Page:History of the Anti corn law league - Volume 2.pdf/241

 where they might see the reduced loaf, which they had sliced away by their monopoly. Wheat had been 53s. last year, and they were still told that they had not protection enough. (Laughter.) We paid 98. a quarter more for wheat than our fellow subjects in Guernsey; thus we paid 538. a quarter for wheat, because we had never been conquered from France, and prided ourselves on our own glorious British constitution. (A laugh.) But the overflowing benevolence of the monopolists had not only regarded the physical condition of the people, it also looked to their morals, reminding him of the words of the poet:—

In pious as in impious works, Like water, still he found his level; Azd having cheated all mankind, He built a church to cheat the devil'

(Laughter.) The Morning Herald said that Mr. Cobden and Mr. Bright were inclined to back out of this agitation, but the writer did not understand how impossible it was for them to back out of it. There was a moral as well as a physical impossibility which prevented a man of clear mind and true heart from looking back, when once he put his hand to the plough, until he had achieved success. (Cheers.) The monopolists had enormous influence—they had large possessions—they had a portion of the press to support them—they had the use of the Post-office—(a laugh)—they had the army and navy, and the appointments in the church; but those who opposed their monopoly had an influence stronger than all these together, namely, the sense of justice in the human heart. There was a power which they knew not how to deal with, but which would teach others how to deal with them—a power which was more ancient than their oldest ancestry, which existed before their castles and cathedrals—before church and state—which was as old, yea, older than the creation-it was Justice, that sacred power which existed before the pillars of the earth were laid. It dwelt with Wisdom in the Eternal Mind before the mountains were formed. It was breathed into man with the first breath of life, and it would only perish on earth when the days of mankind were over. (Great cheering.) It was as vain to oppose it as to strive with the stars of heaven; it would get be the witness as well as the agent of destruction of all wrong in political and social institutions, and he hoped that soon might Providence send that blessed day. (Great cheering.)"

As I have only incidentally noticed the attempts made by a certain portion of the chartists to obstruct the free-trade movement, I copy the following report of a meeting held at Northampton, as a specimen of their readiness to do the monopolists' work:—