ABSTRACT
The people thoroughly understood that their cause was now consigned to their own hands. In all preceding ‘revolutions’ — to adopt the term used by the anti-reformers — they had acted, when they acted at all, under the direction of a small upper class who thought and understood for them, and used them as instruments. The whole countless multitude of reformers had laid hold of the principle, that the most secure and the shortest way of obtaining what they wanted was to obtain representation. This was a broad, clear truth which every man could understand, and on which every earnest man was disposed to act as men are wont to act on clear and broad truths; and the non-electors felt themselves called upon to put forth such power as they had, as a means to obtaining the power which they claimed.
