALL , HOLBORN . A great public meeting 'was held at the National As * ociation Hall . Holborn , on Monday evening ; charge for admission , U . At eight o ' clock , about 1 , 500 persona were present ; and in accordance with the announcement on tbe placards , Joseph Sturge "was -ananlmcusly elected to preside , and took the chair sudd great applause . Mr . Sir rue commenced by stating that be was sensible of the kind feeling they had expressed towards him , seeing that he had bo recently bVccnne a feilowworktr with them in the gnat ciase of political redemption- It might be asked -why he was there at all : ia ihi president of a moihroom association , while
there were others who had deYoted many years of their life to the advocacy of the principles of the Charter ? There -were many who were more able , and many -who hi ; ' 1 s . better claim ; but , by the adviee of the friends with whom he had communicated be had taken his pre- i sent responsibility , and would endeavour to contend with the difficulties -which presented themselves , and create a £ na union between the middle and -worktop classes , by which means alone they would be enaV : ed rightly to settle the question . He mignt be osked why he did not ' join the Chartists at occe ? Hs was one of tc ? se who cared little for the names of political associations any ¦ nore than for those of religious denominations . He j had found anioncst m . iny of his own class a prejudice j acaLnst the Charter : they were alarmed it the mention ;
of it , and would not listerv to reaso . But ii be con \ d get them to admit one point , fce thoagbt he couJd gra- j dually bring them to the consideration of the other five . \ The retrospect of the past showed that be had net I laboured in vain . Mr . Sturge then went into details of ! the elections at Nottingham , Southampton , and Ipswich , j and stated that if the R sading election had been pro- ceedtd with he had no doubt they would have palled a : majority cf the votes . Mr . S . then alluded to the recent j stt . ke in the North . He waa rationed that it had not fc . km its rise in political motives , I ut had been brought ,
on 1 y the destitution of the people . The people had , in j his i pinion , conducted themselves well amidst the ! excitmect existing , aad from what he knew of his own j district , he was convinced they would meet quit-tly and \ peaceably , if not interfered with ; but ir the police and ; military were sent amongst them to exasperate them , the c-vnssquences nriebt be dreadful . Mr . Sturge then ! de : ; lt cut some hard hits at tee state church , aiid con- daded by etatiDg that he wished to bee the military : ¦ pov-n r . shield and protectio .: to the wefk , and not an instrument cf tyranny in the hands of the powerful , j —( great cheering ) . Mr . Elt urned the following resolution .- — :
"Tin : the proceedings of the House of Commons during the past Session inconUstibly prove that that House has no sympathy with , ar .. 1 does cot _ in any maanrr represent , the f .-eiings of the people of this eonntry ; for , in * pits of the decay cf trade , and the ¦ wide-spread destitution of the operative classes , which were made micifett to the House by the most authentic and fe . orful evidence , its Members have nevertheless retired to thiir amusements and country sports without takicc one decided step to alleviate the misery , the tsi& ' . enze of which they have bce . i compelled to acknowledge . "
ar . d ^ . weit much energy upon the ca pacity the present G jvernment to do aught for the btnt 2 t . of t thc p < rop ~ . and also of their rasort to the miserable expe-Gien : via Queen ' s beg ^ icg letter . Mr . Piiilp seconded the resolution . - James P ^ iRCE EaL 1 > g , ef thslcuer Temple , in an eloq ^ rnt manner supported the resolution which wa 3 Cirritj uaap ' . mously , Mr . John DuncaS moved the next resolution : " That the facts afflrmei in the foregoing resolution , added to a long experience of similar irjastice . are BtfEc ' . ent to convince the people that the great vice of oar institutions is class legislation , or the leeislat . on of the few for the few ; and , in the opinion of this meeting , the only tffcciiYe remedy for class legislation is to j ; ive to e-very man a direct control ever the making cf those laws which affect his social happiness and mcrul Well-being . "
Mr . D . entered into a long and ab ! e exposa of the fnndir . i ; tys-tern . and of the various encroachments which the ru ' itrs of this country had made upon the natural and unalieuable rights cf the people . Mr . Ch . vB . les Westekton , in his usual eloquent mannfr tiposfcd the hideous deformity of the monster , class legislation , and stated hia fervent hope and belitf , that it they would but throw aside their secticnal d : ff-r ^ ncis , the diy was no ; far dutaat K-hen ; amidst the triumphant r . cclamni&tions of the c . untry , the Charter wenid be proclaimed the law of the land— and freed ^ m , prosperity , asd bsppiiHEE , su . ile upon the ccuctry . iGreat ottering . ) The resolution was carried unanimously . Mr . J . K . PAF . r . Y moved the third lesr-lut ' .
