The following are specimens of the flattering appellations which had till now been bestowed, by their new friends, upon these selfsame farmers—­“Bull-frogs!" “chaw-bacons!” "clod-poles!” “hair-bucks!” “deluded slaves!” “brute drudges!"[28] Now, however, they and their labourers were addressed in terms of respectful sympathy and flattery, as the victims of the rapacity of their landlords—­on whom were poured the full phials of Anti-corn-law wrath.  The following are some of the scalding drops let fall upon their devoted heads—­"Monster of impiety!” “inhuman fiend!” “heartless brutes!” “rapacious harpies!” “relentless demons!” “plunderers of the people!” “merciless footpads!” “murderers!” “swindlers!” “insatiable!” “insolent!” “flesh-mongering!” “scoundrel!” “law-making landlords!” “a bread-taxing oligarchy!"[29] Need we say that the authors of these very choice and elegant expressions were treated with utter contempt by both landlords and tenants—­always making the few allowances above referred to?  Was it very likely that the landlord or the farmer should quit their honourable and important avocations at the bidding of such creatures as had thus intruded themselves into their counties? should consent to be yoked to the car, or to follow in the train of these enlightened, disinterested, and philanthropic cotton-spinners and calico-printers?  Absurd!  It became, in fact, daily more obvious to even the most unreflecting, that these worthies were not likely to be engaged in their “labours of love;” were not exactly the kind of persons to desert their own businesses, to attend out of pure benevolence that of others—­to let succumb their own interest to promote those of others; to subscribe out of the gains which they had wrung from their unhappy factory slaves, their L.10, L.20, L.30, L.50, L.100, out of mere public spirit and philanthropy.

    [28] League Circular, No. 10.

    [29] Ibid.  Nos. 26, 29, 44, 50, 71, 83, 94, 99, 100.

Still, we say, the whole thing was really a failure—­the “steam,” even yet, could not be “got up,” in spite of all their multiplied agencies and machinery, incessantly at work—­the unprecedented personal exertions of the members of the league—­the large pecuniary sacrifices of the Lancashire subscribers to its funds.  One more desperate exertion was therefore felt necessary—­and they resolved to attempt getting up a sensation, by the sudden subscription of splendid sums of money, by way of starting a vast fund, with which to operate directly upon the entire electoral body—­in what way, it is not very difficult to guess.  Accordingly, they began—­but where?  At the old place—­Manchester!—­Manchester!—­Manchester! Many thousands were subscribed at an hour’s notice by a mere handful of manufacturers; the news came up to London—­and the editor of the Times, in a transient fit of excitement, pronounced “the existence of the League” to be a