STATE OF REFORM POLITICS IN EDINBURGH.
TO THE EDITOR Or THE sereereroa.
Edinburgh. 30th May PA SIR—Other correspondents have probably given you the particulers of the grand National Demonstration whieh has been attempted to be got up here. It has been a failure. My purpose is to explain to you why it has failed. In the first place, there was a total absence of any exciting event to stimulate then sluggish current of public feeling. The indignation ceused by Lord JOHN Russeee's insolent declaration againet all Orgailic Reform, made at the opening of this session, had subsided ; and for many months there has been a degree of indifference as to the proceedings in Parliamem, such as has not existed since 1830. The general conviction among the thinkers, those- who give the tone to the ltitude of less reflecting persona, is, that no forward step is to be hoped for, either in Parliament or out of it, until the old enemies of the People once more take the places of their pretended frientle. Political agitation is consi- dered by the leading Reformers of Edinburgh too precious a thing to be thrown away. Grand national demonstrations cannot be got up every day. The Edinburgh Reformers knew that a really peel demonstration in favour of It Wheel principles could nit he got up in their city at this time ; and were un- willing to be concerned in a llopelese attempt, the result of which could not be beneficial to the cense it WAY meant ti promote. They therefore held aloof almost universally. I have not heard of a single middle-class Reformer being present at the Demonstration, in any character but that of a spectator. The well-known Reformers must not appear out the wound at all, lest they should be observed, and forced to take pert in the proveetlings ; in which case they well know that they would be represented by the adverse press as the chief promoters of the Demonstration, and reeponeilde for its failure. '24. The confines of the working class portion of the Committee that managed the O'Connell Festival, had SO 46:voted the Middle class portion, that the latter have still a feeling of reluctance to coeperate again in a great demonstra- tion with the same intlivioluels ; abul sevetal of those iudividuals were known to be leaders on this occasion.
al. The Etlinlourgh Demoonstrotion sesta known to be in the hands of the !ceders of what they call The Edinburgh !tidied Association ; a very small body, that have long held meetings iuc the Calton Conventeg-rooin. The mom holds about 500, but wan seldom full, as I understand, nod rarely mustered above 100 or 150 Associators. Thee is the body thet entertatueol Fre 'tees O'CONNOR, the IIcverend Mr. SIF.PII EN, &C. te is their wont to abuse the middle-clues Rl enters, onto) to represent miners aml capital as the natural enemies of operatives and labour. The leaders of this hotly have rendered themselves odious to the middle-I:less Reformers, without g titling more than a vely small section of the workieg men. 1ty the peat body of u he win king men, guoleed, they are repudiated and disliked. I heir that %Own the Trades of Edinburgh were urged hy these IlleD to get tip proces.ions, as of old, with flags and music, several of them inet, and itegetietel the pinioned ; the ofliciel person, in other cases, refusing even to call a meeting to diecteer the propriety uf going out on such an invitation. After this explanation, you evil' not be surprised at the entire failure of the Edinburgh Demonstration. Do not suppose that the citizens of Edinburgh have ceased to care for Re- form. They care less for one of theit Representatives than they did; and they never cared for the other at all, though they gave hint their votes. They care less than they did for the Whig 31iiiieters, and few of them are DOW proud to call themselves Whip. But they care for Reform as much As ever. Moreover, they know better what they mean, when they use the word Reform. then they did in former times. The Billot is now universally sought ; Triennial, or shorter Parliaments, and a wide extension of the Suffrage. Household Suf- frage, or the Knowledge Qouelitication, are the avowed doctrines of nearly all Reformere here, except a few aristocratic Whigs ; and Univels:11 Suffrage has many supporters, although the name is thought to carry something dangerous, and therefore is seldom pronounced. Although the working men of Edinburgh declined to obey the call of the men who took the lead on this occasion, they are all Universal Suffrage nien, and will show it at the prover time.
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