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THE NORTHERN STAR. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1842.
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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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Af > GREAT PUBLIC MEETING AT THE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION HALL , HOLBORN . j A great public meeting "was held at the National i Association Hall . Holborn , on Monday evening ; charge lot admission , id . At eight o ' clock , about 1 , 500 persona were present ; and in accordance with the announcement on the placards , Joseph Storge -wis una- ; nimoasly elected to preside , and took the chair amid ' great applause . Mr . SrcEOE commenced by stating that be was « o-« ible of the kind feeling they had exprened towards bim . seeing that he had so recently bscorae a feTJowworker with them in the great causa of poKtical redemption . It might be -asJred -why ha wii tfesre at all as ths president of a mushroom association , ¦ while
there were others who had devoted msoy yeai 8 « c > f their life to the advocacy of the principle * of thaCharter J 'I cere were many wba were more sVle , andtrany who bad a better claim ; bat , by the acKiee of tte . friends with whom he had comrnurLcated be had tafeen hia preeent responsibility , tnd wtwld ende&vour to contend with th « difficulties which presented ttamselves , and create a 'firm union between the middle and wonting classes , fcy which means * lone tbey woufcl be ensrfcd rightly to -settle the -question . Hi might ts asked why he did not . join the Chartiats at once ? He was one of those who cared little for the naues of -f .-olitical acsociations any more than for those -of religious denominations . He had found amongst many of iiis own -r ' . ass a prejudice -against the Charter . ; they were alarmed at the mention of it , and would not listen U > reaso ; . -But if he could get them to admit oae point , be tboa £ ht he could rradnally bring'tbem > o the consideration of the other five . The retrospect of the past showed that he had net
laboured in Tain . Mr . Stirge then went int « details of the elections at Ncttinghaui , Southampton , and Ipswich , and stated that K the-Rsading election had been proeeeded with he bid no doubt they wanld have p&lled a majority of the -rotes , Mr . S . tten alruded to the recent strike in the North . He was satisfied that it hod not taken iU rise in political -motives , fe « . t had been brought on hy the destitatisn of die people . The people had , in bis cpi-. iion , conducted themselves well amidst the excitmtnt existing , and from what he knew of his own district , he was convinced they would meet quietly and peaceably , if not-interfered with ; -but if the police and military were aent amengst them to exasperate them , -She-consequences might be dreadftd . Mr . Sturge then dealt out some hard hits at the state church , and concluded by stating that he wuhed to see the military posrer a shield and protection to tbe wetk . and not an instrument of tyranny in the bands of the powerful — tereat cheering ) . Mr . ELT moved the following resolution : — ¦
" That the . proceedings of the House of Commons daring the past Session incontestibly prore that that House has no sympathy with , and does not in any manner represent , the feelings of the people of this ¦ country . ; for , ia spite of the decay of trade , and the wide-spread destitution of tbe operative classes , which were made manifest to tbe House by the most authentic and fearful evidence , its Members hare nevertheless retired to th « ir amusements and country sports without taking one decided step to alleviate the misery , tbe
existence of which they have been compelled to ackEowledge . " and dwelt with mneh energy upon the incapacity of tbe present GoTercmeat to do a * g bt for the benefit of a tbe people , and also of their resort to the miserable expe-< iier . t cf a Queen ' s begging lttter . Mr . Philp seconded the resolution . ¦ JaJ 1 esPi ; ibce Ealing , ef the Inner Temple , in an eloquent manner supparted the resolution witich was cajritu unanimously , Mr . Johk Dcxcan moYed tbe next resolntion :
" That the facts affirmed in the foregoing resolution , added to a long experience of eimilar injustice , are sufficient to convince the people that the great vice of our institutions is class legislation , or the legislation of the few for the few ; and , in the opinion of this meeting , the only effective remedy for class legislation is to give to every man a direct control over the making of those laws which affect his social happiness and monJ Weil-being . " Mr . D . entered into a long and able exposa of the funding syrteui , and of tbe various encroachments which the rulers of this country had made upon the natural and unalienabl * rurhta of the peopla
