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f Paisley are not viewed by the selecting agents as irited to the stout labour of the colonies . « Comp laints of the same kind reach us from the ¦ W est Riding of Yorkshire , but in this case we do not kn 0 w the cause of rejection . The Kidderminster people have had to undergo a similar mortification , and we uspect for reasons similar to those which have prevailed in Paisley . " Amidst the conflict of parties , the doctrinaires of the middle class are decidedly advancing . Although they are reformers , their most recent deand their conductwhich still
clarations , — means more than declarations—are decidedly anti-democratic , —that is to say , are decidedly opposed to s haring political power with the body of the nation ? That party has every prospect , by workin ? electioneering influences , of attaining to the possession of official power within a comparatively short space . We who desire that the whole body of the nation should be brought into political action , cannot but regard such a result as reactionary . " We do not believe , indeed , that it would be final . Entertaining doctrines which are principally of a negative kind , and of a kind to repress the means
of aggression , or of aggressive defence , the party in question can maintain no position against any strong opponents ; and at the next period of disturbance , it would have to yield up its possession to a stronger party . In the meantime , however , by carrying still further the enervating influences which are already exhibited in the manufacturing districts , if not in the cabbage-eating districts of agriculture—by accustoming the people to the habit of yielding rather than of resisting , it would have prepared the way , either for the invader from without , or for the reactionary traitor
within . The doctrinaire party of the middle class is like the solvent vinegar with which Hannibal softened the Alps to admit his barbarians into Italy , only it is a vinegar of domestic growth in the country to be invaded . The apathetic disposition of the day turns little attention upon these matters , sources of ulterior danger ; but they are not the less pregnant with evil . Bather the reverse : it may not be very long before we see an enraged ISnglish people calling to account those deluded deluders , whose
effeminate counsels will then bear the aspect of deliberate treason ; for we believe that when real danger arrives , the spirit and thew of the English people will again be called into action , and those doctrines will be swept to the winds . At such times , howevey , it may become a very embarrassing question , what to do with those poor invalids of Worcestershire and Renfrewshire who are rejected as unfit for our colonies , and Mould as certainly bo unfitted for any rougher work at home .
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EERESFOKD GREAT AND GOQJX Appl ause was accepted by tho immaculate Phocion as a sign that he had said a foolish tiling . By converse the immaculate Beresford may bo satisfied , from tho chronic execration winch accompanies him , that ho sustains himself well in the utterance of wiHdowi - Lake lijfUt . he runs a direct course , regardless of less stedfast beings around him , and working out his own great conclusions . His fame is great at this-day . He ; is a champion , not only agamat all England , but against ( Jungs in general , and the mistaken laws of tho universe . lie is the PromothoiiH of 1 S 52 , defying all . At least ho did ; but he has hoiuo human elements in him , and he relents in his greatness . Ho defied the rabble , but he defies no more . After saluting " the vilest rabble he ever saw , " and declaring to it , face to face , that he " despised it from his heart , " he retires to the confessional of a public dinner , and to two hundred farmers , as Ciapellotto confesses his little sins , he confesses that he is " forgetful of every unlundncss and of every insult , " and that " he throws himself , " with the condescension , of
' "' ¦ vhrislian , " on the kindness even of the very lowest classes . " He carries his affability furthor , and promises that he " shall not recur to any "tf ' y terms , if they would only let him alone . " -A commoner man might have stuck to his eontnunfc for tho vile rabble ; but by his touching con fession it is evident that Saint Hercsford , like f ^ iimt Ciapcllctto , has a , foible in the shape of ji Hyinpalhy " even for the very lowest classes . " ¦ A fter th , \ death of Saint Ciupellelln , the monks ' «> whom he confessed , struck with the piety of " > e man , tore his clothes to pieces for relies : tho |> uonlo of Liraintree endeavoured to perform a
similar operation on Saint Beresford ; but a Protestant police prevented that excess of idolatry . Brutus was accused of peculation , and Beresford is accused of bribery for the interest of his party in the borough of Derby . At the Braintree dinner he denies the soft impeachment , but denies it with that coyness which so charms the lover in a blushing girl , and lends to denial all the endearing graces of confession . It will be remembered that a letter has been published signed " W . B ., " mysteriously commanding the d that t
presence of an emissary in Derby , an he letter was seized amongst the possessions of a gentleman in full career with that Conservative duty . At the dinner Mr . Beresford avers , he has " not had any hand in any case whatever in bribery in the borough of Derby . " A very special repudiation ; but he does not deny the letter—only challenging inquiry in the House of Commons . Until such time , therefore , as the House shall go into the whole matter , the electors , freeholders , and clergymen of Essex will believe in the Conservative assiduity of W . B ., and will
regard W . B . as only one avatar of William Beresford . But after defying the rabble , and his exertions at Derby , Mr . Beresford proceeds to defy the Morning Chronicle ; and if he should come off no better from his Derby contest than he does from his contests with the rabble and the Chronicle , he will speedily be fit for nothing but an apotheosis or translation to the historic heavens . He asserts that the Morning Chronicle attacks him although "he has the pleasure of sitting at the same table in his club with the editor of that paper ; " and then he moralizes : —
" Such is the state of society , that we are subjected to the intrusion of those who make use of all our intimate associations , who come to the same club as ourselves , and write leading articles at the very same table at which we ourselves are engaged in our honest avocations . " It will be observed that there are several assertions in this passage ; amongst others , that Mr . Beresford is sometimes engaged on " honest
avocations , " and that the editor of the Morning Chronicle associates with him . As to the former of these assertions , we have no evidence ; but as to the latter , the Morning Chronicle declares that " there is not one word of truth in it from beginning to end . " We form no judgments on these questions which Mr . Beresford has raised around him with such gallant rapidity . We make no original statements . We adduce no evidence which is
not already before the public . All that we do is to observe , that Mr . Beresford is accused by the Morning Chronicle of having made a specific and rather elaborate statement , in winch " there is not one word of truth from beginning to end ;" that ho is accused of bribery at Derby , with the circumstantial evidence of an autograph note ; and that ho denies it in terms postponing his
counter proofs to a future day ; also that he addresses the unenfranchised portion of tho British Eeop lo as " the vilest rabble ; " and declares that o " despises them from his heart . " Mr . Beresford is un . unconverted Protectionist , and we take him to bo the best typo of a Tory in the present Government ; representing , in fact , those claims to take ofKco , of which , they have ninco appeared to bo practically ashamed .
