520 
Jones — Chartism. 
In this all classes of Chartists joined. When the huge mass of 
paper was rolled into the House, Mr. Atwood, who acted as the 
delegate of the Chartists, was allowed, contrary to precedent 
to make a speech in presenting it. But all this produced no 
appreciable effect. The Commons scarcely noticed the bill or 
the petition. A move to consider them was defeated by a ma¬ 
jority of 189 in a House of 281 members. The Chartists be¬ 
came discouraged. Meanwhile the actions of the Physical Force 
wing of the agitation so disgusted the better classes of society 
that the entire movement was discredited. Universal suffragists 
refrained henceforth from taking active part in any kind of 
demonstrations. 
The Physical Force wing was always unable to pursue any 
systematic campaign. Its fortunes rose and fell with the in¬ 
crease and decrease of misery. So when in 1836 English trade 
began to show signs of distress, the effect was soon appreciated 
by agitators and demagogues. The scant harvests of 1836 and 
the extreme severity of the winter of 1836-37, followed as it 
was by unheard of frost and snow in the middle of summer, 
caused great distress. Strikes became numerous and through 
them the workmen’s associations took occasion to thrust their 
political grievances into notice. Meetings were held at which 
the most inflammatory language was used. Often Chartists 
came together after sunset, with torches, and were addressed by 
such leaders as Feargus O’Connor, Earnest Jones, John Frost, 
and Stevens. These meetings were more than once followed by 
barn and hay-rick burnings and by attacks upon the local 
police. In the summer of 1839 there were almost constant out¬ 
breaks at Birmingham, Sheffield, and other manufacturing 
centers. Of the condition of popular sentiment in England at 
this time Carlyle said: “Sullen, revengeful humor of revolt 
against the upper classes, decreasing respect for what their 
temporal superiors command, decreasing faith in what their 
spiritual superiors teach, is more and more the universal spirit 
of the lower classes." The period lying between the years 1838 
and 1840 has often been designated “The Dark Times. ” 
The leader of Physical Force Chartism was Feargus O’Connor, 
a gigantic Irishman, of outspoken manner and great enterprise 
