lish admirers whom no
courts could silence. Nay, at first the French Revolution delighted
some of the ablest and best men in Britain, who therein beheld the
carrying out of the great Principles which Aristotle and Machiavelli
had laid down as the law of the historical development and social
evolution of mankind. They wished some improvement in England itself.
But of course there was a strong opposition made to all change.
Parliament refused to relieve the evils which were made obvious. The
upper House of Nobles was composed of the Elder Sons of the families
which had a social and pecuniary interest in oppressing the people,
and the lower House "consisted mainly of the Younger Sons of the same
families, or still worse the purchased dependents" of their families.
Societies were organized for Reform, such as the "London Corresponding
Society," "the Friends of the People," etc., etc. The last mentioned
contained many literary, scientific, and political men, and about
thirty members of Parliament. Great complaints were made in public at
the inequality of Representation in Parliament. Stormy debates took
place in Parliament itself--such as we have not yet heard in America,
but which wicked and abandoned men are fast bringing upon us. Pitt and
Fox were on opposite sides.

"----and such a frown
Each cast at the other, as when two black clouds,
With Heaven's artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Caspian, then stand front to front,
Hovering a space, till winds the signal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air."

At that time the House of Commons was mainly filled with creatures of
a few powerful men; thus 91 commoners elected 139 members of the
commons, and 71 peers also elected 163; so 302 British members of
Parliament, besides 45 more from Scotland,--347 in all,--were returned
by 162 persons. This was called "Representation of the People." From
the party who feared to lose their power of tyranny, there went out
the decree, "Discussion on the subject of national grievances must be
suppressed, in Parliament and out of Parliament." Violent attempts
were made to suppress discussion. In short, the same efforts were made
in England which were attempted in New York and Boston in 1850 and the
two following years, till they were ended by a little sprinkling of
dust. But in Britain the public mind is harsher than ever in America,
and the weapons which broke in the hand of Old England we