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    " This independence cannot exist where a class is uneducated , and unable to understand its interests or how to make the most of its resources . Ignorance is a greater thraldom than oppression ; for oppression does stimulate to opposition ; whereas ignorance cramps and palsies efforts by concealing the view of the advantages to be gained by industry . " Some persons , perhaps , will think that the turbulent conduct of the people of the great towns of Germany , since the commencement of the year 1848 , does not

    speak much for the contentment or character of the poorer classes of Germany . It may seem strange to those who do not know Germany , but to myself the conduct of the people of that country , since the outbreak of the different revolutions , is one of the strongest proofs of the great intelligence and strong conservative feeling of the poorer classes of Germany that could possibly be adduced . My reasons for thinking so are simply these . A political change has been effected in Germany , greater and more sudden than almost any that history records .

    In the beginning of 1848 there was not even the semblance of political liberty . There % vas neither liberty of speech , nor liberty of action , nor freedom of the press . The people were treated like children . The governments did everything for them , and suffered them to take no part worth speaking of in the direction of national affairs . The will of each sovereign was law in its fullest and widest sense . The newspapers were not allowed to print any articles of criticism upon any matter of internal politics . Every sentence which was destined for the press , whether for a book , or for a newspaper , or pamphlet , had to be subjected , before it was printed , to a censor appointed by government , who cut out every thing which he thought ought not to be printed . In the Austrian empire not onlv were the newspapers prevented

    publishing any original articles on internal or external politics , but they were also prohibited publishing any news about foreign political matters , so that the Austrian people were kept in the strangest and most complete state of ignorance about the progress of events in foreign countries , as well as of every political event which took place in the different provinces of their own empire . The Austrian papers contained articles of literary criticism , notices oJ court proceedings , accounts of the fetes of foreign courts , incidents of travel , articles on music ; and this was nearly all . Such was the depressing influence of this strict censorship that even the literary articles were so miserably poor as not to be worth reading . Austrian literature had sunk to the lowest ebb , for nothing like free thought could

    express itself in print . 44 Austria , too , no person could move from his native town to another without a written order of the police . If he attempted to do so without an order he was always detected at the entrance of the town , and stopped and punished . The native of one town , before he could pass the gates of another , had to produce his permission , to show it to the police , and to get it entered into a book kept on purpose . " No foreigner was ever allowed to enter into any Austrian town or city until he had shown and delivered his passport to the police , told them where ho was s ^ oing to lodge , and received a ticket from them , lie could not leave the town again until he had got his ticket again exchanged for his passport . there

    " Except in one or two provinces were no public courts of Justice in Germany , and no juries . Every political and every civil offender was examined in closed courts , before judges appointed by the central power , and convicted and sentenced by the judges . In Austria every man was liable to bo dragged suddenly from his home and family , and confined at the will of the police in some distant dungeon , while his poor family was often left uncertain whether he was dead or alive , or where he was concealed . * * * Is it , then , to be wondered at that when this wretched sy . stcm crumbled away under the moral emthquake of the French llevolution of 1848 , the German people , wholly inexperienced as they were , should have committed extravagances , and that they should have shown that they did not know how to use the power with which thc > y suddenly found themselves

    invested ? . " Do Englishmen forget how much bloodshed and civil strife it cost us to escape from the trammels of tyranny , and to establish a constitutional government . u two short months the old tyrannies and governments of Germany fell to pieces . For several months afterwards there was literally no government in the greater part of Germany and Austria . The people found themselves suddenly without masters , and discovered that the reins of government , which they had never handled , and which they had never been taught to handle , were thrown to them .

    ..... " The wonder is , —not that riots and bloodshed ensued in the great cities , but that the whole of Germany and Austria was not convulsed by a horrible civil war . I am firmly persuaded , that if it had not been for the great intelligence of all ranks of the people , and also lor the grout subdivision of the landed property among the peasants themselves , we should have witnessed a revolution in Grrmany , much more terrible than any thing of the kind that has ever occurred in Europe ; for nevir before did any people emerge so suddenly from such an extreme of political thraldom into such an extreme of political beneficial effects of educa

    freedom . Of all proofs of the - tion , and of a system of peasant proprietor , 1 know none more undeniably satisfactory than the conduct of the German peasants during these late revolutionary timo * . "When my readers consider from what a stale of political bondage they suddenly broke loose , und what an absolute freedom from restraint they suddenly attained , they will surely grant that they exhibited but little of that wild revelling in liberty , which usually follows the sudden bursting loose from long-endured nnrl galling tyninny , and which miKht , if history be any guide , have naturally been expected . " The English peasant has a hopeless lot ; he cannot

