SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT.
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Manchester meeting, held in Stevenson Square, on Monday, February 14th, at which ten thousand persons were present, and where one of the resolutions passed was for universal suffrage, I said:—
"We have opposed to us a very powerful body; we have opposed to us the aristocracy of the country, who, although few in number, are great in power and influence. We require our whole force to move them. We require a union of the people for that purpose. But, gentlemen, I should be the last man in the world to recommend any hollow truce, any union of the people which would require the least abandonment of principle on any side. I am not here to advise any one to abandon the agitation for the charter; on the contrary, I approve of the principle of the charter. I say to all chartists here,—'Go on with your agitation—I bid you God speed; but, while you go on with the agitation for the charter, lend a helping hand—at all events do not oppose, the agitation for the repeal of practical grievances.' (Loud cheers.) Gentlemen, we have all enough to do. There are three sorts of agitation now going on, and it is desirable that they should all go on. First, the Anti-Corn-Law agitation. You see what effect it has produced. It has driven the whig administration to the recognition of a low fixed duty. It has driven the tory aristocracy from an open, oppression to a heartless sham. (Cheers.) There is surely some progress made, when you compel them to come down from the high horse of undisguised oppression, to take refuge behind an obvious sham and a mockery. (Hear,hear.) The reality is coming. (Cheers.) We are now on the right road, and seeing what has been done, I see great good in the continuance of the Anti-Corn-Law agitation. I wish it to go on, not only with unabated, but increased energy. Our principle has always been total and immediate repeal; and the League will entertain no other question. (Cheers.) Gentlemen there is another agitation—an agitation not amongst the unrepresented; for it is taken for granted that every man who is unrepresented knows that he has a right to be represented there is an agitation going on among the electors to extend to the non-electors the principle of voting in the choice of those who are to make the laws. The agitation is headed by Joseph Sturge, of Birmingham, an excellent man, and worthy of the confidence of the electors; he does not ask the confidence of any other party of men, although he deserves the confidence of all. He is endeavouring, in this electoral movement, to bring all electors to the acknowledgement of the right of other men to hold that right along with them. I am sure there is not a chartist here but would be glad to see this movement among electors; for be it recollected that Mr. Sturge does not ask the