Mr . Chakles Wzsterton . in his usual eloquent manner txposed the hideous deformity cf tbe muuE ' . er , class legislation , and stated his fervent hope and belief , that if they would but throw aside their sectional difference , the day was aoi far distant when , amidst the triumphant icclammations of the country , the Charter would bo proclaimed the law of the laid— and freedom , prosperity , and bappimss . smile upon the country . ( Great cLeering . ) The resolution was carried unanimously . Mr . J . H . Parut moved the third
resolution"That while taismreting , therefore , Ticwswitfa high Eitisfaction the result * of tfce contests entered into by ilr . Siurge at Nottingham , and Mr . Vincent at Ipswich , on the principles of Complete Suffrage , they earnestly Cill up ^ n ail true Reformers to promote the cordial naion of Vhe micdle anil working classes , without which it is impossible effectaaliy to contend against our power ' u \ * selfisli . and sordid aristocracy , but with which the giant evil cf cliss legislation would be speedily annihilated . " The speaker , in a very effective and telling address , declared i > 5 » ueterminatinn to stand »> 7 t > . « dorairu « Et called the Charter , and to be content with" nothing less than the ^ hole Charier -, but , at the same time , he was willing to co-operate with any body of his fellowmen , who —tre engaged in any struggle haTing for iU object the amelioration of the condition of the human race . He was a member of the National Charter
Association—of the body to whom the Hail in which they met belonged , and likewise of tbe Complete ScffVage Union . The o > j cl of the CompUti S- fivage party was t ¦ conciliate and gain the co operation of the middle class : they did n ^ t wish to destroy or iDj ' cre the Charter Association . The working men had never deEtrted thtir principles , even in the moit dangerous tinies ; and he -was c : nTinced they wonld not desart them now , when the bxur of their success was at Land , bat would parsn ? ttt- ; r object with increased ¦ perse-• vfcrar . ee and tnercy . The man who was continually denouncing the middle class was a traitor to tbe cause cf rttmocmcy . God forbid that be should atttnvpt to divide tfce two classes ; it was only by a unicn of tbem that a bloodless revolution could be effec ' td . Mr . Parry then referred to tbe social war ( for so it might be termed ) txiitiug in tha Xurth and Midland counties . Ma-y timid friends cf peace , law , and order—many venerable old ladies and venerable men were cfraid that
this , to their views , awful insurrection , would injure the cause of pezctfal reform . He was well assured that Erich a movement would never iDJure their ho ' y cause . rv ' evtT in the annals of British history fead thure betn a movement more calculated to do Lonoar to ths v ? orking classes ; there Lau been no drunkenness , no violence , save on the paTt of the Government . They had conducted themselves as m * n -who fe't they were deeply injarfel , and who "weie determined to elevate themselves into their proper position in socirty ; they micht not have taken the bcit mesas to achieve this clj : ct , bat seeded on as they were by nnserv ' and
distress , they hid taken a noble position and have dared to maintain n . Even tboss papers which pandered to every csrruption in Caurcb . and State , with evtry desire to houi-d on the middle against the working classes , had failed in Living any colouring to the conduct of those engesed in the tnrn-out -which did not rifi . 2 Ct credit upon them . Mr . P . th-.-n went on to show that it wss cnJy ty app £ a' ; i .-: g to the ftars of the upper claEse ? tkat any measure cf justice could be obtained . In eoDclnswn ho called cpoa them to unite and blot from the page of history the name of both tjrant and slsve— ( crest cheerine- )
Mr . Lovett secjnded the resolution ; sfid stated that bis definition of Complete Suffrace wss to be found in tha People ' s Charter . Much prejudice ka . < i been exhibited against the last Coriferi-ncs beciusa vhey hid not anopted the nsac tf ibe ChaiLtr . Miny of the delegates sect to tb-. t EEEsmbiy were elected oniy to coasi-Jer the point of the Scffrafe ; others wer « prejudiced amicst tbe name of the Charter on account of the ? ioient conJuct of sosae of its advocates ; andothersttracge eb it might appear—baa not cv ^ n read that di .. t _ uTne-t- The difficulties in which sorce of the delegates were placed piecluded their haviue sufficient time to enter into all the dttai ' . s of the subject ; and they
i * parited wilh a determination to call another con - ference : and be had no doubt that any cci . ference fairly chosen which mi ^ ht now be called would adopt the whole of the details of the Charter . They had mtt much of opposition ; bat notwithstanding this they had succeeded beyond their exoEctiVicna , - The "Whigs &ud the Tories might for a time , by tbo aid of the military and police , succeed in embarrassing the present move zoent , but ultimately they nuat succeed ; and the bullying of the Times , or the braying of . the Herald , would no more retard them than the attempt of Mother Parnnston to stop tbe progren of the ocean with hex mop ( Laughter . )
