1st Edition
Chartist Movement in its Social and Economic Aspects
Professor Rosenblatt’s The Chartist Movement was the first serious study of Chartism, using the techniques of modern scholarship, to appear in English. The book comprises a detailed account of the history of the movement, dealing mainly with the period from 1837 until the Chartist riots at Newport, South Wales, in November 1839.
As well as describing the political, industrial and social conditions that gave birth to the Chartist movement, this work contains extremely useful statistical tables of the 543 persons who were convicted for offences committed in the furtherance of Chartism between January 1839 and June 1840.
"This is a particularly satisfactory piece of work as regards sketches of the leaders of the movement and of the spirit in which they preached the gospel of revolt."
- American Historical Review, 1916.
Preface … 7–9
CHAPTER I
Prototypes of Chartism
Chartism and the "six points"… 21
Distinct labor movement… 21
Expression of class consciousness… 21
The Levellers and Cromwell… 22
Society of the Supporters of the Bill of Rights… 22
Pitt, the Earl of Chatham… 22
Reform bills introduced by William Pitt… 22
Stanhope and Major Cartwright… 23
The Whigs and aristocratic clubs… 23
Reform bills introduced by the Duke of Richmond and Fox… 23–4
Society for Constitutional Information… 24
Government coalition in 1783… 24
Metamorphosis caused by the French Revolution… 24
The Duke of Richmond’s letter on equality… 25
Burke’s Reflections on the French Revolution… 25
Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man… 26
The London Corresponding Society… 26
Government policy of oppression… 27
Suspension of Habeas Corpus act… 27
Radicalism revived after the Napoleonic war… 27
The Corn Laws of 1815… 27
William Cobbett and the Hampden Clubs… 28–30
Society of Spencean Philanthropists… 31
Riots and new suspension of Habeas Corpus act… 31
Benefit Societies and Botanical Meetings… 32
The Manchester Massacre… 32
The struggle for freedom… 33
The Reform Bill and the National Political Union… 33
CHAPTER II
The Whig Rule
Hopes inspired by the Reform Bill of 1832… 34
Ricardo’s theory of rent… 34
Burden of taxes… 34–5
Selfish motives of manufacturers… 34
Reform Bill condemned by "Orator" Hunt and others… 35
Lord John Russell, the hero of the Reform Bill… 36
Thomas Attwood and the Birmingham Political Union… 36–7
Political corruption and inactivity… 37–9
Notorious Bedchamber Plot… 40
Old Poor Laws… 40
Competition between workingmen and paupers… 41–2
New Poor Law of 1834… 41–2
The "workhouse test"… 42
Poor Law Bastiles… 42
Opposition to the New Poor Law… 43–5
Bill passed under protest… 45
Stringency of administration… 45–6
CHAPTER III.
The New Poor Law
Philosophy of the new law… 47
Negligence of children on the part of officers… 48 Cruelties perpetrated in workhouses… 49
Lord Brougham’s frankness… 50
Cobbett’s opinion of the new law… 50
Bronterre’s tribute to the "Money-monsters"… 50–1
Feargus O’Connor on excessive use of machinery… 51
Brougham’s hatred of charity … 52–3
"Stepping stone" to total abolition of relief… 53
Carlyle’s comments… 54-5
Effects disguised for some time… 55
The Irish famine… 55
Distress in the Highlands and Islands… 55
Emigration to industrial centres… 56
Dwelling conditions in cities… 57–8
CHAPTER IV
The Universal Distress
General unemployment… 59–60
Weavers first victims… 60
Birmingham deputation… 61
Laissez faire policy… 61
Condition in agricultural districts… 61–2
"Not the time" plea against repeal of Corn Laws… 63
Rise of prices of wheat… 63
Distress among the workingmen… 64
Scourge of industrial cities… 65
Variation of mortality… 65
Progress of crime… 66–7
Proportion of commitments to population… 67
Persons in receipt of outdoor relief… 68
Workhouse inmates… 68
Petitions for repeal disregarded… 69
CHAPTER V
Labor Legislation and Trade Unionism
Whigs hostile towards labor legislation… 70
Campaign against evils of factory system led by ultra-Tories… 70–1
Freedom of contract and laissez faire doctrine… 71
Ten Hour Movement … 71
Nassau Senior’s "last hour" argument… 72
Government reports… 72
Ashley and his followers … 73
Employment of women and children . . . 73–4
