Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 2 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh EditionRobertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Religion
Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 2 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh Edition
Robertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Bradlaugh, Charles, 1833-1891
My sister and I stood by the water breathlessly watching a dense mass
of men with sticks in air struggling slowly towards the gate, feeling
sure that Mr Bradlaugh must be the centre of a great a display of
enmity; and people even cried to us, "Your father is there. He will be
killed! he will be killed!" And while we were watching, we ourselves
nearly became involved in a rush of the war-party from another
direction. Frantic cries of "Duck him! The water! Duck him!" made us
glance round, and we found we had only just time to escape. When we
had reached a place of safety, and were able to look round again, the
fighting mass was broken up; and learning from some one, whom my father
had told to seek us, that he was unhurt and had gone home, we also
hastened to make the best of our way back. We learned that none of our
own friends were seriously hurt; and the hearty and repeated bursts of
cheering at my father's appearance where he lectured that night marked
the relief felt at seeing him safe and unhurt.
Mr Bradlaugh had held many meetings in Hyde Park, but he had never had
one broken up. He had had a magnificent gathering in 1875 to protest
against the grant of £142,000 to the Prince of Wales for his journey to
India, but all had been quiet and orderly. Now, neither he nor those
with whom he was acting liked the idea of their demonstration for peace
ending in this way, so it was determined to make another attempt. The
war party, however, who stood at nothing, determined to break up this
meeting also. An assault upon the leaders of the Peace movement was
deliberately planned, and Mr Bradlaugh afterwards obtained the names
of certain Tories who had paid and instigated the assailants. On this
occasion--Sunday, the 10th of March--no attempt was made to set up a
proper platform, but there were human volunteers for a living one--no
light matter when it came to bearing a man of Mr Bradlaugh's inches.
Mr Herbert briefly stated the object of the meeting, and called upon
my father to move the resolution, and from the shoulders of his living
platform he moved "that the meeting declares in favour of peace,"
and the resolution was forthwith seconded, formally put, and voted
upon with but few dissentients. So far all was well, and the meeting
was dissolved. Upon this, however, there immediately began a series
of regularly-organised attacks by paid roughs, militia-men, medical
students, and "gentlemen." Armed with sticks, pieces of twisted
gas-piping, sharpened iron, loaded bludgeons, and other weapons,
they were a truly gallant company. Some of the defending staves were
ominously cut and dug into by the sharp and pointed instruments used
by the attacking party. For a few minutes the fighting was severe; my
father for an instant was taken off his feet in the struggle, and his
upraised arm caught the murderous rain of blows intended for his head.
Up again almost at once, and having the fight thus forced upon him, he
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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