on—•• TLa : while taismttticg , therefore , virws with high Eitiif :, c'i- - . a the results of the contests entered into bj ilr . S ' . ar ^ e a : Nottingham , and Mr . Vincent at IpsMiah , on tb = vriuci i- Its of Complete Suffrage , they fea . ri : tst ! y Cilt upoa all trac Reformers to promote tte cordial union o ; the miodie and w ^ rkicg classes , without wh . ch i ; is iiiit-.-iSs 5 r > le effectaaKy to contend against our pDWeru " ' . telisb , and sordid ari > : ocricy , but with which the F .: a :.: tvii vi class legislation woald be sptedijy annihilated . " Tee spt-iktr , in a very effective and telling address , dfecisjid his dc ' . erciinition to stand by the document e ^ ' . lsd the Coarttr , and to be content with nothing less tJian the ^ ho ' . e Charter ; but , at the eame time , he was willix-g to co-operate with asy - body of his
ftllowmen , -sho were engaged in any Etrusgle Having for its orj c : ih-2 amd : oration of the coadjt cn of the human race . He wss a member cf the National Charter Association—of ths body to whom the Hall in which they me : bclorcen , .-nd likewise of the Cjmplete Saffrage " Union . Tile o" jrd of the Comply S ^ fF .-3 ge pirty was t cua" : 'iats a . i . 1 giia the co-operatioa of the middle c ! a = s : they did n-. t wish to destroy or kjare the Charter Association . The working men had never j deser . e- : ' . heir principles , even in the most danxerons , timos ; ani he w ^ s convinced they wcu ' . d not aesert '; tbeRi v . o-v , -wher . the h > ur of their success was at h :-. nd , j tut v » -.-uli parsas thtir object with increased perse-: verince and energy . The man who was continually j t ' . enr- ' ZTizicz the middle class was a traitor to the cause ,
cf iK-a-. Kraey . God forbid that h- _ - ihould . attempt to div : d = the two c- ^ scs ; it was only by a union cf them ¦ taut n bloodless rt -jlution cculd be effec'ad . Mr . Parr ? * h = n rrferred to the social war ( for so it might . be ttrtriTd' txi&tir . g . in * he Xcrth and Midland counties . 3 i&r .- Uuiid fritnds cf peace , bw , and order—many venerable uM ladies and venerable men were cfraid that this , to their visws , awful insurrection , would injure the cause of j-eacrful reform . He was well assured that such a moTrment would never injure their holy cause Never in ths annals of British history had thtre been a naviui-. r . niore ca ' . ' . Tib . ted to do honour to the working cesses : there iiaa been eo (' rnnkenr . ess , no vioUace , save oa the patt of the GaTernaicnt . They had conrncteA lhe-. u ? c * ves jls ui-n who felt thev w&re
deeply icjireo , and who were determined to elevate themselves ii . to their proper position in society ; they Ergfc' . :: ot have taken the beit mtans to p . ch . tve this otj-: ct , tut gczucd on as they were by misery and distrtA 3 they ha-1 t ' -iktn a nob'c positior . and Lave dared to maintain i :. Evtn those papers which pandered to every crr-upt : . on in Caurch and State , with every desire i ) hoci-d on the middle ag ' . insi the working ciasies , tad filled in civing any colcarfnj to the conduct of those trgs . grd in the tarn-out which did not riil .-ct ciedit upon thru :. Mr . P . then went on to chow thst it vra 3 on ' y fcy arptali . 'g to the fears of the ¦ Upper classes tkat any mts . sure if justice could be obtairsiri . In cr-Dciusiou he called upon them to unite - and blot from tlie pa ? e cf history the name of both tyrant an-i slave—^ reat cheer . nz >
Mr . Lovett seconded the resolution ; cca stated that ids CL- £ jj :: ioa cf Complete SaSraxe was to be found in tin Pcop ; t " s Charrer . Much prrj'idice Lad been exhibittd 2 g \ i ^ tt ths ! -st Confer-nc 3 fcecause tbsy fcr . d not adopted the ussi - ' if the Charter . Many cf the ( ieleg £ ' . t 8 i £ rt to thit ass ^ nibiy were eleutti only to consular thv poir . t uf tLe Sa 2 " .-a « e ; others were yrrjsdiced a ^ -i ; n = t t * : e c ^ uie cf tLe Cnnrtrr on account of the —* i ^ ent co nduct cf £ : •« := cf its advocates ; and ottersttrp . r . ce n 3 it micht :. pj > ea . r—hu .: net t-7 : a r * ad that ducaine ^ :. Tie g ficulties in which some < . f the delegat- , s vide p ' . ictd irec ' . u ' -ei ih- ^ ir having sUSiient time to enter ii . t-j all the detail of the surjict ; and they
sep-irated with a deteraiination to call another conftrencs : and be b ^ d no doub : that acy conference fairly chosen "Khicii -might dot be called would adopt the whole < . f the details of the Charter . Tssy bad met much cf opposition ; but r . otwithstindin ^ th : . s they had tucccfdcT . ix-cyond their esptct- ' aons . Ths Whigs a _ id tfra Ior ; e 3 might for a time , by the aid of the military ¦ acd X'i ' " -i fc ' . iceeed *^ n embarrassing the prestnt movemeet , bu : c ' t'matcly they must succeed ; aud « the bullying of the Tivies . or the braying of the Hera ' d , would no inor-3 reUird them than the attempt of Mother Partin ^ ti-3 to stop t he progress of the ocean with her mop . ( Liughttr .
Mr . YiMCEST supported the resolution m a long and € leqncn : a-idress , which was greeted throughout with the ra ^ st enthusiastic applause Daring bis address he stated th 3 t the grsat object of the Complete Suffrage Union was to prepare for electoral battles in favour of the people ' s claim . If the machinery ¦ was properly organised , they at the very next elecV . cn would hare each a band cf sturdy obstructives in the House of Commons as would defy an ; business to be transacted until the people ' s just rkhts were granted . He trusted they would not allow the occurrcr . ces in the North to intimidate them . He hoped they would not stand by in apathy , because a ft ) t » persons , misconstruing their motives , had
denonccad them . In his heart ' s deepest core he venenitd the came of the People ' s Charter ; he had not a drop of Kco i in his veins which did not boil with aribur in the cause of democracy—( tremendous cheering . ) He trusted that meeting would be an earn&it of a better feeling that they should have touched the stripg to arouse Lopdon from its slumbers , and that it wcnld stand forth in its power and intellect , and never cease to battle ¦ with corruption until the physical , moral , and intellectual rights of the people ¦ were grafted them by a wise and a good gorernment . Tbe resolution was then passed ; and after a vote of thicks ha 4 been moved by Mr . Parry , and seconded r by Mr . Cunpbell , to the Chairman , the meeting dis-. olTttJ—ii being ceir twelve o ' clwk
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TO THB EDITOR OP XHS NORTHERN STAR . Dear Sib , —I have received the purport of this communication from a cottier , from Clay Cross , and taey wish it t © appear in the Northern Star . Belper , August 20 , 1842 . Sir , —Several false statements having appeared in the Derbyshire Courier regarding our ¦* ages and the conduct of Mr . Arthur O'Neil , when with us a fortnight age , we feel it onr duty to nnderceive the public by giving the following true statement : — It ma stated in the Courier that we . the colliers of
Clay Cross , were getting 4 s . per day ; whereas , numbering , as we nearly do , 300 men , we do not average more than 2 b . 6 d- per day , working fourteen hours to the day , and are subject to stoppages out of the 2 s 6 d . for candles , tools , tc . The Courier say * Mr . O'Neil visited Clay Cross last week , and appeared as a flare-up teetotaller ; but finding total abstinence did not take well among the people , he quietly put it on the shelf , and advised the colliers to demand of their employers two quarts of ale per day . Let the narrators thereof blush , for it is a lie !