Attempts at trade unionism in the beginning of factory system… 75
The Six Acts of 1819… 75
Francis Place and his victory… 76–7
New stratagem of labor leaders… 77
Influence of Ricardian socialists… 77
Owenism and Trade Unionism… 78
The manufacturers and the Government… 79
Nassau Senior’s view on combinations and strikes… 79
Grand National Consolidated Trades’ Union crushed… 80
New fight for freedom… 81
Apotheosis of political power … 81
Bronterre’s call for a grand national movement… 82
CHAPTER VI
The People’s Charter
The London Working Men’s Association and its objects… 84–5
Exclusiveness of the Association… 86
Source of social evil… 87
"The Rotten House of Commons"… 88–9
Missionaries on tour… 89
The "Six Points"… 90
Crown and Anchor meeting… 90
Roebuck and other radical members of Parliament… 90-1
Committee of twelve… 91
Prorogation of Parliament… 91
Birmingham Political Union enters campaign… 92
Correspondence between William Lovett and Lord John Russell… 92
Address to Queen Victoria… 93
Address to American workingmen… 94
Preparation of bill by Lovett and Roebuck… 95
Publication of "People’s Charter"… 95
Address on principles of Charter… 95–7
CHAPTER VII
The Leaders
Most auspicious period… 98
Two parties in Chartist ranks… 98
Policy of moral force… 99
Advocates of physical force welcomed… 100
Class legislation condemned… 100
Discord suppressed for a time… 101
William Lovett and his early career… 102
First London Cooperative Trading Association… 102
Follower of Robert Owen… 103
Metropolitan Political Union… 103
National Union of the working classes… 103–4
Founder of London Working Men’s Association… 104
Personal characteristics… 104–5
Feargus O’Connor’s early career… 105
Quarrel with Daniel O’Connell… 106
Personal characteristics… 107–8
Opposed to Communism… 109
Machinery the source of all evil… 110
Inclined towards revolutionary policy… 110
Founder of London Democratic Association… 110–111
Repudiated terrorists… 111
Bronterre’s early career… 112
His account of himself… 112–13
Literary activities … 113
Admirer of Robespierre and Babeuf… 113
Personal characteristics… 114
Appointed borough magistrate… 137
Poor Law Guardian… 137
Member of Newport Workingmen’s Association… 137
Chartist leader… 137
His relations with people… 137
CHAPTER IX
The People
State of ominous excitement… 138
Underground societies… 138
"Foreign Affairs Committee" at Birmingham… 138
Demonstration at Glasgow… 139
Thomas Attwood… 139
Suggestion of a "sacred strike"… 139
Provincial Scotch merchants and manufacturers… 139
Newcastle manifestation… 140
Defiant speeches… 140
Feargus O’Connor… 14
Reference to Brougham… 141
Appearance of troops causes indignation… 141
Meetings at Sunderland and Northampton … 142
Addresses by Vincent and others Birmingham demonstration… 142
O’Connor and Attwood… 142
Physical force notions introduced… 142
Resolutions for National Petition and General Convention… 143
Anxiety among leaders of the London Working Men’s Association… 143
Palace Yard demonstration in London… 143
Allusions to physical forcce… 144
Birmingham call endorsed… 145
Address of the London Working Men’s Association to the Irish people… 145
Manchester demonstration… 146
Threats of vengeance… 146
O’Connor, Stephens and Fielden… 146–7
Peep Green demonstration… 147
Henry Vincent in the West… 147
His supremacy in Welsh territory… 147
Torch-light processions… 148
O’Connor, Stephens and Harney chief speakers… 148
People making arms… 149
Stephens at the Hyde meeting… 149
Lord John Russell’s letter declaring torch-light meetings illegal… 149
His address at Liverpool… 149
Royal proclamation trampled under foot… 150
Chasm between workingmen and middle class… 150
Vincent and female organizations… 150
People invoked to prepare arms… 151
Military instructions… 151
"Science of killing" extolled… 151
Agitation among soldiers… 152
CHAPTER X
The Petition, The Convention and the Government
Proposals emanated from the moral force group… 153
Equal representation omitted… 153
Petition lacking in vigor of expression and definiteness… 153
Influence of Thomas Attwood… 153
Generous response of men and women… 154
Opening of Convention 154 Objects of Convention 154–5
Presentation of National Petition postponed… 155
