946 LIFE OF COBDEN. [omar
midst of the antagonistic development of the age of Walt,
Arkwright, and Stephenson! Nay, feudalism is every day
more and more in the ascendant in political and social life-So
 great is its power and prestige that it draws to ib the
support and homage of even those who are the paturas
leaders of the newer and better civilization, Manufacturers
and merchants as a rule seem only to desire riches that they
may be enabled to prostrate themselves at the feet of four
dalism. How is this to end? And whither are we tending
in both our domestic and foreign relations? Can we hope
bo avoid collisions at home or wars abroad whilst all the
tendencies are to throw power and influence into the wrong
scale 77°
He had begun life with the idea that the great mani
facturers and merchants of England should aspire to that high
directing position which had raised the Medici, the Fuggers:
and the De Witts to a level with the sovereign princes of the
earth.! At the end he still thought that no other class
possessed wealth and influence enough to counteract the
foudal clags.? Through all his public course Cobden did ns
best to moralize this great class; to raise its gelf-respect and
its consciousness of its own dignity and power. Like every
one else, he could only work within his own limits. It is to0
soon yet to say how our feudal society will ultimately be
recast. So far, plutocracy shows a very slight gain ©po”
aristocracy, of which it remains, as Cobden so constantly
deplored, an imitation, and a very bad imitation. The political
exclusiveness of the oligarchy has been thoroughly broken
down since Cobden’s day. It seems, however, 28 if the
preponderance of power were inevitably destined not for th
middle class, as he believed, but for the workmen.
For this fature régime Cobden’s work was the best pre

i 184
y 1 See vol. i, P-.
 Hargreaves, April 10, 1868.
Br Bre ’ 2 Hea above, p. 386.