It is customary in Staffordshire for the men to have allowed them one or two quarts of ale per day ; and their prices are better for their work : therefore , Mr . O'Neil advised the men , that if they struck for an advance of wa $ es , that , instead of having the ale , to have the value thereof in money , as , according to his opinion as a consistent teetotaller , it would do them more geod . The Courier also states that O'Neil , the demagogue , was too good a judge to mention it to Mr . Binns , the agent ; but O'Neil did mention itln his pre 3 :-nce , and confuted every argument that Mr . Binns brought forward . Tkis , like the others , is false . Yours , &c J . Tickers , Clay Ctosb Colliery , August 29 , IS 12 .
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WHO IS THE COWARD ? It is now -well understood by the whole country , who ic is that have the rare merit of having planned and originated the late " risings" and " riots . " Ask the question where you may , and the same answer i 3 returned . Indeed it could not be other-Trise . Ths evidence we have brought to bear on the point has " seitled the question . " There is no possibility of shaking it . Wriggle as the League may under the exposure , they cannot wriggle ont of ic ! There it is , fixed upon them , beyond the possibility of mistake ! Never forget that their
ewn organ , the Sunday Times , openly avowed that " the plan of shutting up all the mills in one day originated with him ; a > d that the Lragce considered THE QUESTION AGAIN AND AGAIN 1 ' ! and never forget that their crack man , their hired creature , declared that " the object of the League ' s Conference meeting in London was to consider the propriety of stopping all ike mills in one day ; axd iuey -. vocld do it" ! Never forget these things ; and never cease to call for justice upon the inciter to rebellion ; the concoctors of " risings" and ' riots ; " the getters-up of the plot , the carrying out of which has cost life ; has cauted the people
to be shot down like mad-dogs ; to be ridden over , and sabered ; to be bludgeoned and brutally maltreated by ferocious and blood-heated police and " specials ; " to be " committed to take their trials' ' by thousands 5 and to be sentenced to long periodB of imprisonment and transportation ! Never cease to call for justice upon the authors of all this mischief and evil . Never cease to 'demand that the poor "rioters" shall not be the only persons prosecuted , and made to bear the whole burden of punishment . Demand that the League-men have their fair share . Demand justice for them ; and never ceaso that demand till justice be fully satisfied !
Were there any link deficient in the chain of evidence to connect the League with the concoction s . nd origin of the " risings" and the " riots , " it is haply supplied by one of themselves . It happens that there is no such deficiency . The chain of evidence is whole and perfect . Therefore whatever is now let out of the bag can only come as corroboration of that which is already established . In this light do we view the public testimony borne to the fact of the League-origin of the M riots" by one of their own hired advocates . We give it here only as testimony bearing out the conclusive evidence we have before adduced . In . the Times of Monday we find the following account of a meeting held in the Carpenter ' s Hall on Saturday last . It is headed : —
" CACSE OF THE RECENT DISTURBANCES . " Thia evening , at six clock , the doors of the Carpenters' Eall ware opened for a public meeting to be held ¦ within its walls , at which it was announced a lecture would be delivered * by a late member of the anti-Corn Law League , on the origin , cause , and progress of the late insurrection ; and it would be proved that the League were the cause of tt . " When the door was opened only about twenty
people entered the room , and it was some time before that number was increased at all . About half an hour after the time announced the lecturer ascended the platform , and then probably about 100 persona were present . Towards the close cf the lecture , however , that number had increased considerably , by the arrival of sevaral members of the anti-Corn L * w League , and amongst them , as we understood , the Secretary of that body .
" The lecturer proposed that Mr . Smith , a working man , should taie the chair . " The Chairman said , as he knew nothing of the meeting , he should merely call on Mr . Daffey to deliver his lecture . " Duffey then presented himself to the meeting , and spoke fer upwards of an hour , during which time he was heard with great attention . His speech was principally confined to abuse of the m&nufactuK > rs and miU-0 wners and the Anti- Corn Law League . The former be accused of having reduced the wages of the workmen full 40 per cent , and the latter with being the cause of the present outbreak , in consequence of compelling their
men to leave their work , having previously counselled tbem to adopt that course . The working classes bad been tossed about between the two parties , and each La their turn bad bid for their support ; bub bow the League bad thrown them overboard and declared taey would carry the repeal of the com laws by agitation among the middle classes only . The Morning Chronicle and other Liberal papers bad been lately reporting the daily meetings of the Anti-Corn Law Conference , and what was the result of these meetings ? Why , what they predicted had come to pus , because
they bad the power to bring it about They e&id th « y would reduce the wages of their bands until they bad not enough to live on , and then they would cry out for a repeal of the corn laws ; and Mr . Sharp , of the firm of Sharp , Roberta , & Co ,, bad said that they would reduce the wages of their men twenty per cent . Mr . Chappell bad also said if the Corn Laws were not repealed , they the ( League ) would stop all their mills and leave the men to their own resources . He said he know an instance where one large manufacturer , bad , duxiDg the last six months , redqeed bis hands to the
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extent ef 10 s . per week ; and when asked the reason why he -did so , Bald , it was because the Cora Laws were not repealed , and because Parliament would not listen to the demands of the Com Law Conference . He asked whether there were any present who bad been compelled to become members of the Anti-Corn Law League , and who had had Id . per week deducted from their wages to pay for their card of admission ? ( A number of voices called out " Yec , yes . " ) He next condemned the conduct of those magistrates who were members of the Anti-Corn Law League who had taken part in suppressing the meeting of delegates held in that Hall—a meeting which he contended was as legally constituted as the Corn Law Conference in London . No longer ago
than the 16 th of July , Mr . J . Brookes , one of the magistrates who had signed the proclamation against the Trades' Delegates Meeting , had at a meeting of the Corn Law League proposed the following resolution : — ' That , believing this country to be . on the eve of a revolution , and being utterly without hopo that the Legislature will accord justice to the starring millions , a requisition be forthwith prepared , signed , and forwarded to the Members for thia Borough , calling upon them , in conjunction with other Liberal Members , to offer every possible opposition to the taxing of a prostrate people , for the purpose of a bread-taxing aristocracy , by argument and other constitutional impediments , that THE "WHEELS OF GOVERNMENT MAY BE ARRESTED , through the rejection or prevention of all votes of supply . " This he contended wae advising a Revolution ; and whilst the supporters of that Revolution were