Variety of problems discussed… 156
Addresses on the general distress distributed broadcast… 156
First collision between opposing factions… 156
Lovett elected secretary… 156
Missionaries of the Convention… 157
The London Democratic Association and Harney… 157
Resolutions submitted to Convention… 157
"Crown and Anchor" meeting cause of hostile criticism… 158
Resignation of three Birmingham delegates… 158–9
The "million of men" idea… 160
Vincent’s exhortations to be prepared… 160
Resolution of Convention on the right to use arms… 161
Government spies Lord Russell and John Frost… 162
Frost’s defiant letter… 162–4
Open hostility between the Government and the Chartists… 164
Frost’s name struck from the roll of magistrates… 165
Indictment of Stephens… 165
Convention declared an illegal body… 165
Arrest of Vincent… 165
National Petition and Attwood Convention adjourned to Birmingham… 166
Lord Russell’s letter to magistrates… 166
The Manifesto of the Convention… 166–8
Simultaneous meetings and "ulterior measures"… 168–9
Advocacy of terror and insurrection… 170
London police in Birmingham… 171
Recommendations of the Convention to the simultaneous meetings… 172
Success of the simultaneous meetings… 172
Reasons for the removal of the Convention to London… 173
Resolutions on the sacred month and other measures adopted… 173–4
CHAPTER XI
The Wrestling Forces
The Bull Ring attack in Birmingham… 175
The spirit of vengeance and terror… 176
The resolutions of the General Convention… 177
The arrest of Lovett and Collins… 177
Prisoners subjected to indignities… 178
Proclamation of martial law and wholesale arrests… 178
The daily meetings at Holloway Head and other places… 178
The Bull Ring riot… 178
Public meetings and resolutions… 179
The National Petition in Parliament… 179
Attwood’s speech… 180
Lord Russell’s reply… 180–2
Disraeli’s interpretation of the Chartist movement… 182
The division on Attwood’s motion… 183
The effect of the defeat on the Convention… 183
The sacred month resolution passed and rescinded… 183
Bronterre’s resolution on the sacred month … 184
The recommendation of the committee of five… 185
The national holiday a complete failure… 186
The dissolution of the Convention… 186
Arrests and trials for sedition… 186
The theory of the Attorney-General… 186
The trial of Lovett and Collins… 186
The resolution of the Birmingham Town Council… 186
The jury 187 Sergeant Goulburn’s "opportunity" 187
Lovett’s address to the jury… 187
Comments of the Morning Chronicle on the defence… 188
Conviction of Lovett and Collins… 188
Convictions of Stephens and other Chartists… 189
Public meetings and demonstrations… 189
Lovett and Collins subjected to rigorous discipline … 189
Petitions in their favor… 189
Henry Vincent and his imprisonment… 190
The jury… 190
Remonstrances and protests by Welsh Chartists… 190
The Newport Riot… 190
CHAPTER XII
The Newport Riot
The role of Frost… 191
The plot to release Vincent by force… 191
The plan of a rising in Yorkshire and Lancashire… 191
O’Connor’s late warning… 192
Frost’s last public letter… 192–4
The plan of the Welsh Chartists Frost, Williams and Jones the chief commanders… 195–6
Steps taken by the mayor… 197
The progress of the rebels impeded by bad weather… 197
The fight at the Westgate Hotel… 197–8
George Shell’s letter to his parents… 199
The arrests of the rebel leaders… 199
The mayor and constables rewarded… 200
The Chartist Convention in London and the defence committees… 200
The Special Commission… 200
The trials of Frost, Williams, Jones and others… 201
The sentence 201 The decision of the Court of Exchequer… 202
The anguish of the Attorney General… 203
Death sentence commuted to transportation for life… 204
Decoration of the graves of the Westgate victims… 204
Imprisonment of Bronterre, O’Connor, and others… 205
The distribution of Chartist prisoners… 205–6
The government victory 206
The new recruits… 207
Appendix A
Petition agreed to at the "Crown and Anchor" meeting, February 28, 1837… 208
Appendix B
The People’s Charter… 213
Appendix C
The National Petition… 234
Appendix D
Dialogue on war, between a moral force Whig and a Chartist, by Bronterre… 239
Index… 245
Biography
Frank F. Rosenblatt