Mr . Yixce > t supported the resolution in a long and eloquent address , which was greeted throughout with tbe mest f-nthrmuttc applause . Soring hu address he sUted that the great object of tbe Complete Suffrage Union was to prepare for electoral battles in favour of the people ' s claim . If the machinery was properly organised , they at tbe Terr next election would have racb a band of sturdy obitmctires in the House of Commans as would defy any business to be transacted until the people ' s just rights were granted . He trusted they would not allow tbe occurrences in the Nortk to intimidate them . He hoped they would cot eUnd by in apathy , because a few persons , misconstruing their motives , had
decennced them . In his heart's deepest core he venerated the name of the People ' s Charter ; he had not a drop of bloc-d in bis Teins which did not boil with ar 4 eur in the cause of democracy—( tremendous < breriE £ ) He trusted that meeting would be an earnest cf a better feeling tkat they should have touched the fitripg to arouse London from its slumbers , and that it would stand forth in its power and intellect , and never cea $ s to battle with corruption until the physical , moral , and intellectual rights of the people were granted them by a wise and a good government The resolution was then pawed ; and after a rote of ttaiiis ha 4 been moved by Mr . Parry , and seconded tj Mr . Ciuspbfcil , to ths Chsirmac , the meeting dissolved—it btias near ttrelve o'dixic ' .
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TO THE EDITOR O ? THE NORTHERN STAB , Dear Sir , —I have received tbe purport of this eommanicati ' jq from a collier , from Clay Cross , and they wish . ' . t te appear in the Northern Star . Belper , August 30 , 1842 . Sir . — Several false statements bftvisg appeared in the Tjerbyshire Courier regarding oar stages and the cond act of Mr . Arthur O'Neil , when with us a fortnight age , -we feel it our duty to underoeive tbe public by giving the following true statement : — It was stated in the Courier tint we , tba colliers of Clay Cross , were getting 4 e . per day ; whereas , numbering , as we nearly do , 300 men , we do not-aTerage more than 2 s , 6 d , per day , working fourteen hours to the day , | and are subject to stoppages out of the Is 6 d . for candles , tools , &c
The Courier ssys Mr . O'Neil Yisited Clay Cross last week , and appeared as a nare-cp teetotaller ; but finding total abstinence did not tak « well among the people , he quietly put it on tbe shelf , and advised tbe colliers to demand of their employer * two quarts of ale per day . Let tbe narrators thereof blush , for it k a lie ! It is customary in Staffordshire for tbe men to bave 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 wages , 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 gnod .
TheCotirier also states that O'Neil , the demagogue , was too good a judge to mention it to Mr . Binns , tbe agent ; but O'Neil did mention it in his presence , and confuted every argument that Mr . Binns brought forward . Tkis , like the others , is false . Youtb , tec J . VlCKERS . Clay Cross Colliery , August 29 , 1642 .
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THE LEAGUE PLOT . WHO IS THE COWARD ! It is now vrell understood by the whole country , who it is that have the rare merit of having planned and originated the late " risinga" and " riots . " Ask the question where you may , and the same answer is returned . Indeed it could not be otherwise . The evidence we have brought to bear on the point has " settled the question . " There is no possibility of shaking it . Wriggle as the League may under the exposure , they cannot wriggle out
of it ! There it is , fired upon them , beyond the possibility of mistake 1 Kever forget that their ewn organ , the Sunday Times , openly avowed that " the plan of shutting up all the mills in one day originated -nun , him ; aau hhax iue Lraque considered THE QUESTION AGAIN AND AGAIN" ! and never forget iaat their crack man , their hired creature , declared that " the object of the League ' s Conference meeting in London waa to consider tbe propriety of stopping all the mills in one day ; and they would do it" ! Never forget these things ; and neter cease to call for justice upon the inciters to rebellion ; the concoctors of " risingB" and * riots ; " tha gatters-up of the plot , the carrying
out of which haa cost lip s ; has caused the people to ba shot down like mad-dogs ; to be ridden over , and sabred ; to be bludgeoned and brutally maltreated by ferocioas and blood-heated police and " specials ; " to be " committed to take their trials ' by thousands ; and to be sentenced to long periods of imprisonment and transpsrtation ' . Never cease to call for justice upon the authors of all this mischief and evil . Never cease to demand that the poor " rioters" shall no ; be the only persons prosecuted , and made to bear the whole burden of punishment Demand that the League-men have their fair share . Demand jc = tice for them ; and never cease that demand till jcstice be fully eatisfied !
