THE ROARING FORTIES 145 



vital force by Richard Cobden. In 1841 John 

 Bright became formally associated with Cobden 

 in their famous partnership of agitation. Under 

 the leadership of these two men the League 

 was, in object, in methods, and in organization, 

 the open and determined foe of the ruling aris 

 tocracy. Its members were drawn chiefly from 

 the working classes of the towns; its branches 

 spread all over the land, on the model of the 

 associations which O Connell had made so well 

 known; its method was that of unceasing ap 

 peal, in speech and print, to the thought and 

 the emotions of the people; its object was to 

 break down, not only the protective system and 

 its particular provision as to corn, but the whole 

 controlling influence of the landed aristocracy 

 in the public affairs of the British nation. 

 There was no effort to disguise this object. 

 Cobden s lucid reasoning was pointed with 

 scorn of the stupidity of the peers and squires 

 in failing to see that free trade in corn was 

 for their real interest; Bright s passionate elo 

 quence went straight to their selfishness, cruelty, 

 and oppression in fighting to keep up their 

 rents at the expense of a starving people. A 

 stupid, selfish, cruel, tyrannical aristocracy, so 

 the corollary ran, must no longer control the 