allowed to escape , it was unjust to punish the poor men who were now in custody . Further , Mr . Cobden had said , as there was no chance of stopping the supplies by a vote of the House of Commons , there was a way of doing it , and that was by suspending labour . The working classes were only carrying out that recommendation , and now the members of the League turned round on them and prosecuted them . The speaker then entered at length into a declamation against the Anti-Com Law League for having forced the people to turn out from their work , and then deserting them in the hour of danger , and concluded by calling on the working classes to subscribe , if even one farthing each , for the prosecution of those magistrates who bad broken in upon and dispersed a meeting which was as legally constituted as the meeting of the Anti-Corn Law Association held on Thursday lait
11 A person named Michael Donahoe then stood forward and accused Duffey of being in the service of the Tories . He had sold or offered himself to all parties . He cautioned the Chartists against him , lest they should be deceived and misled by him . He had himself presided at a teetotal meeting , where Duffey had publicly Bigned the pledge , and a guinea was collected for him to deliver a lecture on drunkenness ; but next day he had gone and spent the guinea in getting intoxicated and violating his pledge . He bad also offered himself to the League as a lecturer , and had been paid 10 s . 6 d . to give a lecture against the Corn Laws in Stockport The speaker entered into a long list of charges against the lecturer , and concluded by calling on the latter to disprove them .
" Duffey said so many charges bad been made against him , that he hardly knew where to begin , and he must be brief , as the room must be at liberty for another purpose by eight o ' clock ; but , on Monday evening , he would be prepared to prove the charges he had made against the League , and disprove those against himself . As to the one about his signing the teetotal pledge , that was a lie . ( Cheers and uproar . ) It had also been said that he bad been paid to go to Stockport to lecture—that was a lie . "Here the meeting became bo uproarious , by tbe clamour of the friends of the two speakers , that tbe Chairman deemed it right to dissolve the meeting , and it was with some difficulty the contending parties were prevented from settling their dispute by a recourse to personal violence . "
The same journal , the Times , of Wednesday , has the following report of the adjourned meeting : — " Last night ( Monday ) a meeting was held at Carpenters' -hall , by adjournment from Saturday , to hear the defence of Duffey , the lecturer against the anti-Corn Law League , to certain charges made against him by a person named Donahoe , who spoke to the meeting at tbe conclusion of the lecture . Some misapprehension occurred respecting the hour of meeting ; in consequence of which a number of people who assembled about the
doors of tbe Hail at six o ' clock , were compelled to wait until eight At that hour the doors were opened , and a large crowd rushed into the room , many of them passing the door-keepers , without paying the usual admission fee . During tbe meeting probably 400 or 500 persons were in tbe room , mostly working men ; and as soac apprehensions were entertained that the public peace might be interrupted , it was deemed necessary to have a body of tbe police force in the neighbourhood , to act , should their services be required .
" When Daffey appeared on the platform , it appeared evident that a majo-. lty of the meeting weie unfriendly to him , and his reception was by no means nattering . He said that was an adjourned meeting from Saturday evening ; and as the person who occupied the chair on that occasion could not conveniently attend , be begged to propose that Mr . John M'CIellan should nil his place . " The Chairman said , he hoped the lecture of Mr . Duffey would be listened to without interruption , and be pledged himself , at the conclusion , any questions which might be asked the lecturer should be answered , or any one who wished should be allowed to address the meeting on subjects relevant to the lecture . ( Cheers and hooting . )
" Duffey then proceeded to address the meeting , and after some preliminary observations , be said , be had been cautioned not to appear that night , for if he did his life would be endangered . ( Hooting . ) This threat was held out in order to prevent his appearing to prove bis charges against tbe Anti-Com Law League . ( Uproar . ) But like a true Irishman , who never turned his back on either friend or foe , be was there at his post . " [ The meeting here became so disorderly that the speaker could not be heard for some time , and it was only by the entreaty of Donaboe that order was in some measure restored ]
•• Duffey then , with difficulty , was heard for about half an hour , during which time he reiterated his charges against the Anti-Corn Law League of being the authors of the present movement , in consequence of having forced their workpeople to turn ont , in pursuance ot a threat made by tbe mlllowners at the Corn Law Conference in London ; and for doing that be was threatened with personal violence . But , although they might assassinate , they should never intimidate him . So long ago as tbe 5 tb cf May be said the Baroe thing . He then stated that the miliowners would compel the working men to a general turn-out , and on that occasion
Mr . John Brooks , one of tbe magistrates , stood behind him , applauded what he said , and called it a very clever speech . But the moment the suggestions ef the League were carried out , the members of the League placed themselves at tbe head of the military force , put down the legally constituted meetings of the people , and attempted , by a parade of their power to intimidate the working people , and to prevent their meetings . He was not there to quarrel with Mr . Donahoe ; bis charge was against the League . He was prepared to meet them , and prove the charge be bad made : but they were reduced to the necessity of sending their paid agent , Big Mick' to defend them—( confusion . )
" Michael Donahoe said , he was not a paid agent of the League , be was not even a member of it He was connected with the Anti-Corn Law Association as their collector , a station his opponent was not thought fit to fill . ( CheerB . ) " Some further confnsion and disorder here took place , it having been arranged that each party should address the meeting for half an hour , in consequence of tbe Chairman deciding that Duffey bad a right then to speak for half an hour . The meeting refused to bear Duffey , and overruled the decision of ths chair . After some discussion ,
" Dohahoe proceeded to address tha meeting , and continued his speech for half an hour , making several charges against Daffey , reflecting on his character , stating that he was now the paid agent of the Toriesthat the placards calling tbe meeting were printed at the Chronicle-of&Ge > and that he was no longer in the Repeal Association , nor fit to be trusted by tbe Chartists ; the latter body the speaker cautioned against being delude ! by Duffey , who had already betrayed tb&m . " The rest of tbe evening was spent in crimination and recrimination between the two parties and their supporters on each side , and the meeting ended in a scene ot most admired uproar , and at near midnight " A large body of police were in attendance to prevent outrage , but their services were not required . "
