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Leader (1850-1860), 26th April 1851, Edition Town of 1, Page 395, Untitled Article

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      now she felt quite safe in his strength . The thought of her own unprotected girlhood drew her heart closer to him . She remembered with pleasure the stories of his personal prowess , which had once made her think him coarse and brutal . For the first time in her life she knew the delight of dependence—the holy charm of weakness . And as they paced on silently together , through the black awful night , while the servants lingered , far out of sight , about the horses , she found out how utterly she trusted to him . " ' Listen ! ' she said . A . nightingale was close to them , pouring out his whole soul in song . ' Is it not very late in the year for a nightingale ?' " ' Hje is waiting for his mate . She is rearing a late brood , I suppose . '

      " ' What do you think it is which can stir him up to such an ecstasy of joy , and transfigure his whole heart into melody ?' " ' What but love , the fulness of all joy , the evoker of all song ?' " ' All song ? The angels sing in Heaven . ' " * So they say ; but the angels must love if they sing . ' " They love Ood !" " ' And no one else ?' " ' Oh , yea ; but that is universal , spiritual love , not earthly love—a narrow passion for an individual . ' ' • How do we know that they do not learn to love all by first loving one ?' " ' Oh , the angelic life is single . ' " Who told you so , Miss Lavington ?'

      " She quoted the stock text , of course : 'In heaven they neither marry nor are given in marriage , but are as the angels . ' " ' As the tree falls so it lies . ' And God forbid that those who have been true lovers on earth should contract new marriages in the next world . Love is eternal . Death may part lovers , but not love . And how do we know that these angels , as they call them , if they be really persons , may not be united in pairs by some marriage bond , infinitely more perfect than any we can dream of on earth ?' " ' That is a very wild view , Mr . Smith , and not sanctioned by the Church , " said Argemone , severely . ( Curious and significant it is how severe ladies are apt to be whenever they talk of the Church ) .

      " ' In plain historic fact , the early fathers and the middle-age monks did not sanction it ; and are not they the very last persons to whom one would go to be taught about marriage ? Strange , that people should take their notions of lov # from the very men who prided themselves on being bound , by their own vows , to know nothing about it ?' " ' They were very holy men !' " But still men , as I take it . And do you not see that love is , like all spiritual things , only to be understood by experience—by loving ?' " •* But is love spiritual ?' " ' Pardon me , but what a question for one who believes that " God is love ! " ' 44 ' But the divines tell us that the love of human beings is earthly . '

      '• * How did they know ? They had never tried . Oh , Miss Lavington ! cannot you see that in those barbarous and profligate ages of the later empire , it was impossib e for men to discern the spiritual beauty of marriage , degraded as it had been by heathen brutality ? Do you not see that there must have been a continual tendency in the minds of a celibate clergy to look with contempt , almost with spite , on pleasures which were forbidden to them ?" 44 Another pause . " ' It must , be very delicious , ' said Argemone thoughtfully , ' fur any one who believes it to think that marriage can last through eternity . But then what becomes of entire love to God ? How can we part our hearts between him and his creatures ?'

      " la it a sin , then , to love your sister ? or your friend ? What a low , mutt'iial view of love , to fancy that you can cut it up into so many pieces , like a cake , and pive to one person one titbit , and another to another , as the Popish books would have you believe ! Love is like flamelight an many fresh flames at it as you will it grows instead of diminishing by the dispersion . " 44 It is a beautiful imagination . ' 44 But , oh , how miserable and tantalizing a thought , Miss Lavington , to those who know that a priceless spirit is near them , which might be one with theirs through all eternity , like twin stare in one common atmosphere , lor overliving and receiving wisdom and might , beauty and bliss ami yet are barred from their bliss by some invisible

      adamantine wall , against which they must beat themselves to death , like butterflies against the window-pane , gazing and longing , and unable to guess why they are forbidden to enjoy ! ' . 44 Why did Argemono withdraw her arm Irom Ins ? He . knew , and he felt that who was entrusted to him . lie turned away fioin the subject . ,.,-. 3 . 44 4 I wonder whether they are safe home by this tunct 44 1 ho pi ! my father will not catch cold . ' ' How sad , ' Mr Smith , ' that he will swear so . I do not like to say it ; and y « t you must have heard him too often yourself . " It is hardly a sin with him now , 1 think . He has become 8 O habituated to itthat he attaches no meaning

      . , or notion whatsoever to hi » own oaths I have heard him do it with a smiling face to the very beggar to whom he , w » h giving half-a-erown . We iiiiihI not judge a man of bis school by the standard of our own . lay . " ' Let us hope so , ' said Ariremoue , nadly . 1 . «• •« " « another pause . At a turn of the bill-road he black LsseH of beedi wood opened , and showed the priory lights twinkling right below . Strange , that Argemoiio felt sorry to find herself ho near home . ( " We ahull go to town next week , said flhe ; arm then , you are B <» in K t (» JNorwuy thia summer , are you

