CE! In IV

THE TWO

PP! MPHLETS.

Ir is not at the first glance very easy to associate a large
and theorizing doctrine of human civilization with the name
of one who was at this time a busy dealer in printed calicoes,
and who almost immediately afterwards became the most
active of political agitators. There may seem to be a
certain incongruity in discussinc:  - »uple of pamphlets by
a Manchester manufacturer, us , . ore the speculations
of an abstract philosopher. Ye... _ . trained pretension
to say that at this time Cobden ws -vssessed by the
philosophic gift of fecling abeut ©. v 88 a whole, and
thinking about the problems of society in an ordered connexion
 with one another. He had definite and systematic
ideas of the way in why. aca cn rht now to travel in search
of improvement ; and > . "' Dew meaning and more
comprehensive purpose ty ri. Life,
The agitations of th - ~resl Reform Act of 1832 had stirred
up social aspirations, wis - Liberal Government of the
next ten years afics “2onng of the Act were utterly
mable to satisfy. a. . v7 arose partly from their
own political ineptitede .  w. .. like of conviction ard
courage ; and partl; fiira the fact that many of these
aspirations lay wholly outside of the sphere of any govern.
ment. To give a vote to all ten-pound householders, and to
abolish a few rotten boroughs, was seen to carry the nation

1835-6.

Er, 31-2