Now this Duffey we believe to be as great a rascal as ever drew breath . Indeed , had he not been such , he never would have sold himself , as he did , to the service of the League-men . None but a scamp would take their blood-stained coin , to do his uttermost to persuade tbe working men i& quietly allow the steam giants to fetter labour ' s hands , and take away labour ' s last crust . But Duffey is no greater a scamp than tbe rest of his late comrogues . He is as good as the rest . He and they may have quarrelled , —possibly about tbe division of the spoil . He and they may have fallen out : but what of that 1 It will not do for those who are as bad as Duffey to
denounce him as a bad man . He is as good as Waeren , or Acland . His services have been deemed worth the purchase . He has bad the League ' s money for doing the League ' s ¦ wor k . He knows what was the work they set him to do ! He and John Brooks—( the busy magistrate in putting down the " risings" and " riots" )—seem to bare well understood each other ! He is in for the secret . He blabs it . He openly discloses it . He proclaims in open day what was the object of himself and his confederated compeers . He tells us that that object was to cause the " Turn-out . " He tells us the modus operandi was the lowering of wages ! He charges npon his late associates , whose secrets he knows ; whose meetings he has attended ; whose plans he is in possession of ; whose objects he has
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endeavoured to accomplish : he tells these , his associates , that they alone are guilty of causing r ail the " risings" and the " riots ; " and alone aught to be answerable for the consequences resulting 11 We believe him . It is , we know , the evidence of e scoundrel ; but the proof does not rest with him . The facts ho deposes to are established by other and less impeachable testimony . He is only a witness in corroboration . As sach he is valuable . Let us wait and see what answer the League can give to him !
We have been waiting , anxiously , to see what answer they could give to US . We have fixed tho originating of the " riots" upon them . We have adduced unmistakeable and conclusive evidence to prove that they " considered the proposition again and again . " We have shewn that they acted on the plan laid down . We have shewn that all the efforts of their writers in the Press , ever since the rejection of the Whigs from office , has been to cause Confusion and Revolution . We have shown that the Globe announced that the battlo-cry wa 3 to be
" bread or blood" ! We have shown that the Morning Chronicle talked of BARRICADES being erected to defeat Sir Robert Peel and his Budget , and to carry the Whig one . We have shown that the Sun talked of "the carrving of LADIES' HEADS on poles , or trailing them in the dirl . "V . We have shown that the Leagued Daily Bread Men tried to get the people to join in what they themselves openly announced as " an organised plan to break the law" ! We have shown that the Leaguer ' s
Conference openly declared they would " pay no taxes" ! We have shown that one of their members suggested" the appointment of a Committee of Publio Safety " , after he had talked ot probable ) " risings " and " riota . " We have shown that the plan of " striking work for one month" was openly proposed in that same Conference . We have shown that an Alderman of Manchester , a loading member of the League , openly declared that "tho only plan
left the manufacturers" whereby they could force their measure , "Was to stop their factories . " We have shown all those things , weeks ago : and we have also shown how the Weekly Chronicle tried to incite to incendiarism in the depth of last winter . We have shown these things : and how have we been answered 1 By indignant denials of the facts we adduced ? No I !! By silence ! The Globe has not denied the
" Bread or blood" " change . Tho Chronicle has not denied tho BARRICADES charge . The Sun has not ventured to deny his atrocious and miscreant-like suggestions respect" LADIES HEADS on poles" ! The League have not denied the suggested appointment of " a Committee of Public Safety" ! The Weekly Chronicle has not denied his dastardly incitements to incendiarism , through his
' SWING ' 1 * s s ¦ ' « ib a m - a k a a
placard-dodge ! On the contrary , he acknowledges it !!! and only says he has not done as much in that way as we have ; a gratuitous and unsupported assertion , which we make him a present of back again ! The Alderman has not denied his suggested stopping of tho mills . The League have not denied the assertion of their own organ , " that they considered the proposition again and again" ! The
employment of six delegates by the factory-masters and shopkeepers of Ashton-under-Line , to go to other towns to get the work-people to join the a strike , " just then and there commenced , has not been dented ! Indeed those things cannot be denied . They are damning facts , which fix the concoction and planning of the plot ( which has sent thousands to prison ) upon tho Leaguo-meu and their adherents , beyond the possibility of being gainsayed !
Again we reiterate oar demand for j ustice upon the authors of the " riots "! Again we demand that the poor shall not be the only ones " committed to take their trial" !! Tho Leaguo plotted the " riots . " The League plotted the " Strike . " The League determined on tho closing of the Mills . The Leaguo determined to reduce wages , and force the men out . The League hired men , Duffey for instance , to prepare the way . He could speak of the " mill-closing business" before John Brooks , the Magistrate ; and be applauded for his clever speech ! The League
"did it all ! " and when it was done ; when the people were our ; when they were " rising" ; when they were " rioting" ; when they were doing the work the League wanted doing ; when the people were doing these things , where were the members of the League ? Where was John Brooks , who had applauded Duffey , and who had proposed that " THE WHEELS OF GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ARRESTED" 1 Where was Dickey Cobden who had proposed " a suspension of labour" to stop the supplies ] Where was Alderman Chappel , who had declared that " the only plan
left was to stop the factories" ? Where was Master Weekly Chronicle with his incitements to "SWING" ? Where was the cowardly dastard of the Sun , with his lk LADIES' HEADS on poles" ? Where was the Chronicle with his BARRICADES ? Where were one and all < of ' these ? At " the head of the movement "? Taking part with " the mob" ? Leading them on ! Acting as Generals ? No ! They were engaged in letting loose the military to shoot and sabre those that had " risen" ! They were engaged in hounding on the butchers and the brutal bludgeon
men ! They were engaged in " committing to take their trials" those brought before them , as magistrates , charged with having " rioted . " They were engaged in getting up and in circulating charges of cowardice . against whom in God ' s name ? Against Feargus O'Connor !! - ! . ! Because Mr . O'Connor did not prove himself a silly ass , and fall into the trap they had eo nicely laid for him , they charged Aim with cowardice ! The men who had concocted th& plot } and who ought to have conducted their own work in its execution , charged O'Connor with cowardice because he would not do it for them ! while they waited with the law in their hands to lay him by the heels if he should have done so I ?