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VON HECK AGAIN . The courso of the trial at Birmingham in tho case of the Baroness von Heck , was such as to cast very unjust reflections upon one person at least , amongst the defendants , who deserves nothing from the public but unqualified respect and admiration . Amongst the defendants was Mr . George D / ivvson , well known to all our readers , and to u large proportion of the l ^ nglish public ; although tho limes , with the arrogance peculiar to Puddledoek , still affects partially to ignore tho
iiilhience of that truly Catholic preacher . J 3 y the accident of the technicalities—by the fact that the real main case , touching the identity and merits of the . Baroness von Bock , was excluded from investigation—by the manifest prejudices of the Judge , it happened that Mr . l ) awson was made to appear at the trial in a position wholly false . Those who know him , ami there are many , can correct the false impression : the lew who are still under subjection to the systematic efforts made to misrepresent him before the British public may bo misled . Without entering into any
of the technicalities of the case , without entering into disputed points , let us recall the obvious facts . A woman calling herself a lady , holding in one form or other documents which seem to be vouchers for her genuine character , appears in Birmingham as an Hungarian refugee , a " friend of Kossuth , " a victim suffering from Austrian tyranny against the efforts which Hungary had made for independence . Mr . George Da-vvson is the leader of a very numerous congregation in Birmingham , adhering to a very Catholic doctrine . He is , moreover , although still young ,
very active and influential in good works , the example and director in many a labour of philanthropy ; and his sanction would be regarded by the visitors to Birmingham as valuable in the highest degree . The Baroness von Beck , bearing her vouchers , seeks his presence , is received kindly , acquires his name as subscriber to a book which she is about to publish at the handsome price of 11 . 4 s ., andis taken into the house of a friend of his as a guest to be nursed—for she was an invalid . In that hospitable abode , we believe , her health improved . She is accompanied by a young man , who calls himself Constant Derra .
After a time of no great duration , reports come down to Birmingham that the Baroness von Beck , widow of an Austrian officer , " friend of Kossuth , " and so forth , is in reality no lady , no friend of Kossuth , but only an inferior spy in bis service , and is altogether an impostor . Whether true or not , considerable probability is thrown upon this second report , insomuch that several of her patrons in t hat town are induced to believe it . The complete evidence on this point has never yet been made public ; but months
ago we have recorded our impression , that the Baroness was not genuine in any respect ; and we have advised the several d isputants on the point , to meet and clear up the discrepancies in their accounts . It is evident , however , that the Birmingham people fully believed at first in her assumed character , and afterwards in her impostorship , —not , we are assured , without reason . In such a case a new duty was imposed on those whose influence enables them to advise
and direct the people of Birmingham . The interests of true charity required that the impostor should be effectively debarred from filching the funds that belong to the honest and truly indigent ; and in rescuing that fund from malversation in favour of an impostor , George Dawson not only exercised a degree of candour and moral courage frequently wanting , but performed apublic duty to his fellow townsmen . Birmingham is remarkable for being at once not only opulent , but very liberal ; and the sums which it gives with open hands being unlimited , aro the more honourably to be consecrated to tho benefit of real
want . The very nature of tho charge against tho Baroness von Beck , alias lt . acid . ula , implied a degree of lubricity in her conduct , which made it necessary to proceed actively , but not overtly , until she could bo secured . It has been represented that thero was an unusual amount of treachery in seizing her at tho social party just before her death . The fact is , however , that her
appearance at the party , or elsewhere , had comparatively little to do with the arrangements . The object was , to let her goon without interruption , until tho arrangements for securing her person should be completed , and then , without abruptness , but with promptitude , to secure her . That was done . Her death was an accident , resulting from the peculiar nature of her complaint , which could not have , been foreseen . The stories
about her moaning and suffering from want of assistance in tho night have been refuted , but they do not come fairly under investigation afc tho trial , and that negative fact was used on tho side of the prosecutor to his advantage . The case of Constant Derra is entirely secondary to that of the Baroness spy . iSlie it was whoso position and character Jetenninod tho
aspect of the whole all'air . He appeared as her attendant , and necessarily , to a certain extent , shared in her repute , bad or good . Some diversities in tho statement of his name contributed to tho suspicion directed to himself ; and although it is true that ho belonged l <> a noble family , it would not follow that he must , of necessity , be an honourable person . He was , at all events , tho attendant on the Baroness von Heck , who was
supposed , in Birmingham , on strong primd facia evidence , to be an impostor , ami tho attendant on an impostor cannot expect to bear a high , charac-
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Jmy 81 , 1852 . ] THE LEADER . 729
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 31, 1852, page 729, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1945/page/13/
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