    rise above his condition ; he cannot become a proprietor ; he must remain a slave ; so also the artizan , who often earns a large income , squanders it improvidently because the inducement to prudence is absent : — " It is possible for the poorest young man in Germany , Switzerland , the Tyrol , Belgium , Holland , France , Denmark , Sweden , and Norway , to purchase a garden or a farm , if he is intelligent , prudent , and self-denying . It is a safer and more agreeable investment than that of a little shop , which is the only one open to a poor peasant in England . It seems to be inherent in man ' s nature to

    wish to possess land ; and it is certain that there is no other inducement , which has half its force in leading the poor man to give up present gratification for its sake . Few men will defer their marriage , or deny themselves the excitement of the tavern , or of the gambling-table , for the sake of becoming a shopman ; but millions of peasants are at this moment on the continent of Europe putting off their marriages , abstaining from the use of spirits , and from immoral gratifications , working double hours , striving with double diligence to please their employers , refraining from the strife of politics , and availing themselves of every opportunity of saving money , in the hope of purchasing a garden or a farm . "

    Nay more , the country at large is benefited by this division of the land : — " In Saxon Switzerland , the government of Saxony possessed a number of barren heath-clad hills , which had never been brought into cultivation , and which , by many persons , were supposed to be quite unfit for cultivation . The government gave notice , a few years ago , that it would grant portions of the sides of these hills to any peasant , who would cultivate them , on the following conditions : —

    " For three years no rent was to be paid for it ; afterwards the cultivator might either purchase the land at a certain rate fixed and specified , or he might rent it from government at a small annual payment , the amount of which was to bear a certain fixed proportion to the produce obtained from the land . The scheme has succeeded admirably . Whole hill-sides have been taken by the peasants , and brought into cultivation . The moorlands have been drained ; the stones have been carried away ; the land has been well trenched , and has become very valuable . This shows how enterprising an intelligent peasantry will prove , when their efforts are not impeded udices to

    by legislation or by old feudal prej , were we enable the Irish peasant to make himself a proprietor , we should in twenty years alter the character of Ireland . The peasants would become conservative , orderly , and industrious ; the moor and waste lands would disappear ; cultivation would spread its green carpet over the bogs and mountains ; and that now unhappy island would become a powerful arm of Great Britain . But so long as we subject the Irish peasantry to the present uuderlessee system , so long will they be a turbulent , idle and disaffected people , and so long will Ireland be a drain upon the imperial treasury , and a cause of weakness to

    the empire . 44 It would astonish the English people to see how intenselv the peasants of France , Germany , Switzerland , and Holland labour ou their fields . The whole of the farmer ' s family assists . It is not an unwilling drudgery , but a toil in which they feel pleasure ; for they know that the harder they labour , the greater will be their profits , and the better will be their means of subsistence . There is always something to be done . When they can work on their fields , they are opening drains , breaking up lumps of earth , spreading manures , digging , cleaning , weeding , sowing , or gathering in the harvest . When they cannot work in their fields , they are putting their farm-yards and farm-buildings into order , whitewashing wallsmix

    ( this they are very fond of doing ) , repairing , - ing or preparing manures , or doing something m preparation for some of their out-door operations . They do all this , be it remembered , for themselves ; and they take real pleasure in their work , and do it ton times better , arid ten times more expeditiously than the poor , hired , and ignorant peasants of England , who have nothing to look forward to , but to remain peasants for ever , earning from seven to nine shillings a-week , and without any interest in the soil j or even than the farmers of England , who farm the land of another , having often no lease of it , and scarcely any security for any expenditure upon it , and who seldom care anything about- eitlier their land or their buildings , except to get as much out of them , and with as small an outlay , as

    possible . " Compare the condition of a Saxon peasant , cleanly , frugal , industrious , gay , hopeful , with that of a Dorsetshire peasant whose state lias become a byeword : — 41 But what are the poor to do ? So long as the law prevents their purchasing land ; so long as they cannot obtain ground , on which to build their own cottages , as the foreit ? n peasants do ; so long , too , as the government will nor , interfere to educate the children of the peasants in higher tastes and hotter habits ; ami so long as they are only the tenants at the will of the agent of a landlord , one docs not see how the peasant has a chance of improving the condition of his cottage , or the social position of his family .

