Richard Cobden

Cobden had hoped to remake its forces while being devoted a little to itself abroad but its glory had been spread in all the Europe and the radical movement carried it to the naked ones. In July 1846, he wrote with a friend: “Je will speak to you about a project which has just been born in my brain. I gave up any idea to go to bury me in Egypt or Italy. I continue my voyage while making my propaganda campaign through the continent européen”. It referred to the invitations that it had received France, of Prussia, of Austria, Russia and of Spain and it added: “C' is well, with the assistance of God during the twelve months which comes, I will visit all the great States of Europe, I will see their sovereigns or their statesmen and I will make all my possible to make them admit these truths which ended up carrying it in my country. Why should I rust in the inactivity? If the public spirit of my compatriots gives me the means of travelling like their delegate, I will be the first ambassador of the people of this country sent to the nations of the continent. I am pushed there by this kind of instinctive emotion which misled me forever. I hope that I will manage to find, to force the nations Protectionnistes of Europe to adopt a freer system, better means still than those which I could employ to destroy our system of protection.”

He visited successively the France, the Spain, the Italy, the Germany and the Russia and everywhere was honoured. It did not accept that the acclamations of the public but the principal statesmen granted several particular audiences to him. During its absence took place of the general elections and he was elected (1847) for Stockport and the West Riding of the Yorkshire. He chooses to represent this last.

Propagandist of peace

With the introduction of the Second Empire in France, in 1851-1852, a violent panic shook the public, supplied with the press. One appeared that Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte was preparing a sudden forwarding on the English coast the made-to-order of the pirates, without pretext nor provocation. By a series of speech and booklets, at the Parliament and out of the Parliament, Cobden sought to alleviate passions of its compatriots. This attitude made him lose great popularity that it had gained like champion of free trade and it became for a time the man more insulted of England.

However, in consequence of the quarrel on the religious establishments in Palestine, which set ablaze Is of Europe, the Public opinion was metamorphosed suddenly and all the suspicions and all the hatred which one held for the Empereur of the French turned the emperor of Russia now. Louis-Napoleon was regarded as the faithful ally of England and the popular excitation of the nation was swept in the Crimean War.

Being opposed again to the feelings of the public, Cobden, which had travelled in Turkey and had studied its policy, did not see why one wanted to maintain the independence and the integrity of the Ottoman Empire. He considered that it was impossible to maintain it and besides that it was not desirable. “Vous owe réfléchir, says it to the House of Commons, comme of judicious and energetic people to this question: what do you have to make with the Christian population? because Mahométisme]] cannot be maintained and I should be sorry to see our country fighting for the maintenance of Mahométisme… You can keep the Turkey on the chart of the Europe, you can call the country by the name of Turkey if you prefer, but do not believe that you can maintain the law of Mahométans in the pays.” the popular torrent of feeling which involved with the war was however irresistible, and Cobden and Brillant were trailed in mud.

Second war of opium

But this triumph cost Cobden its place at the Parliament. After the dissolution, which followed the failure of Lord Palmerston, Cobden was presented in the form of a candidate to Huddersfield, but the voters of this city gave the preference to its adversary, which had supported the war against Russia and had approved what had been done in Canton. Cobden was thus returned to the private life and passing its retirement in its country house of Dunford, it devoted its time without regret to the exploitation of its grounds and the breeding of the pigs.

It benefitted from these leisures to visit the the United States once again. During its absence took place the general elections of 1859 and he was elected without difficulty appointed of Rochdale. Lord Palmerston, again Prime Minister, having discovered that the left wing of the liberal party “had not been as easily crushed” as it had discounted it, made openings of reconciliation and invited Cobden and Thomas Milner Gibson with becoming members of his government. In a sincere and cordial letter, which was given to Cobden at his place with Liverpool, Lord Palmerston offered the Presidency of the Chamber of commerce to him, with a place in his Cabinet. Many of his/her friends insisted near him so that it accepted, but without hesitating only one moment it solved to decline the honor suggested. On its arrival with London it returned visit to Lord Palmerston and with the greatest frankness says to him that in public it had been opposed to him and had denounced it too often, that their sights always diverged very largely, especially on the questions of Politics foreign, so that it could not, without making violence with his own direction of the duty and its integrity, to be useful in his cabinet as minister. Lord Palmerston tried on a pleasant tone to fight such objections, but without success.

