Page:History of the Radical Party in Parliament.djvu/488

 474 History of the Radical Party in Parliament. [1865- of opinion. It had competent and trusted leaders : at the meeting in London, in Trafalgar Square, on the 2Qth of June, the rallying cry was "Gladstone and Liberty," and at most of the great demonstrations which followed in all parts of the country, resolutions were passed giving the warmest and most grateful thanks to Gladstone, Bright, and Mill, and declaring " confidence in the honesty and ability of Mr. Bright to champion the people's cause in Parliament during the coming Parliamentary struggle." * And thirdly, the agitation had behind it the enthusiasm of the vast mass of the popu- lation, increased by a sense of injury and injustice. The meetings were larger than had ever before been known. At Birmingham, on the 27th of August, 200,000 people met on Brookfields ; at Manchester, on the 24th of September, between 100,000 and 200,000 were present at Campfield ; and at Leeds over 100,000 assembled at Woodhouse Moor. The event which caused the most alarm took place in London on the 23rd of July. A great reform demonstra- tion had been announced by the Reform League, to be held in Hyde Park on that day. The Home Secretary and the police authorities decided that the meeting should not be held in the park. The originators of the affair resolved that the processions should march to the park as arranged, and, if refused admission, should adjourn to Trafalgar Square. When the vast concourse reached the park the gates were closed, and in resisting the attempted entrance by the people the police used their staves. There was great excitement, and the crowd, refused access by the gates, pulled down the railings in many places, and, after a considerable conflict with the police, rushed into the park and held their meetings. The violence used was really an accident, caused by the foolish policy of closing the park in so arbitrary a manner ; and that no serious disturbance was either intended or was likely to follow was shown by the peaceful close of the proceedings. But all the same there was widespread alarm amongst the classes who had resisted reform, and a feeling
 * Annual Register, 1866, pp. 137, 143, 162.