      44 No . I have learnt that my duty lies nearer home . ' 44 4 What nre you K " K t 0 ** o ' ... 44 41 wish this summer , for the first time in my nie , to

      try and do some good—to examine a little into the real condition of English working men . ' " ' I am afraid , ' Mr . Smith , ' that I did not teach j ou that duty . ' 44 4 Oh , you have taught me priceless things ! You have taught me beauty is the sacrament of heaven , and love its gate ; that that which is the most luscious is also the most pure . ' " But I never spoke a word to you on such subjects . ' "' There are those , ' Miss Lavington , to whom a human face can speak truths too deep for books . ' " Argemone was silent ; but she understood him . Why did she not withdraw her arm a second time ? " In a moment more the colonel hailed them from the dog-cart ; and behind him came the britschka with a relav of servants .

      They parted with a lone , lingering pressure of the hand , which haunted her young palm all night in dreams . Argemone got into the carriage , Lancelot jumped into tne dog cart , took the reins , and relieved his heart by galloping Sand y up the hill , and frightening the returning coachman down one bank and his led horses up the other . "

      Untitled Article

      LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT . Local Self-Government and Centralization : the Characteristics of each : and it * Practical Tendencies , as affecting Social , Moral , and Political Welfare and Progress ; including Comprehensive Outlines of the English Constitution . ByJ . Toulmin Smith , Esq ., barrister-at-Law . John Chapman . { Second Notice . ) Mr . Toulmin Smith ' s work , to which we now turn , is worthy the attention of all serious political students for the very valuable outlines it presents of the English Constitution , and the equally novel and interesting details connected with our laws . Let us take as a piquant

      instance—THE PAYMENT OF MEMBERS . " Members of Parliament are , most properly , entitled by law to payment for their services ; which any member may at this day enforce . With the ignorance of the Laws and Constitution which marks all efforts of legislators in our day , whether directly attacking , or professing to be on behalf of , the liberties of the people , trie payment of members is being now asked as a boon . It would be well , in this as in mnny other cases , that the existing state of the Law should , in the first instance , be ascertained . The machinery for procuring payment by any member is exceedingly simple , being in accordance with the practice of Local Self-Government . That man will do a great service to the liberties of his country who will have the moral courage to claim the payment of the wages as member , to which , by the Common and Statute Law , he is entitled . "

      There is abundance of such information , and we have only to glance over the t&ble of contents to observe how fully he enters into the constitutional question . But our present purpose is with his main object , viz ., the ardent advocacy of Local Self-Government , and uncompromising hostility to centralization of all kinds and in all shapes . He well says : — 44 The first and chief point in the . secular education of a fiee people ought to be a thorough knowledge and unders'andinz of the principles on which the insti'iitions

      an'l laws they live under are founded . But if there in one subject now less studied and less understood than another in England it is this . Neither in our schools , our colleges , nor universities is it taught , nor floes the literature of the day help its acquisition . Within the walls of Parliament and without , among every rank and profession , a profound indifference , or positive distaste , as to a subject of so much importance , equally exists . Formerly the case was far o'luiwise . And it is to the existence of a far different sp irit that we owe the maintenance of the liberties of England through many centuries of trial . "

      He thus defines real freedom : — 44 Freedom and free Institutions and good government do not consist only in prot < ciion to person and property . This truth cannot , be too strongly enforced . Person and properly may be piotccled , and y « t the nation be : i nation of slave * , — without one free aspiration , or one thought beyond that selfish gratification the devotion of engrossing attention to which , und to accumulating the mercenary means of which , is always the result , and the unerring

      symptom , of the weakening of that abiding sense of duty and responsibility which lies at the foundation of free Institutions . On the other hand , person and property will always be secured with the most , assured and lasting certainty , other circumstances of external relations being tin : Baine , where true free Institution !* exist most fully developed , and win-re HeMishneBs and individual m-ekings have not yielded to the temptations which it in the craft of despotism always to hold out .