But, although he had refused to share the governmental responsibility with Lord Palmerston, it was ready to act like its representative to promote freer commercial relations between France and England. It is him besides, with Brillant and Michel Chevalier, which was at the origin of these negotiations. Towards the end of 1859 it informed with Lord Palmerston, Lord John Russell and Gladstone of its wish to visit France and to enter under discussion with Napoleon III and its ministers, in the intention promoting the freedom of the exchanges. The British statesmen gave him approximately their approval, but it is of its own boss that it went to France, without to have received at the beginning of official Mandat. On its arrival with Paris it had a long audience with Napoleon III, and presented many arguments to him so that one removed the obstacles which had prevented the two countries from being more closely related one to the other, and it succeeds in making a considerable impression on its spirit in favor of free trade. It could discuss then with French ministers and had many serious conversations, especially with Eugene Rouher, which it found laid out well towards the economic and commercial principles that itself recommended. After much of time spent in these preliminary and semi-official negotiations sounded the hour of the diplomacy with the question of a Commercial treaty between the two countries, Cobden was then requested by the British government to act like its plenipotentiary in this question, in.liaison.with Henry Wellesley, first count Cowley, the Ambassadeur in France. But that appeared a very long and hard company. It was necessary to overcome the savage hostility of the French protectionists, which brought much indecision in the emperor and his ministers. There were also delays, hesitations and interior points of detail, which were even more unexplainable.

It was, moreover, attacked with an extreme violence by a powerful fraction of the British press, while the great number of small details of which it was to discuss about the customs Taxes between France and England were a kind of tax on its patience and its zeal which would have discouraged a man less solved. But there was a larger source of embarrassment still than all the remainder. The principal reason which had pushed it to be devoted to this company was its desire impassioned to establish friendlier relations between England and France and to dissipate these feelings of reciprocal jealousy and mistrust which so often appeared and compromised peace between the two countries. It was the most powerful argument and most effective with which it had decided the emperor and the members of the French government. But to the right in the middle of the negotiations, Lord Palmerston presented to the House of Commons measurements to reinforce the naval arsenals of England and it did it in a quarrelsome speech, openly directed against France, which it regarded as a potential invader against which it was necessary to be protected. Such a speech produced with Paris irritation and resentment and without the influence that Cobden had acquired and the perfect confidence which there was in his sincerity, the negotiations probably would have been irremediably wasted. Finally, however, after a ceaseless work of almost twelve months, the work was completed in November 1860.

After the end of this work the two countries which had benefitted so much from it proposed honors with Cobden. Lord Palmerston offered a title of baronnet to him and a place with the Private Council and the emperor of the French would have readily conferred another mark of honor to him. But with its satisfying and its modesty characteristics such rewards made him decline.

The efforts of Cobden in its Propagande for the Libre-échange were always subordinated to the moral goals which he considered highest: the promotion of peace on the ground and the good will among the men. It was its desire and its hope as for the commercial treaty with France. It thus deeply was disappointed and upset to find the old feeling of mistrust always actively supplied with the press and some of the principal politicians of the country. In 1862 it published its booklet entitled Les Three Paniques, of which the goal was to recall the history and to expose the madness of these periodic demonstrations of concern as for the French intentions, of which England had been captive during the fifteen or sixteen years previous.

American Civil War

For several years Cobden had suffered by intervals from a severe irritation from the bronchi and had difficulty in breathe. For this reason it had spent the winter 1860 in Algérie and, each winter which followed, there had to be very careful and to remain confined at his place, especially when time was wet and misty. In November 1864 it went to Rochdale and made in front of its voters a speech which was to be the last of its life. This effort was followed of a great physical prostration and it solved not to leave its retirement of Midhurst until the arrival of spring. But in March took place of the discussions to the House of Commons on the alleged one required to build with the Canada great work of defense. Scandalized by the madness of such a project it was taken of an irresistible desire to go up to London to make known its feelings on the subject. It left at his place on March 21st and was victim of a cold chill. It is restored a little a few days after its arrival in London; but the 29 it had a relapse and on April 2nd, 1865 it expired peacefully in its apartment of Suffolk Street.

Its more important Discours was joined together, London, 1850.

See also

• the Corn Laws
• Free trade
• Manchester school

Partial sources