Were there any link deficient in the chain of evidence to connect the League with the conooction and erigin of the " risings" and the riots , " it is happily supplied by one of themselves . It happens that there i 3 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 publio testimony borne to the fact of the League-origin of the " riotB" by one of their own hired advocates . We give it here only as testimony bearing out tbe conclusive evidence we have before adduced . In the Times of MoLday we find the following account of a meeting held in the Carpenter ' s Hall on Saturday last . It is headed : —
"CAUSE OP THE RECKKT DISTURBANCES . " This evening , at six clock , the doors of the Carpenters' Hall were opened for a public meeting to be held within its walls , at which It was announced a lecture would be delivered by a hie member of the anti-Corn La . w League , on tbe origin , cause , and progress of the late insurrection ; and it would be proved that the League were the cause of it 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 tbe time announced the lecturer ascended tha platform , and then probably about 100 persons were present . Towards tbe close of the lecture , however , that number bad increased considerably , by the arrival of sevaral members of the anti-Corn Law League , and amongst teem , as we understood , the Secretary of that body .
The lecturer proposed that Mr . Smith , a working man , should take the chair . " The Chairman said , as he knew nothing of the meeting , he should merely call on Mr . Bogey to deliver hia lecture . " Duffey then presented himself to the meeting , aad spoke far upwards of as hour , during which time he was heard with great attention . His speech was principally conosed to abuse of the manufacturers aad millowners and ttie Anti- Corn Law League . The former he accused of having reduced the wages of the workman full 40 peroent , had the latter with being the cause of tha present outbreak , ia consequence of compelling their
men to leave their work , having previoadr counselled them to adopt that course . Tbe working ris ^ me ^ bad been tossed about between the two parties , and each in their turn bad bid for their support ; but now the League had thrown them overboard and declared they would cany the repeal of the eon laws by agitation among the middle classes only . The Mowing Chrmiole and other Liberal papers had been lately reporting the daily meetings of the Anti-Corn Law Conference , and what vas the result of thes e meetings ? Why , what they predicted had come to pass , because
they had tbe power to bring it about . They said they 5 i ould reduce the wages of their hands until they had 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 , Roberts , k Co ,, had said that they would reduce the wages of their men twenty per cent . Mr . Chappell had also said if the Corn Laws were not repealed , they the ( Iiesgue ) would stop all their mills and leave the men to their own resources . He said he know an instance where one large minafacturer , had , during tbe l * ab six month * , reduced his hands to the
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extent ef 10 s . per week ; and when asked thereawnirhy he did to , said , it was because the Corn Laws were not repealed , and because Parliament would not listen to the demands of the Corn 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 oat " Tee , 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 l egally 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 againiit the Trades' Delegates Meeting , had at a meeting of the Corn Law League proposed the following resolution : — 'That , believing thla country to be on the eve of a revolution , and being utterly withoat hope that the Legislature will accord justice to tbe starring millions , a requisition be forthwith prepared , signed , and forwarded to the Members for this 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 wa » advising a Revolution ; and whilst the supporters of that Revolution were
allowed to escape , it was unjust to punish tbe 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 tbem and prosecuted them . Tbe speaker then entered at length into a declamation against the Anti-Corn 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 had broken in upon and dispersed a meeting which was as legally constituted as the meeting of the Anti-Cora Law Association held on Thursday last
" A person named Michael Donahoe then stood forward and accused Dufifey of being in tbe service of the Tories . He bad 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 aigned 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 had also offered himself to the League as a lecturer , and had been paid 10 b . 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 had been made against him , that he hardly knew where to begin , and he must be brief , as tbe room must be at liberty for another purpose by eight o ' clock ; but , on Monday evening , he would be prepared te 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 hod also been said that he bad been paid to go to Stockport to lecture—that was a lie . " Here the meeting became so uproarious , by tbe clamour of the friends of the two speakers , that the 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 tbe adjourned meeting : — " Last night ( Monday ) & meeting was held at Carpenters' -ball , by adjournment from Saturday , to hear tbe 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 the conclusion of the leature . Some misapprehension occurred respecting the hour of meeting ; in consequence of which a number of people who assembled about tbe
doors of the Hall at six o ' clock , were compelled to wait until eight At that hour tbe doors were opened , and a large crowd rushed Into the room , many of them passing the door-keepers , without paying the usual admission fee . Daring the meeting probably 400 or 500 persons were in the room , mostly working men ; and as some apprehensions were entertained that the publfc peace might be interrupted , it was deemed necessary to have a body of the police force in the neighbourhood , to act , should their services be required .