The wholo Whig press has rung with the charge . They have harped upon it again and again . Old Bloody , too , has joined in it . The ball has been kept going amongst them for the whole of the last fortnig ht . Every one who ought to have been" at the head of the movement" seems to have thought it sufficient to screen himself from a charge of cowardice , if he preferred one against O'Connor . True , none of them shewed why O'Connor " ought to have taken the lead . " True , none of them even attempted to do this . But they , one and all , Beem to have taken it for granted that wherever there is a mess , no matter by whomsoever cooked , O'Connor ought to jump Blap up to the neck into it ; and that if he " lookB before he leaps" he is a " coward !"
This from the Whig and Tory press , was to be expected . It was no more than we had a right to look for . It is ever the practice of faction to take advantage of popular excitement to throw suspicion upon the people ' s leaders , if the people ' s leaders evince commonlprudence , and -mil not throw themselves , neck and crop , into the arms of their enemies . It has ever been so . When Hunt attended the Peterloo MASsACRE-meeting , and when his life was compassed , and the plot only defeated by his own
presence of mind and great physical energy , he was accused ot cowardice because he had cot advised the people to come armed , and meet force by force He was accused of cowardice , because he would not counsel and commit an overt act of treason , so that his accusers might have had the high gratification of seeing his head roll from the scaffold , and the pure purple life-stream spurt from his headless trunk ! He was accused of cowardice because he defeated the hellish machinations of the
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compassers of his own life , and saved himself to rally his party , and direct their energies in the cause of right and justice for a long period , and to a successful issue , in the legislative acknowledgement of the necessity of Reform in the passing of the reform bill ! So with O'Connor . When Fsosr was betrayed by spies into the Newport business , and when he was committed as a traitor , O'Connor was denounced as a coward' * because he did not turn-out , and "head the people" in a mad crusade against life and property , to ensure the hanging and beheading of Frost , as well as the
ensuring of himself being " cut up in four quarters ' to be disposed of as the Queen should , most graciously , please to direct ! Nay , even when the trial of Frost was proceding ; when the City of Monmouth was in possession of a strong military force ; when almost every second man in it was a soldier ; even when this was the case , O'Connor was denounced as * " coward , " becau se he was not fool enough to go upon the Weloh Hills , organise the hardy mountaineers , and " h « ad them" in an attack
upou the Judges and the city ! and becauso he applied all his powers in aid of Frost ' s defence , to the charge against him , and succeeded in enabling him to escape from the fangs of the bloody cut-throat Executioner !! And thus it has ever boon . Faction has always seized the opportunity to spread distrust and sow the seeds of disunion between the people and their friends . It is its vocation to do so . It would be a traitor to itself did it miss the opportunity .
While , however , such a course must be expected and calculated on from the conductors of the factious Presg , we have no right to expect that that course shall bo joined in by those who wish to be considered as ¦ ' devoted to the service of the people . " We have no right to be called upon to defend ourselves from attacks from within ; while we have a right to expect , and to be prepared for , attacks from without .
In the foolish and senseless cry that has . been raised by the Manchester Guardian , and joined in by the Morning Chronicle , the Globe , the Sun , Old Bloody , the Weekly Chronicle , and by every Whig and Whigling paper in the kingdom , against O'Connor because he did not take Cobden ' s place in the suspension of labour ' business ; or John Brooks' place in the " arrestino of the wheels of Government" business ; or Ald . Chappel ' s place in'the " closing of the mills" business ; or Dr . Black ' s place , in erecting " barricades '; or Murdo Young ' s
placo in putting " LADIES' HEADS on poles ;" or George Henry Ward ' s place in instigating the people to "SWING : " in the senseless and foolish , but desperately wicked , cry of " cowardice , " raised and kept up by the enemy against O'Connor , because he did not do these things , has a professed Chartist Journal , and a professed Chartist Editor , taken part ! In this matter he has ranged himself with the enemy ! In this matter , he ranks with the deadliest foes of the people 1 In this matter , he but echoes the slander and calumnies that faction has long since uttered !
Wha . strange fantasies personal malevolence will make us play before high heaven ! Wttat strange bed fellows personal malignity and ungovernable vindictiveness will mako us acquainted with ! Who could have expected "THE Statesman , " would put up horses with John Edward Taylor , with Old Bloody , with Dr . Black , with Murdo Young , and with tho man at the Greenacre shop : whocould have expected that u THE Statesmati" would have been found in such precious company , flinging their dirt al second hand ! joining in the war-whoop and eavago yells against one who has made the Chartist party what it is , —the only party whose power is courted or dreaded ? Who could have expected this ? Yet bo it is ! !!
The letter that appeared in the Statesmati of last Saturday , signed " An Old Chartist , " will be found in another portion of this sheet . That letter the Editor has made his own , by his approving commentary . Were we disposed to fiud out the author of it , we arc convinced little difficulty would present itself . He may be ferreted out of the "Old Chartist" Warren in Manchester , in which he has taken refuge . But this is not of moment to us . With the Editor we have to deal ; not with his nameless , brainless , " cowardly" scribe .
