“OBDEN,

[oHA?

1841. was to be made for securing a good candidate and ensuring
Ar. 87. his return, Where friends of the League were in a con
stituency not yet enlightened enough to return a candidat
of League principles, then they ought to vote for a candidate
who would support the measure of the Government. Cop
sidering both the moderate strength of the League at that
time, and the state of the question in men’s minds, it seem?
that this was the natural and judicious course.
Some of the more dogged, however, among members of
the League were hurt by what they took for a Laodicead
halting between two opinions, and talked of withdrawing
or lessening their subscriptions. Subscriptions are alway®
a very sensitive point in agitations ; and Cobden found if
worth while, after the elections were over, to write a letter
to one of the more important of the protesters, explaining
the principle on which the League had acted. © With
reference to your complaint,” he says, “that the League
did not oppose the measure of the Government, I must remind
 you that the real governing power, the landed and
other monopolists, held fast by the old law; they never
attempted to force the fixed duty upon us. We regarded
the Government proposal, not as an offer from a party strong
enough to concede anything, but merely as a step ID
advance taken by a portion of the aristocracy. It was not
our business to attack them, whilst another party, more
powerful than the Government and the people, were resolutely
 opposed to any concession. To my humble apprehension,
 it is as unwise as unjust in any kind of political
warfare to assail those who are disposed to co-operate;
however slightly, in the attempt to overthrow s formidable
and uncompromising enemy.”
In the elections in the north of England the repealers
were successful against both Whigs and Tories, and
smong those who succeeded was Cobden himgelf. “1