TOPICS OF THE DAY.
.1.111, NEW POPULAR MOVEMENT—IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES.
A NEW movement! There are rumours of such a thing—a new, great, unperverted, genuine, unfatigued, political, popular, "i. form" movement. Whatit is we do not know, noi who is to take part in it nor what it is to effect, nor what are its tirenciples; nor does anybody know—neither its own leaders nor its followers ; for we do not believe that they themselves know what they are them- selves, nor which is which, nor what they are to do, nor what they wish to do, nor why. We speak only of rumours—vast sounds rumbling somehow and some whither, in that great, flat, volcanic region of Manchester. There are to be gatherings, conferences, rapprochements, consultations; there is a glorious opportunity; the world expects something; Europe is to be disturbed, and Lord John is to advance a Reform Bill : so, on the rapid stream of everybody else's movement, and under lee of the great state vessel, if it should heave anchor, a tremendous, united, potent, safe, and national movement, may be got up, by somebody, if somebody else will only see the opportunity, and get anybody to induce anybody else to make of it "a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether." There is a nightmare appetite for movement, and people will move for the sake of moving. In- deed, they already think they are moving, and hail the approach- ing shake. And undoubtedly even these rumours and rumblings mean something ; something is coming; but whether the rumbling of which we are sensible is the ground vibrating to the onward march of some material visitation' or the air murmuring the echo of an unheard sound, you cannot tell. Something is coming upon us in this midnight of doubt and political slumber; but whether it is an earthquake, or an empty cart F- Nobody knows. We never do know these things; we have abandoned the practice of knowing ; we are content to do without. We know nothing about the most notorious Things—at least nothing essential. Lord John Russell is to produce a Reform Bill, you say, and you are going to move rimier favour of his movement ; but what is his Reform Bill to be ? You do not know. Something great, of course ; "for otherwise it would not be worth while," 8cc. and if it is not great, "the pressure from without" can be aed. To press out what ? For all the writ- ing about the new Reform Bill, the Ministerial journals do not know; even the Opposition journals do not know ! If the truth were confessed, most likely Lord John himself does not know. Does any Reform Bill exist, in however rough a draft ? Nobody knows. Is there to be hereafter, any Reform Bill at all ? Ask Lord John, and he—will not tell you. And it is under cover of that movement that you are going to move. i But it is not only n the Reform department that we find this established custom of ignorance ; it is everywhere. A. foreign Baroness dies in the Police Court at 13irmingham, and a mystery explodes : but what is the thing mysterious? An Austrian police plot : a plot against whom, and by whom? People who have been deceived—if they have been deceived—desire to know what it is all about : but you cannot learn. Various persons are giving explanations : but they do not speak of things tangible, entire, or distinct ; like official men, they speak i in equivoques and of sha- dows. There is a plot, to which, it s hinted—for little is said— Austria is a party, and also our Government, and also Hungarian refugees : which is as much as to say, that Del Caretto, Palmer- ston, and Mazzini are in a conspiracy. Positively you cannot tell whether the tale is a "canard" or a fact; and probably you never will know. The more you inquire the more you are told, the more ignorant you become. You begin at last to doubt the very existence of persons -whose signatures have been produced in court as proof conclusive.
The Crystal Palace, no one can doubt that—abode of the Ex- position at present, Winter Garden afterwards ; for of course the notice of its removal was a mere form ; at least so you suppose —but you are wrong. The present idea is to pull it down. People are tired of the opposite idea, it has been so talked to tatters. If the mere project is such a bore, what a bore must the Winter Gar- den itself be! Besides, the public interest has evidently flagged. So the Crystal Palace, you conclude, will be pulled down. But how do you know ? You are quite wrong if you suppose any such thing—as wrong as when you supposed it was to stand. The Com- missioners do not know. They will follow the public wish. But who knows the public wish, either way ? Certainly n. ot the public. It cannot be known, because, you see, it does not exist : the public has no wish. The public is so accustomed to be done for, that, when it is asked whither it is going, it might answer, like Bean Brummell, "I don't know; they put me into a carriage, and take me somewhere."
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