O'Connor is" a coward . " So says" THE Statesman . " The fact of his " cowardice" we have given above . He neglected to take the place which ought to have been occupied by some member of the League ; and , therefore , he is a " coward" ! He minded his own business , and left others to mind theirs : and , therefore , he is a "coward" ! He is invited to visit Manchester , to take part in certain public proceedings . He consents to go . He is elected a member of the Chartist Conference . He consents to go . Before he does go , he is apprized , through Sir Charles Shaw and the Rev . Mr . Scholefield , that if he ventures to shew
his face in Manchester , he will be instantly apprehended on a warrant grantsd for the purpose . " The coward" does not avail himself of the opportunity thus given him to decline his visit . He goes at his own cost ! He publicly enters the town . He goes to the house of tho man who had been informed by Sir C . Shaw of the intention of the " authorities" to place him under arrest . He attends the meetings of the Conference . He stays till the last ; and , when his business in Manchester is fully ended ; when he has done all that had been arranged for him to do ; he openly departs for London , where he had other business to do . In this consists his " cowardice" !!
O'Connor is a' coward . " So asseverates " THE Statesman . " O'Connor once stood before the Judges to receive sentence . He heard himself adjudged to be imprisoned for eighteen months . When he heard that , he did not snivel , and cry , and blubber , and roar , like a great boy ! He did not " BEG OF THE JUDGE TO BANISH HIM FOR LIFE" !! He did not wimper , and weep , and " IMPLORE TO BE ALLOWED TO BANISH HIMSELF" !! He did not do this : nor did any one else , amongst the hundreds of Chartists who were prosecuted in 1839 , excepting one . Who that one ia "THE Statesman" knows !!!
O'Connor is a "coward . " So says "THE Statesman . " But O'Connor NEVER DREW A KNIFE ! ! O'Connor has knocked many a man down ; and been knocked down . But it has been with honest fisting ! HE NEVER DREW A KNIFE , upon any man , much less UPON A FELLOW-PRISONER !!! ¦ We have heard of a Chartist prisoner who did . To the honour of the working men , he was not one of them . There was but one who bo far disgraced Chartism , as to present himself in the attitude of a " coward" assassin , with a ksife in his hand . Perhaps "THE Statesman , "'in his next number , will tell us who it was .
" THE Statesman" seems fond of dealing in the history of "cowards . " We may perhaps hereafter gratify him with a few anecdotes . We know some very interesting ones ; such as could not fail toplease him , they are so much in his own way . It is characteristic of the starved viper to sting every hand that warms it ; and hence Mr . James O'Brien and his double , the "Old Chartist , " are not more angry with O'Connor than with " the miserable subterfuges of his editor , Mr . Hill , in attempting to run away from the Movement , and throw all the onus or blame upon the Corn Law League . Suoh articles at such a crisis were treason to the people ' s cause , "
If we had ever reason to congratulate ourselves upon any part by us taken in a publio movement , it is upon that we have taken in this movement . We did from the beginning throw the onus upon the League ; we do throw it upon them ; let them get out of it if they can . We from the beginning warned the Chartists to have nothing to do with the Strike . We told them at the first that if they suffered themselves to be mixed up with it they would find much reason for repentance . In our
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first article npon it published three weeks ago , speaking of the tools employed by the concoctors of this Strike , these were our words : — " Their instruction ! are two-fold . They are first fo get the work-people ont ; and then they are to give the strike a CHARTIHT TINGE ! They are to mix the Chartists up with it ; and thus afford a pretext to the Leaguers and the Government to put Chartism down , when the former have their own end served ! " Chartists , beware I Be not mixed up with these proceedings . Keep Chartism distinct from th » " risings" and the " riotings" ! Give your enemia » no hold of you ; and suffer them not to use you , m , } then coerce you !"
Had we been more heeded , and th % " up-to-themark" men more prudent , wo should not now hare had to lament so many of our best men in tho wolf ' s den ! Many a Chartist family that novr wants bread would have had it ! and many an amiable wife would have missed the occasion she now has of soddening her lone pillow with her tears ! O ! yes , the " up-to-the-mark-men , " the "brave fellows , " who talk about " going to the House of Commons , with a petition in one hand , and a pistol in the other , " and who " dare not belong to
the National Charter Association for fear some of its members should do an illegal act ; " these " brave gentlemen" are terribly incensed that the Star did not goad on the people to a position which should have more fully gorged their middle-class free * trading friends with blood . O ! they are "bra ve men , " those " up-to-tho-mark" gentlemen ! and honest as thoy are " brave" I ! Hence they thiuk that , " above all , the non-insertion of the Executive address was treachery of the basest description and this from the principal oraclo of Chartism is too bad . "
Well ! this may be a terrible piece of treason ; but if he is , we plead " guilty" to it . We did not publish the address . We never , intended to publish it . We regret much that it ever was published ; and we fancy that we are not the only parties who now regret it . Mr . O ' Connor has thought proper to take upon his own Bhoulder 8 the onus of this omission . We cannot allow him to do so . It waa our business to publish or reject it . We chose to reject it ; and we are quite ready to " take tha responsibility . " It is quite true that Mr .
O'Connor did , after hearing of the seizure of poor Turner ' s traps , write a note to t ha Editor requesting that it might not be published . We had heard of the seizure before receiving Mr . O'Connor ' s note ; and had , before receiving that note , determined not to publish it . Perhaps our readers will think tho reason which actuated Mr . O'Connor a sufficient one . We should have thought bo , if we had had no other reason . But we had other reasons . If Turner ' s types , &c , had never been seized at all ; if Turner had never been prosecuted at all ; and if we had no note from Mr . O'Connos
or if Mr . O ' Connor had even written desiring us to print that address , we should not have published if , We had reasons of our own for our determination ; reasons arising out of the document itself , and out of the circumstances under whioh it was put forth . At a proper time we may give those reasons . Wi will not give them now . It is net the abuse of Mr , James O'Brien , or any of his nameless cowarii that should force us into statements which miglt be construed to tbe prejudice of those who have at present enough to battle with ! We regret exceedingly that that address was ever published at all . We never did publish it . We never approved it . But if we had chosen to publish it , we would at least have shown less of the coward ia
our daring tfcan " THE Statesman" did !!! We would not have characterised it as "THIS MOST EXTRAORDINARY DOCUMENT . " We would not have flown to the " miserable subterfuge" of quoting it from the London papers ! We would not have asserted the cowardly lie , that we " didnot know whether it came from the Executive or no !" to fence ourselves against the consequences of our daring ! No , no ; we never yet printed anything in that way ! Had we approved the address , wo would have printed it . We would have sailed boldly in the same boat with its authors , and not have skulked behind a dastard screen , which , after all , is no screen at all 1 01 he is a "brave" man , this James O"Bhibs ! and the words " coward " and " traitor" do sound eo
pretty coming from him , and applied to O'Connor and the Star ! He is a grateful man ! and makes good use of the people ' s pence , for which , week after week , tho Slar drummed up so lustily , that ibt " schoolmaster" and " THE Statesman" might haw another paper to destroy ! The most curious part of the charge against O'Connor by " THE Statesman" is , that he did not stay in Manchester , father the acts of . M'Doiuu and Campbell , and allow them to keep out of the way of the police , while he kept in it !! Cintht Chartists understand this 1 Do they see through it !