      44 True Freedom ooiihihI . s in the . continual aetive consciousness of I lie position and responsibilities of a Free Man , n Member of the State , and a positive Item in it . The Free Man will feel that he has isoinetliing to live for beyond the attainment , of mere personal earn * ; iih 1 comfort ; Unit he has , an a member of the State , certain important and aCrVe ( lights , and Duties , and KeHpoiiNibities coextensive with them , in relation to his fellow -men ; tlntt he has faculties beyond the mere sensual ones , the strength of which he is hound to put forth , in order to help the great work of human happiness und progress "

      To secure this freedom h « knows but one « ystein — Self-government ; to nubverJ ; it but one—( Vntralizution . And according to arbitrary defniitionn of these two there can be none to depute his

      position ; but we doubt whether this definition will meet with general acceptance : — 44 Local Self Government is that system of government under which the greatest rmmrjer of minds , knowing the j mo t and having the fullest opportunities of knowing it , about the special matter in hand , and having the greatest interest in its well-working , have the management of it , or control over it . " Centralization is that system of government under which the smallest number of minds , and those knowing the least , and bavin ? the fewest opportunities of knowing it , about the special matter in hand , and having the smallest interest in its well-working , have the managej ment of it , or control over it . " We confess that such arbitrary , if not imprecise , definitions materially lessen the force of the arguments . We have already stated our opinion that in a proper social system Centralization and Self-Government must go hand in hand—that ; the two are by no means antagonistic , as represented by Mr . Smith ; it will be unnecessary , therefore , to discuss this point here ; we may , however , notice , in passing , how very different Mr . Smith ' s idea of Self-Govern ment is from that which we actually see in operation . He repudiates the vicious parochial system : — " ¦ ' Local jobbing , ' and the influence of local interests , ' are often held up as bugbears . But each of these , wherever it be found , exists , and only ever can exist , because true Local Self-Government is not there found ; because the discussion and management of matters is practically left in the hands of a Local clique or oligarchy—under the form and name , it may be , of a ; Town Council or otherwise , but without the practical activity of that other part of the Local Institutions whichthe spirit , the letter , and the long practice of the common Law and Constitution , of England require , namvly , 1 the Folk and People themselves meeting in frequent , fixed , regular , and accessible assemblies , as matter of individual right and duty , and discussing , and hearing i discussed , the matters which the local body , entrusted | to administer in their behalf , has done or is doing . I Without this , whatever the name of the local body having j authority may be , its reality will always be a clique , in I which individual interests will , of course , be more likely | to sway and to prevail than the common good of the whole neighbourhood . " We would beg of him to interpret the idea of I Centralization in the same spirit , with an equal implication of democracy ; it will then , perhaps , cease to appear in his eyes the insidious and despotic idea he now believes it-He thus states what Self-Government really is : — 44 Local Self-Government does not , then , consist , as many imagine , in having local bodies , elected or otherwise , and leaving the exclusive management of cy ** yihiu <* in their hands . Its essence consists in f'iis : — - That , while these local representative assemblies exist , like the national one , for the more convenient administration of affairs , arrangements also exist b y which regular , fixed , frequent , and accessible meetings together of the freemen themselves s-hall take place ; at whii-h all matters done by the representative bodies , local and general , shall be laid before the folk and people , discussed , and approved "r disapproved ; and at which all maitcr . s of common interest ti > the respective associated communities , either as sepa ate bodies or as p rts of the gic-at national whole , shall be brought forward , and fully canvassed and considered ; and , having undergone this process , the public opinion thereupon shall be truly , peaceably , and healthily expressed . " And throughout his work he forcibly illustrates the excellent practical education in political matters induced by Self-Government . One may say , indeed , that everywhere ) in detailing the advantages of Local Self-Government he is clear , convincing , profitable ; it is only in his exaggerated misconception of Centralization , and the incompatibility of the two systems , that we think him wrong . We touch on these points , we cannot dwell upon them , for in the discussion of such abstract qticsti'jns of polity , we should need more space than a journal can afford . If we have indicated the nature of Mr . Toulmin Smith ' s work , and excited n desire for closer study of it , our object will have been reached ; and we leave the topic with this extract on— UNI VKIIHAI . SUFFHAOK . 44 There ran be no shadow of question that , by tho Common L » w of I'lnghuwl , Universal Suffrage in the inherent Kight of the I ' eojile of Kngland . Thin has alread y been proved . lint , then coiiich the question , what , in , Hiieeilirally , infant l » y Universal Suit-age , and for what , mid how , is i < to !><¦ used ? " If by Universal SuflVaxc i « meant , ( which ia what many do mem ) that more men shall be able thitii now are to be driven up , like sheep to the slaughter , to poll for him who talks loudest , on the hustings , then indeed is Universal Snffrane a pure and unmixed evil , a Mayer of all progress , and unknown to the Common Law of Kn ^ land . It will merely In-the . machine for the irxirn easily delegating empire to hii oligarch y . And this is what Universal . Suffrage always will be , an used in the Parliamentary Reform seiiHc , and stopping there . 41 It is apprehended that , the only khiiiiI definition of a ti ue Universal Suffrage is—that every Cretin in ban the inherent ritfht aul \ duty , by the Common Law of Kngland , to take * an active part in the management of all the

      Untitled Article

      April 26 , 1851 . ] fffte Heahtt . 395

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 26, 1851, page 395, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1880/page/15/