第55章

diaryweseethathewasneverbetrayedintoasolitaryexpressionofpity

orconcernforthesceneswehavedescribed，andasforBurdett，hewasall

fordragooningthediscontentedcountiesandplacingthemundermartiallaw。

AndevenRadnor，whoasafriendofCobbettwasmuchlessacademicinhis

Radicalism，satontheWiltshireCommissionwithoutmakinganyprotestthat

hasreachedposterity。

AllthecircumstancesthenmadeiteasyforGreyandhiscolleaguesto

slipintoapolicyofviolenceandrepression。Theybreathedanatmosphere

ofpanic，andtheydreadedtherecoilofthatpanicontheirownschemes。

Yetwhenallallowanceismadeforthisinsidiousclimate，whenweremember

thatnomanissodangerousasthekindmanhauntedbythefearofseeming

weak，atamomentwhenhethinkshispowerofdoinggooddependsonhischaracter

forstrength；whenweremember，too，thetoneofSocietycaughtbetweenscare

andexcitement，thebadinspirationoftheCourt，themalevolentinfluence

ofanalarmedOpposition，theabsorbinginterestofmakingaministry，the

gameapartfromthebusinessofpolitics，itisstilldifficulttounderstand

howmenlikeGreyandHollandandDurhamcouldeverhavelentthemselves

tothecrueltiesofthissavageretribution。Whenfirsttherewererumours

oftheintentionoftheGovernmenttoputdowntheriotswithseveremeasures，

Cobbettwroteapassageinwhichhereviewedthecharactersofthechief

ministers，Greywithhis’humanedisposition，’Holland’whonevergavehis

consenttoanactofcruelty，’Althorp’whohasneverdippedhishandin

blood，’Brougham’whowithallhishalfScotchcrotchetshasatanyrate

nobloodabouthim，’toshowthatthenewministers，unlikemanyoftheir

Torypredecessors，mightbetrustedtobelenientandmerciful。Twoofthese

men，GreyandHolland，hadmadeanoblestandagainstallthepersecutions

ofwhichToryGovernmentshadbeenguilty，defendingwithpassionmenwhose

opinionstheyregardedwithhorror；ifanyrecordcouldjustifyconfidence

itwastheirs。UnfortunatelythepoliticianwhowasmadeHomeSecretarydid

notshareinthispast。ThecommontalkatthetimeofMelbourne’sappointment

wasthathewastoolazyforhisoffice；therealcriticismshouldhavebeen

thathehadtakenthesideofCastlereaghandSidmouthin1817。AsHomeSecretary

hestoppedshortoftheinfamousmeasureshehadthenapproved；herefused

toemployspies，andtheHabeasCorpuswasnotsuspended。Butnobodycan

followthehistoryofthisrising，andthehistoryoftheclassthatmade

it，withoutrecognisingthatthepunishmentwhichexiledthesefourhundred

andfiftylabourersisastain，andanindeliblestain，onthereputation

oftheGovernmentthatlivesinhistoryonthefameoftheReformBill。It

isdifficulttobelievethateitherFoxorSheridancouldhavebeenparties

toit。ThechiefshameattachestoMelbourne，wholetthejudgesdotheir

worst，andtoLansdowne，whosatbesidethejudgesontheSalisburybench，

butthefactthatthePrimeMinisterwasimmersedinthepreparationofa

reform，believedbyhiscontemporariestobearevolution，doesnotrelieve

himofhisshareoftheodium，whichisthedueofGovernmentsthatarecruel

totheweak，andcarelessofjusticetothepoor。

Oneeffortwasmade，apartfromtheintercessionofpublicopinion，to

inducetheGovernmenttorelaxitsrigours。Whenthepanichadabatedand

thelastechooftheriotshadbeenstilledbythissummaryretribution，

amotionwasproposedintheHouseofCommonsforageneralamnesty。Unhappily

thecauseofthelabourerswasinthehandsofHenryHunt，amanwhosewisdom

wasnotequaltohiscourage，andwhoseegregiousvanitydemoralisedand

spoilthisnaturaleloquence。Ifthosewhowereinclosesympathywithhis

generalaimscouldnottoleratehismanners，itisnotsurprisingthathis

advocacywasadoubtfulrecommendationintheunsympatheticatmosphereof

theHouseofCommons。Hewasamanofpassionatesincerity，andhadalready

beentwiceinprisonforhisopinions，buttherulingclassthinkingitself

onthebrinkofasocialcatastrophe，whileveryconsciousofHunt’sdefects，

wasinnomoodtotakeadetachedviewofthisvirtue。Thedebate，which

tookplaceonthe8thofFebruary1831，reflectslittlecreditontheHouse

ofCommons，andthedivisionstillless，forHumewasHunt’sonlysupporter。

ThechiefspeakersagainstthemotionwereBenettofWiltshire，GeorgeLamb，

brotherofMelbourneandUnder-SecretaryattheHomeOffice，andDenman，

theAttorney-General。LambamusedhimselfandtheHousewithjestsonthe

illiterateletterforwritingwhichtheboyLookerwasthenont

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