O ! yes ! O'Connor is to father all ; to stand to all ; to bear all the odium , and all the weight of Government persecution . " THE Statesman" knows that O'Connor has had to stand to other people's doings before now ! "THE Statesman" knows that O'Consob has had to endure sixteeu months of solitary confine ment , in a condemned cell , for what ! For his own act 1 for his own words ! for his own writings ? for any comment of the Star ' s * , forwjthing of this sort ? No ! But for a speech nwde by Mr . James BR 6 NTKRRK O'Brien !!! O ! je > - " THEStatesma » "knows about Mr . O'Connor hating
had to father other people ' s acts ; having had to answer for them with loss of personal liberty for 1 * months together , under restraints such as no other individual in England ever before had to eadare ! Yes ! "THE Statesman " knows of this . HefawmJ of" other people keeping out of the way of the police , and of O'Connor keeping in it , to answer for those " other people ' s " , aota ! "THEStatesman" know * of this ; and it cuts him to the heart that he cannot again play the same card ! But " no more Bluestone , good doctor" ! one dose of lliat sort i » enough !
THE VICTIMS TO CLASS PREJUDICE . The prosecutions and persecutions have ag »» commenced ! The doings of 1839 are to be repeated . Men are committed to gaol , " to stand their trials for being Chartists . Heavy and excessive bail a fixed ( where bail is admitted of ) , to prerent i « obtainment . The prisons are being crammed . TM vindictive and revengeful passions of the men dressw in a " little brief authority" again have full swiogi and class prejudice is excited and appealed to " the corrupt and time-servii g press , to secure » "fair" and "impartial" trial for the victim » malevolence , when placed before middle-cli * Jurors !
Look at 'he reports of the " Examinationa" ^? in our present and last week ' s paper ! partioul arij the examinations of Leach , Hctchinson , * Jj White . Read over the " evidence . " Weigh i * *®' see its bearings ; and then judge of some of w magisterial decisions which send men to . take » trials at the next Assizes" ! Take White ' s case . Take the report a 3 * e ^ it , and as we give it . We do not know *^*' L correct ; but just as it appeared in the Whig " mingham Journal do we transfer it to oar p * F * Take it , then , as a report given by the enemy " '" ^ proceedings in "Ckmrt . " Take it , and well * W the " evidence" adduced ; and then judge if "j *" ooaht to have been '' committed" on an sucd ?
herent , bald , disjointed , stark-staring , seIf- ««^ nonsense as the witnesses depose to ! And ^ or . the character ot those witnesses ! Let not t ^ f ? ^ . brance of that be absent from the mind when jo 1 * " * of the "depositions . " u Look well , too , to the revealments made by « ^ in his able and judicious oross-examin » t ' ' ^ him drag the veil from off the infamous ^ J * ^ able svstem of esrAnntuut resorted to by the f ° .
that be" to learn V man ' s private opuu ^' ^ . possibly , to incite him to utter expressions , 0 ^ mit acts , which will enable the inciter to P ^ tf , blood- money . Look again and again » t , ^ posure ! Remember that it is in E » ^ , la these dastardly and infamous things are ao - ^ England ! that country which hw «« w ^ famed for its love of uprightness and fr ^ JJJ ^ et its hatred of deceit and treachery ! f ^ ritf ' that it is the now English " authorities" * & <> m
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN STAR . Sir , —Will you allow me a corner in your columns to acknowledge the receipt of 5 s . from Mr . Jones , of Newport , Salop , for Mason ' s and his fellow-prisoners ' Defence Fund , and to inform the Committee for tbe management of the above fund that I divided it amongst tbe three that emerged from the dungeon ' s gloom on Saturday last , whose term of imprisonment bad expired , and who left the gael without food or any money , and had to travel twenty-tvro miles to reach home ? By doing which , you will oblige , Yeurs , respectfully , William PErLOW . Friai-strefct , Stafford , Aug . 29 th , 1842 .
P . S . I hope the country will not forget Mr . Mason . From the -want of a regular supply of funds to purchase food for him , he was about to be thrown on the gaol diet last week ; it was served out to him , but his stomach was so weak that he could not touch it . One of the Mr . Caswell's , who left prison last week , stated it as his opinion that if Mason was pat on gaol diet , be could not live bis time out . Shall eucb a man as Mason be lost ? Chartists , answer ! W . P .
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Mason ' s and others' Defence Fund . —The following subscriptions have been received by Mr . Samuel Cook , of Dudley : — £ s . d . Aug . 10 Bacsington-oa-Tbames ... ... 0 7 0 16 Redditch 0 6 0 17 Cheltecbain , after sermon ... 10 0 IS Clithcroe 0 2 1 19 Abergavenny 0 8 6 20 Northampton 0 4 0 2-2 Greenock 0 IS 0 24 Stockingfield , Nuneaton 0 1 0 29 Kingswood , Bristol 0 2 6
The Northern Star. Saturday, September 3, 1842. The League Plot.
THE NORTHERN STAR . SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 3 , 1842 . THE LEAGUE PLOT .
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4 THE NORTHERN STAR .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Sept. 3, 1842, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1177/page/4/
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