Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text culate every reason for his abstention save the true one--his
honourable desire to aid the cause of Reform even to the extent of
self-effacement, since his persecutors made that necessary. The _Pall
Mall Gazette_ in 1868 said:
"Mr Bradlaugh, who furnished the _Saturday Reviewers_ with an
additional sting to articles in which his name was coupled with Mr
Beales', avowed Atheistical views, but they met with so little favour
that he had to leave the Committee of the Reform Association because
he brought discredit on the cause."
Mr Bradlaugh in reply asked if it was true his views found "little
favour," and answering his own question said, "Let the audiences
crowding the theatre at Huddersfield, the circus at Grimsby, the
theatre at Northampton, the halls in London, Dublin, Newcastle, Ashton,
Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, and Bradford--let these enthusiastic
audiences reply." And, in conclusion, he printed this letter from
Mr Beales in reply to his resignation, which he had received in the
previous May, but now for the first time made public.
"4 STONE'S BUILDINGS, LINCOLN'S INN,
_17th May 1867_.
"MY DEAR SIR,--Pray excuse my not having sooner answered,
or noticed, your letter of the 7th inst. to me, tendering your
resignation as a member of the Executive of the Reform League, and
asking that your name may be erased from the list of the Council and
Vice-Presidents. I really have been in such a whirl of occupation
since receiving your letter that it was not in my power sooner to
write to you, as I wished. Meanwhile you have, I believe, received
through Mr Cooper and others intimation that the Executive were
unwilling to accept your resignation, and lose your services. In that
unwillingness I concur, whilst I avail myself of this opportunity
of communicating to you with the utmost openness and frankness, and
with very sincere regard, my feelings in the matter. I have already
expressed in public my strong sense of the services you have rendered
to the League by your ability and good sense, and of the invariable
fidelity, delicacy, and admirable taste with which you have studiously
abstained from uttering a word at our meetings that could offend the
religious scruples of the most sensitive or fastidious Christian. At
the same time that your known and published opinions on these matters
(I do not allude to the subject of the _Saturday Review's_ savage
attack, which was not, I believe, from your pen) have injured the
League with many in a moral and pecuniary point of view must, I am
afraid, be admitted, though I doubt whether such injury has outweighed
the aid you have rendered to the League by your oratorical power
and talent. At all events, I am not disposed to allow the evil to
have outweighed the good. You say that the conduct of the Press in
constantly coupling your name with mine has given me pain. Well, it
has, but not quite from the cause you suppose. I despise from my soul
the base motives of the writers in thus coupling our names together,
and it would only make me more strongly tender to you the hand of
friendship. But I do feel great pain at the thought of a man of your
undoubted ability, and, I believe, purity of purpose and high honesty,
being in such a position from your antagonism to Christianity as to
make men imagine that they could pain or injure me or the League by
thus coupling our names together.
"C. BRADLAUGH.
"E. BEALES."
Mr George Howell, the Secretary, had also written expressing his
deep regret at my father's resignation, and testifying to the kindly
consideration shown himself, and to the earnest and powerful advocacy
and support given to the objects of the League.
Probably in consequence of the form taken by these aspersions Mr
Bradlaugh was again elected on the Executive Council in December 1868.
CHAPTER XXIV.
PROVINCIAL LECTURING, 1866-1869.
I will take up once more the story of my father's lecturing experiences
in the provinces by telling of the Mayor's attempt to prevent the
delivery of some lectures he had agreed to give in Liverpool, in the
middle of October 1866. The subjects to be dealt with were: "The
Pentateuch: without it Christianity is nothing; with it, Humanity is
impossible;" "The Twelve Apostles," and "Kings, Lords, and Commons."
The bills announcing these particulars were posted all over the
town, and seem to have much alarmed the Mayor. This gentleman was a
Methodist, and held such peculiar ideas concerning the duties of chief
magistrate of so important a place as Liverpool that he preferred,
for example, attending a Scripture Readers' tea-party rather than
the banquet given to the layers of the Atlantic Cable, at which he
was expected. It can be easily understood that such a Mayor would be
greatly disturbed by the possibility of an atheistic criticism of the
Pentateuch and the twelve Apostles. So great was his perturbation that
he consulted with the Chief Constable, Major Greig, with the result
that the latter sent his subordinates to the lessee of the theatre
to explain to him that he must close his doors against the wicked
"Iconoclast." The lessee, hesitating, was carried before the Chief
Constable himself, who, speaking with all the majesty of his office,
told him that the lectures could not be allowed. On Saturday night
(13th October)[96] Mr Bradlaugh's agent, Mr Cowan, called upon the
lessee for the keys, but was informed that he had been ordered not to
permit the meetings to be held. Poor lessee! between the upper and the
nether millstone he got very little peace. Mr Cowan, after considerable
discussion, took him, late at night though it was, to Mr Bradlaugh. Mr
Bradlaugh had gone to bed, but got up at the summons, and all three
went to the Chief Constable's, but nothing was to be done there at
that time of night. In the morning the lessee accepted Mr Bradlaugh's
written indemnity against all consequence, and my father was permitted
to lecture unmolested, although he and his friends were much diverted
to find detectives, police, and magistrates amongst the audience.
[Footnote 96: The lectures were announced for the following day.]
A fortnight later Mr Bradlaugh was due in Glasgow, and on his way
to Scotland made a little halt at Newcastle. For some weeks past a
clergyman, the Rev. David King, sufficiently well known in certain
circles, had been playing the braggart in the north of England. All,
and nothing short of all, the "Infidels" were afraid of him; none dare
meet him in debate--if he had modestly stopped at that, there would
have been little harm done, but to his boasts he added gross slanders
of Freethinkers, both living and dead, individually and in the mass.
My father went up north at the right moment, for on Saturday, 27th
October, this Mr D. King was announced to lecture at Bedlington on
Secularists and their perversions; the Newcastle Freethinkers, who were
highly indignant, asked Mr Bradlaugh to break his journey to Scotland
in order to come and give the r Previous Next |