" When Duffey appeared on the platform , it appeared evident that a majoiity of the meeting were unfriendly to him , and his reception was by no means flattering . He said that was an adjourned meeting from Saturday evening ; and as tbe parson who occupied the chair on that occasion could not conveniently attend , he begged to propose that Mr . John M'Clellan should fill bis place . " The Chairman said , he hoped the lecture of Mr . Duffey would be listened to without interruption , and be pledged himself , at tbe conclusion , any questions which might be asked the lecturer should be answered , or any one who wished should be allowed to address tbo meeting on vntjeeto role-rout to the lecture . ( Cheers and hooting . )
" Duffey then proceeded to address the meeting , and after some preliminary observations , he said , he 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 his charges against the Anti-Corn Law League . ( Uproar . ) But like a true Irishman , who never turned his back on either friend or foe , he was there at his post . " CThe meeting here became so disorderly that the speaker could not be heard for some time , and It was only by the entreaty of Donahoe that order was fn some measure restored ]
" Duffey then , with difficulty , was beard for about half an hour , during which time he reiterated his charges against the Anti-Corn Law Leagne of being the authors of the present movement , in consequence of having forced their workpeople to turn out , in pursuance of a threat made by the millowners at the Corn Law Conference in London ; and for doing that he was threatened with personal violence . But , although they might assassinate , they should never intimidate him . So long ago as the 5 th of May he said tbe same thing . He then stated that the miliowners would compel the working men to a general turn-out , and on that occasion
Mr . John Broeks , one of the magistrates , stood behind him , applauded what he said , and called it a very clever speech . But the moment tbe suggestions &t the League were carried oat , the members of the League placed themselves at the head of the military force , put down the legally constituted meetings of tbe people , and attempted , by a parade of their power to intimidate tb . 9 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 he had 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 , he 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 . ( Cheers . ) " Some further confusion and disorder here took place , it having been arranged that each party should address tba meeting fox half an hour , in consequence of the Chairman deciding that Duffey had a right then to speak for half an hour . The meeting refused to hear Duffey , and overruled the decision of the chair . After some discussion ,
" Dohahoe proceeded to address tha meeting , and continued bis speech for half an hour , making several charges against Duffey , reacting on his character , stating that he was now the paid agent of the Toriesthat tbe placards ealling the meeting were printed at the Chronicle-ofticQ , 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 deluded by Duffey , who bad already betrayed them . " The rest of the evening was spent in crimination and recrimination between the two parties and their supporters on each side , and the meeting ended In a scene of most admired uproar , and at near midnight " A large body of police were In attendance to pre » venl outrage , but their services were net required . "
Novr 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 serrioe of the League-men . None but a scamp would take their blood-ataiued ooin , to do his uttermost to persuade the working men te quietly allow the steam giants to fetter labour ' s hands and take away * i *» ub ' s last crust . But Ddfvet is no greater a scamp than the rest of his late comrogues He is as good as the reBt . He and they may have quarrelled , —possibly about the division of tbe spoil . He and they may have fallen oat : bat what of that It will not do for those who are as bad as Dmrvsr to denounce him as a bad man . He is as good as
Wabrsw , or Aclaxd . His services have been deemed worth the purchase . He has bad the League ' s money for doing the League ' s work . He knows what was the work they set him to do ! He and John Brooks —( the busy magistrate in pntting down the risings" and " riots" )—seem to have well understood each other ! He is in for the secret . He blabs it . He openl j 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 " Tarn- oat . " He tells us the modus operandi was the lower ing of wages ! He charges upon his late associates , wh ose secrets he knows ; whose meetings he has attended ; -whose planB he is in possession of ; whose obr *^* he bai
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compassew 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 befobm bill ! So with O'Connor . When Frost 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-oat , 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 1 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 i even when this was the case , O ' Connor was denounced as a , " coward" because he was not fool enough to go upon the Welch Hills , organise the hardy mountaineers , and " head them" in an attack upon the Judges and the city ! and because 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 tbe bloody cut-tbrbat Executioner 11 And thus it has ever been . 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 Press , we have no right to expect that that course shall be joined in by those who wish to be considered as '' devoted to the servioe 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 ^ a , nd 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 " arresting of the wheels of Government" business ; or Ald . Ciiappel's place in'tbe cfostR , p of the mills" business ; or Dr . Black ' s place , in erecting " barricades" ; or Murdo YounsVs
place 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 lone since uttered !
