Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 1 (of 2) — John Shaqi
Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 1 (of 2)Holyoake, George Jacob
Philosophy
Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Holyoake, George Jacob
Holyoake, George Jacob, 1817-1906; Social reformers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Working class -- Great Britain -- Biography
I and others on the deputation to Mr. Walpole told him at the time, when
the railings were broken down in Hyde Park, that if he made a show of
soldiers and policemen, people were sure to be killed. At the peril
of his own reputation, he kept them out of sight, and no disorder took
place, though violent members of the Government tried to destroy
Mr. Walpole for his wise and noble forbearance. Dean Stubbs, in his
interesting book on Charles Kingsley, says (p. 97): "On the 10th
of April, 1848, a revolution was threatened in England. One hundred
thousand _armed men_ were to meet on Kennington Common and thence
to march on Westminster, and there to compel, by physical force, if
necessary, the acceptance of the People's Charter by the Houses of
Parliament." Could such a lunatical statement be written by any one,
and his friends not procure a magistrate's order for his removal to the
nearest asylum? How were the "hundred thousand" to get the arms into
London--if they had them. Whence were they to procure them? Where could
they store them, seeing that at that time there was not a single place
of Chartist meeting that was not known to be in debt, unless its rent
was paid by the charity of some well-to-do sympathiser? What were
muskets or pikes to do against the stone walls of the Houses of
Parliament or the Bank? How were cannon to be drawn from the centre
of London to Kennington Common with ample service of powder and shot?
Marvellous is the history which Churchmen can write!
The utterly groundless and incredible representations of the "10th
April," which Charles Kingsley and Thomas Hughes published, as we have
seen, were to my amazement resuscitated as late as 1902 for the historic
instruction of the students of the Working Mens College in Great Ormond
Street, London, by Mr. R. P. Lichfield, vice-principal of the college,
who for forty-seven years has rendered it important service, for which
all friends of education for workmen are grateful. Yet in his address to
the students (October 1, 1902), he tells them that in 1848 "the wave
of democracy which swept over Europe gave fresh impetus to the Chartist
agitation. On the memorable 10th of April it looked as if we were to
have a revolutionary outbreak on the Parisian pattern. This we were
saved from, partly by an army of volunteers, special constables, partly
by the Duke of Wellington's discreet placing of his troops.... The
attempt to overawe Parliament by a 'physical force' demonstration was a
fiasco." The world knows a good deal of historians who draw upon their
imagination for their facts, but here is a responsible teacher, drawing
upon his terrors of fifty years ago, for statements which nobody
believes now or believed then, who knew the facts. The Duke of
Wellington's great name in war imposed upon amateur politicians. The
Duke--contrary to his reputation for military veracity--readily lent
himself to the Government of that day, that they might figure before the
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