Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/115

 1815.] Dismissal of Grenville to the End of the War. 101 The subject of these petitions forms for us one of the most interesting points in the whole affair. In the case of a popular demonstration, it is desirable to know not only what is the character of the hero of the hour, but what are the principles which he is supposed to represent. The merits and the importance of the object are transferred to the man, and what looks at first sight like simple hero-worship, is found to be, to a large extent, devotion to a cause. In the present case there was no doubt as to this. The petitions which asked for the release of Sir Francis all called in the most earnest terms for Parliamentary reform. The people were quite justified in uniting the two things. Burdett was at that time the leader of the most advanced section of reformers. He had formed a party small of ne- cessity, but very active in the House of Commons who pro- tested against the insufficiency of the claim of the existing legislature to represent the will or the wishes of the nation. The very documents for the issue of which the popular hero was now imprisoned, insisted strongly on this point. In the minds of his admirers, then, Sir Francis was the champion of the cause of reform, and it was easy to see how they were sure to overlook the eccentricities, the affectations, and the personal vanity of a man who had advocated their views in a corrupt Parliament, and was now suffering imprisonment for his efforts on their behalf. The interest in the event was not confined to any one class. " There was not/' it is said, " any gathering of men, however small, in which the privilege question was not argued. Lord Erskine had the honour of meeting the Prince of Wales at dinner one day, when the argument on the subject grew hot between them. Lord Erskine said that the prin- ciples which he advocated were those which had seated the family of his Royal Highness on the throne ; and the Prince retorted that they were principles which would unseat any family from any throne." * It was clear that Burdett was believed by people of all ranks to represent an important principle in national politics.
 * " Introduction to the History of the Peace," p. cclxxv.