What strange fantasies personal malevolence will make us play before high heaven ! What strange bed fellows personal malignity and ungovernable vindictiveness will make 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 the man at the Gheenacre ahop : who could have expected that ¦ * ' THE Statesman" would have been found in such preoious company , flinging their dirt at second hand / joining in their war-whoop and savage yells against one who has made the Chartist party what it is , —the only party whose power is conrted or dreaded ! Who could have expected this ? Yet so it is ! !!
The letter that appeared in the Statesman of last Saturday , signed " An Old Chartist , " will be found in another portion of this sheet . That letter the Editor has made bis own , by his approving commentary . Were we disposed to find out the author of it , we are 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 ia " a coward . " So says " THE Stalesman . " 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 ia a " coward" 1 He minded his own business , and left others to mind theirs ; and , therefore , he is a " coward" ! Ho is invited to visit Manchester , to take part in certain publio 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 Sh aw and the Rev . Mr . Scholepikld . that if he ventures to shew
his face m 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 I He publicly enters the town . He goes to the house of the 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 roarjlike a great boy ! He did not "BEG OF THE JUDGE TO BANISH HIM FOR LIFE"I ! 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 is "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 j 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 so far disgraced Chartism , as to present himself in the attitude of a " coward" assassin , with a ksife in his hand . Perhaps "THE Statesman , " m 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 to please 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 hia doable , 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 onoa or blame upon the Com Law League . Such articles at such a crisis were treason to the people's cause !"
If we had ever reason to congratulate ourselves upon any part by as taken in a publio movement , it is upon that we have taken in this movement . We did from the beginning throw the oaua 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 upon , it published three weeks ago , speaking of the tools employed by the concoctors of this Strike , these were oar words : — " Their Instructions are two-fold . They ate first to get the work-people out ; and then they are to give tha strike a CHARTIST TINGE I They are to , mi * the Chartists up with it ; and thus afford a pretext to the Leaguera and the Government TO put Chartuk down , when the former have their own end served ! ' Chartists , beware ! Be not mixed up with these proceedings . Keep Chartism distinct from tbe "risings" and tbe " rlotings" ! Give your enemier no hold of yon ; and suffer them not to use you , an j then coerce you I "
Had we been more heeded , and the up'to-tht mark" men more prudent , we should not now hare had to lament so many of our best men ia the wolf ' s den ! Many a Chartist family that now wants bread would have had it ! and many aa amiable wife would have missed the occasion she now has of soddening her lone pillow with her tears I - Ol yes , the ** ap-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 freetrading friends with blood . O ! they are " brave men , " these " up-to-the-mark" gentlemen ! and honest as they are " brave" !! Hence they think that , above all , the non-insertion of the Executive address was treaohery of the basest description ; and this from the principal oracle of Chartism is too bad !"
Well ! this may be a terrible piece of treason ; if it be , we plead a 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 shoulders 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 the responsibility . " It is quite true that Mr .
O ' Connor did , after hearing of the seizure of poor Turner ' s traps , write a note to the Editor requesting that it might hot 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 the reason whioh actuated Mr . O'Connor a sufficient one . We should have thought so , 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'Connor .
or if Mr . O Connor had even written desiring us to print that address , we should not have published it , We had reasons of our own for our determination ; reasons arising out of the document itself , and out of the circumstances under which it was put forth , At a proper time we may give those reasons . We will not give them now . It is not the abuse of Mr , James O'Brien , or any of his nameless cowaris that shall force us into- statements which migbt be construed to the prejudice of those wh 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 ip * proved it . But if we had chosen to publish it , wt would at least have shown less of tbe coward ia our daring than "THE Statesman" did 1 !! Ws would not have characterised it as " THIS MOST EXTRAORDINARY DOCUMENT . " We wobM not have flown to the miserable subterfuge" tf quoting it from the London paper * I 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 oar daring ! No , no ; we never yet printed anything
in that way ! Had we approved the address , w& 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 ! 0 ! he is a " brave" man , thia James O'Briex ! and the words " coward " and "traitor" do soundeo pretty coming from him , and applied to O'Conkos and the Star I He is a grateful man ! and makes good use of the people ' s pence , for which , week after week , the Star drummed up so lustily , that the " schoolmaster" and " THE Statesman" might haw another paper to destroy !