    • 1 cannot too often reprat , that the great primary causes of the pauperism and degradation of our peasants me the utter hopelessness and hcl . jlesmess of their position . We have done all we can to prevent their helping themsrlvps ; rutd to deprive them of every Htrony inducement to practise hclf-drnial , prudence , and economy . "A n . au will not pmctiso Hflf-deuial , economy , and prudence without an object . What object has aa English peasant to practise them ? ' * A peasant cannot possibly buy land as the foreign peasant does . lie cannot get a farm even as a

    Unant-atwill of it . He cannot buy a house , or a plot of ground on which to build a house . He cannot get even the lease of a cottage . He cannot buy or get the lease of a garden . He often cannot even get the mere occupation of a cottage for himself . He is often obliged to take his wife to his father ' s or his brother ' s cottage , and to sleep with her in their bed-room . " What earthly inducement , then , has such a peasant to practise self-denial and economy ? Absolutely none . He does not , therefore , practise any . He says to himself , if I put off my marriage and save , what should I gain by such a course ? I'll marry early . If I cannot get a cottage , I'll take my wife to my father ' s cottage j and if bad times come , I'll apply to the union . 44 have

    Such is the hideous social system to which we subjected our poor . " Let those who would appreciate the deep-rooted and far-reaching influence of peasant proprietorship , combined with universal education in raising the whole nation to a state of well-being , study these volumes . They will then , see that all other reforms are but patchwork until these two great reforms are effected ; they will see that until the laws which , obstruct the transfer of land , and those which obstruct national education are abrogated , there is little hope for England . We shall return to this book .

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    HEARTS IN MORTMAIN . Hearts in Mortmain , and Cornelia . John Chapman . These two novels display considerable power , but the power is literary not creative , it lies in the manner not the matter . The subjects are in both disagreeable , though treated with a delicacy rarely found in writers choosing such topics . Nothing can be more hacknied than the incidents , but the grace and picturesqueness of the writing carries them successfully through . As metaphysical novels we may forgive the commonplace of incident , but we cannot so easily forgive the mistakes of metaphysics : to make such anatomy of the passions interesting , it should be accompanied by sound physiology ; but we venture to eay that the physiology here is often defective . We will cite an example . The story of Hearts in Mortmain is the misery of two young creatures who love but cannot marry each other , and so marry elsewhere . The reason why they cannot marry is told in this extract from a letter written by the heroine ' s father : — 41 That Edward is my nephew , the only child of my only sister , you are aware . * The story of his birth and of my poor sister ' s sorrows , has been scrupulously , and , as far as I know , successfully , hidden from the world . When she was but a child in years , just seventeen , the evil eye lighted upon her , and he who won her innocent heart , a stranger to us even in name , crossed her path .

    Beautiful in form , noble in bearing , but fallen , like the lost angel , from purity and light to the dark depths of sin , he was at first all that was beguiling , amiable , intelligent , fascinating . My sister and mother lived in the country in perfect retirement ; I was occasionally with them , and saw the growing intimacy . A slight acquaintance gave me at once an insight into his character . I knew he was not a man to make her happy , and I spoke of it to my mother—a sensible , excellent mother you know she was . She attempted , seconded by me , to withdraw my sister from his Bociety ; and then we were told with a confidence of manner that could not be mistaken ,

    that he was an accepted lover , and claimed her for his bride . Well do I remember the blushing , sobbing creature , sinking on her mother ' s breast , that mother ' s look of anguish for one moment , and then her returning selfcommand : my own rising passion—his pride , his peculiar haughty smile , as he took the poor girl ' s hand , and she did not withdraw it , though her face was turned away ; the scene at this moment is all before me , but I must put the rein on recollection ; a nervous hand and aching head refuse to serve me Ionic . He was denied our

    treasure , and he left us . Afterwards we induced her to write a formal refusal of his hand , and we were content ; but she never seemed so , and in a week afterwards she was gone , gone with him . My search was fruitless , but she wrote to her mother that they were married , and going abroad . The letter was hasty , blotted with tears ; the post-mark was Dover , but there was no other date . I hurried to the coast—a lady and gentleman answering the description had sailed the day before . I returned to my mother ; she was broken-hearted . 44

    In a few months another letter came . They were in Paris , my poor sister ill and sad , and she conjured us to write . 1 set out immediately to go to her ; my mother ' s health was unequal to the long journey , and I went alone . J found her in sickness and solitude on her bed . Her wasted looks , her agony of tears , her clinging to me us she sobbed and murmured , ' I did not expect this !'it all told such a tale of distress , and I knew my fear * had not been vain . By degrees I drew from her the story of the past months ; he wus from home , and we

    talked together till the evening snades deepened into night ; nurl as they deepened , darker grew the tale of wrong and grief . Trembling and hesitating , she imparted to me her fears—fears , she said , which had firbt arisen in doubts and * light suspicions , but were now confinned—they wore not married . He had deluded her by u falae ceremony . It would take me too long now to tell you the long tissue of falsehoods by which the poor young creature was lured on to misery . I could not bear it . 1 bade her hush , I clasped her in my arms , and wept with her , and then bidding her be calm and try to rest ,

    Untitled Article

    Aug . 3 , 1850 . ] &ttt ^ UtaUtt * 449

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 3, 1850, page 449, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1849/page/17/