The most curious part of the charge agaiasi O'Connor by THE Statesman" in , that he did not stay in Manchester , father the acts of M'Dodau and Campbell , and allow them to keep out of tha way of the police , while he kept in it 11 Qui tht Chartists understand this ! 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 thai O'Connor has had to stand to other people ' s doings before now ! "THE Statesman" knows that O'Connoi has had to endure sixteen months of solitary confinement , in a condemned cell , for what f For his own act ! for his own words 1 for his own writings ? ior any comment of the Star ' s ? for
anything of this sort ? No ! But for a speech trnde by James Brgnterre O'Brien !!! O ! ; et ! " THES / ateswkm ! 'knowsabout Mr . O'CoNNORhaYing bad to father other people ' s aots ; having had to answer for them with loss of personal liberty for 16 months together , under restraints euchas no other individual in England ever before had to endure I Yes ! " THE Statesman " 'knows of this . He know 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" acts ! " THE Statesman" taw * of this ; and it cuts him to the heart that he cannot again play the same card ! But " no more Bluestone , good dootor" ! one dose of that sort i 3 enough ! f r r ^ < - * * i ^ a *>^^^^^^^^^^^^^» ¦ ¦ - — _ — __ . — _
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THE VICTIMS TO CLASS PREJUDICE . The prosecutions and persecutions have ag » a commenced ! The doings » f 1839 are to be repeated Men are committed to gaol , ** to stand their trial ^ for being Chartists . Heavy and excessive bAil is fixed ( where bail is admitted of ) , to prevent if obtainment . The prisons are being crammed . Td « vindictive and revengeful passions of the men drea « d in a "little brief authority" again have fall fi ^ gi and class prejudice is excited and appealed to ty the corrupt and time-servirg press , to secaw * "fair" and "impartial" trial for the victims of malevolence , when placed before middle-d * Jurors ! '
Look at » be reports of the "Examinations ff < in our present and last week's paper ! particular ^ the examinations of Leach , Hutchinsok , » j >* Whitb . Read over the " evidence . " Weigh it «« " see its bearings ; and then judge of some of ^ ° f magisterial decisions which send men " to tak » «** trials at the next Assizes" ! Take White's case . Take the report as *» . J » J it , and as we give it . We do not know th ** " * ^ W ^^ ¦ ¦ IH w w V m * V W » W V V ^ 0 wv MV W *^ ^ ^ ' ¦¦ j
correct ; but just as it appeared in the Whig W mingham Journal do we transfer it to ovx P *^ J Take it , then , as a report given by the enemy ° rf proceedings in " Court . " Take it , and . well w « # J the " evidence" adduced ; and then judge if B * J ought to have been " committed" on any such «»• herent , bald , disjointed , stark-staring , self-ew » j nonsense as the witnesses depose to 1 Aad toW the character of those witnesses ! Let not there brance of that be absent from th « mind , when jiw " *
of the "depositions . " -. Look well , too , to the revealments made b / W ^ J in his able and judicious eross-examinst' 00 ' \ , him drag the veil from off the infwnoos and ^ able system of espionage resorted to by the P ° ¦ j that be" to learn a man's private opinion 9 i * possibly , to incite him to utter expressions , « r mit acts , which will enable the meiter *> P ° * r . blood-money . Look again and agate » 4 ' ° a y posure I Remember that it is in Bw"" " , j , these dastardly and infamous things art d °° - England ! that country which hw alwaJ " ^ famed for its love of nprightna »< tad fair-pl » y ' its hatred of deceit and treachery f B *»^ that it lathe now English . " autf »© riti « 3 " who *»
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4 THE NORTHERN STAR . ¦¦•' - . "
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TO THE EDITOR OP 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 hia fellow-prisoners ' Defence Fund , and to inform the Committee for tbe management of tbe above food that I divided it amongst tbe three that emerged from the dungeon's gloom on Saturday last , whose term of imprisonment had expired , and who left the gaol without food or any money , and had to travel twenty-two miles to reach home ? By doing which , you will oblige , Years , respectfully , William Peplow . Friar-street , 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 gael diet last week ; it was served out to him , but his stomach was so iceak that he could not touch U . One of the Mr . Ciswell's , who left prison last week , stated it as his opinion that if Mason was put on gaol diet , he could not live bis time out . Shall such a man as Mason be lost ? Chartists , answer !
W . P . Mason's akd others' Defence Fckd . —Tbe following subscriptions have been received by Mr . Samuel Cook , of Dudley : — £ b . d . Aug . 10 Bensington-on-Thames 0 7 0 16 Redditch 0 6 0 17 Cheltenham , after sermon ... 1 0 0 13 CTitberoe 0 2 1 19 Abercavenny 0 8 6
20 Northampton 0 4 0 22 Greenock 0 II 0 24 Stockingfleld , Nuneaton 0 10 29 Kingswood , Bristol 0 S 6
The Northern Star. Saturday, September 3, 1842.
THE NORTHERN STAR . SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 3 , 1842 .
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endeavoured , to accomplish : he tells these , his associates , that they alone are guilty of causing 'all the M 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 a sooundrel ; but the proof does not rest with him . The faots he deposes to are established by other and less impeacbable testimony . He is only a witness in corroboration . As such he is valuable . Let us wait and see what answer the League can give to him J .
We have been waiting , anxiously , to Bee what answer they could give to US . We have fixed the 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 Bince the rejection of the Whigs from office , has been to cause Confusion and Revolution . We have shewn that the Globe announced that the battle-cry was 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 carrying of LADIES' HEADS on poles , or trailing them in the dirt . " !! 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 " p ay ho taxes" ! We have shown that one of their members suggested " the appointment of a Committee of Public Safety" , after he had talked of probable " risings " and "riots . " 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 leading member of tbe League , openly declared that "the only plan
left the manufacturers" whereby they could force their measure , " was to stop their factories . " We have shown all these things , weeka a&o : 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 ! By indignant denials of the facts we adduced ! No !!! By silence The Globe has not denied the
u Bread or Blood " charge . The Chronicle has not denied the BARRICADES oharge . 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 Safely" ! The Weekly Chronicle has not denied his dastardly incitements to incendiarism , through his ' SWING '
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 the 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-masterB and shopkeepers of Ashton-under-Line , to go to other towns to get the work-people to join the " strike , " just then and there commenced , has not been denied ! Indeed these things cannot be denied . They are damning facts , which fix the concoction and planning of tbe plot ( which has sent thousands to prison ) upon the League-men and their adherents , beyond the possibility of being gainsayed !
Again we reiterate our demand for j ustice upon the authors of the " riots" ! Again we demand that the poor shall not be the only ones " committed ( o take their trial" !! The League plotted tbe " riots . " The League plotted the '** Strike . " The League determined on the closing of the Mills . The League determined to reduce wages , and to 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 out ; 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 I Where was Master Weetly Chronicle with his incitements to "SWING" ? Where was the cowardly dastard of the Sun , with his > LADIES' HEADS on polks" ? Where was the Chronicle with his BARRICADES ? Where were one and all of these 1 At " the head of the movement" ? Taking part with " the mob" I Leading them on ! Acting as Generals ! No ! They were engaged in letting loose the military to shoot and sabro 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 him with cowardice ! The men who had concocted the plot , and whs ought to have conducted their own work in its execution , charged O'Connor with cowardice because he would not do it for them 2
while they waited with the law in their hands to lay him by the heels if he should have done bo !! The whole Whig press has rung with the charge . They have harped upon it again and again . Old Bloody , too , haa joined in it . The ball has been kept going amongBt them for the whole of the last fortnight . 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'Conkob . " ought to have taken the lead . " True , none of them even attempted to do this . But they , one and all , seem to have taken it for granted that wherever there is a mess , no matter by whomsoever cooked , O'Connor ought to jump slap up to the neck into it ; and that if he " look * before he leaps" he is a " c # ward /"
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 commonlprudeace , and will not throw themselves , neck and crop , into the arms of their enemies . It has ever been so . When Hunt attended the Peterloo MAgatcBB-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 of cowardice because he had not advised the people to come armed , and meet force by force ! He was accused of oo « c « rdice , because he would not counsel and commit an overt aet of treason , so that his accusers might have had the high gratification of seeing hiB iead roll from the scaffold , and the pare purple E £ e-stream spurt from his headless trunk ! He wasaecased of cowardice because he defeated ihe . hellish jMwhinations of the
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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-ncseproduct769/page/4/
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