Arguments in History: Britain in the Nineteenth Century PDF
Preview Arguments in History: Britain in the Nineteenth Century
ARGUMENTS IN HISTORY Britain in the Nineteenth Century By the same author STUDIES IN BRITISH GOVERNMENT (Macmillan) With E. E. Reynolds BRITAIN IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 1900-1964 (Cambridge University Press) Arguments IN HISTOBY Britain • In the Nineteenth Century N. H. Brasher Director of Studies and Senior History Master, Bexley Grammar School Palgrave Macmillan © N.H. Brasher 1968 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission First published 1968 Reprinted 1971, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979 Published by MACMILLAN EDUCATION LTD Houndtnills Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Associated companies in Delhi Dublin Hong Kong Johannesburg Lagos Melbourne Ne\\' York Singapore and Tokyo ISBN 978-1-349-00039-5 ISBN 978-1-349-00037-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-00037-1 UONTENTS LIST OF PLATES Vl PREFACE Vll 1. LORD LIVERPOOL Arch-mediocrity? 1 2. THE WHIGS 1830-41 Reformers or Reactionaries? 23 3. PEEL AND THE TORIES Martyr or Renegade? 45 4. PALl\IERSTON AND FOREIGN POLICY Ginger Beer or Champagne? (15 5. GLADSTONE Statesman or Bigot? 95 u. DISRAELI Statesman or Charlatan? 127 7. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN Egotist or Visionary? 156 8. THE CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE 1846-1900 Progress or Poverty? 188 9. WAS THERE A VICTORIAN AGE? 215 SUGGESTIO~S FOR FURTHER READING 237 INDEX 245 LIST OF PLATES Between pages 120 and 121 The Modern Job! or John Bull and his Comforts!, 1816 Robert, 2nd Earl of Liverpool The United Cabinet, 1832 Charles, 2nd Earl Grey The Fallen Minister, 1846 Sir Robert Peel The Dogs of-War, 1859 Henry, 3rd Viscount Palmerston The First Home Rule Bill, 1886 William Gladstone The Champions, 1872 Earl of Beaconsfield Political Trinity at Loggerheads, 1885 Joseph Chamberlain Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort, 1845 The painting of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort by Landseer is reproduced by gracious permission of Her Majesty the Queen. The seven cartoons are reproduced by courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, and the seven portraits by courtesy of the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery, London. PREFAUE Professor C. H. Wilson in his inaugural lecture as Professor of Modern History at Cambridge University drew attention to the fact that modern historians are much less optimistic than their predecessors about the prospects of writing definitive history. Greater specialisation has created more, not less, un certainty in our knowledge of the past. The definitive con ception of history has emerged 'both bloody and bowed' .1 Dr G. Kitson Clark in his admirable survey of Victorian Eng land expresses a similar opinion. In a chapter significantly entitled 'The Task of Revision' he writes that, 'The account of the past which satisfies a particular generation must be re garded as a working hypothesis, no more'. 2 History must edge its way forward, footnote by footnote, towards greater accu racy of statement, or so it is hoped. It is a process of endless argument and it is upon this conviction that the present book is based. Some of the arguments spring from the opposing opinions of contemporaries; some from the conflicting judg ments of historians; some, more fallibly, from my own judg ment of the way in which strongly divergent impressions may be formed of the same characters and events; all are designed to involve the reader's judgment as closely as possible in the issues discussed. Each chapter, therefore, is devoted to a single arguable theme. Each contains an introductory section designed to put into its context the character or problem being discussed. The remainder of the chapter is divided into two sections described simply as 'Attack' and 'Defence'; these contain opposing assessments of the policies, character, or theme under examina tion. These assessments are as strongly contrasted as possible 1 C. H. Wilson, History in Special and in General (London: Cambridge University Press, 1964), p. 5. 2 G. Kitson Clark, The Making of Victorian England (London:Methuen, 1962), p. I. Y.Ul PREFACE in order to stimulate thought and argument. At the same time the aim has been to avoid advancing any opinion which can not reasonably be deduced from the facts. No attempt has been made to sum up the arguments since this would have defeated the purpose of the book. The reader himself must be the judge, sifting the evidence, and adapting the arguments given in accordance with his own judgment. When the book is used for group work, in schools and elsewhere, it will be easy to use the individual chapters as a basis for discussion or de bate. Once interest is aroused it is likely that the student will wish to consult the many excellent books there are on the subjects discussed; to assist him a bibliography is given at the end of the book. It will be evident to those already familiar with the books mentioned that the list serves also as the author's debt of gratitude for many of the ideas contained in the text. It would be impossible to thank individually all those who in different ways have contributed to the writing and publica tion of this book, but this in no way diminishes my gratitude for a wealth of valuable advice and support. One debt of specific thanks must be paid, however. The cheerful skill with which my wife has managed home, children, and typewriter has been a constant help and has tremendously lightened the task of writing. l. LORD LIVERPOOL ARCH-MEDIOCRITY? Prelude Robert Banks Jenkinson, later to be second Earl of Liverpool and Prime Minister of Britain, was born on 7 June 1770. His father, Charles Jenkinson, was a well-known politician and a gifted administrator who held several governmental posts during his career, though he never attained Cabinet rank. Both Charles Jenkinson and his wife were members of younger branches of county families and lacked private fortunes of their own, but the circumstances of eighteenth-century political life made the holding of governmental posts a profit able business and the Jenkinson family was never hampered by lack of money. Charles, like his son, had an aptitude for winning the goodwill of those in authority, a characteristic which earned for him the liking of George III and a measure of dislike from less adaptable politicians. Soon after Robert's birth his mother died, and though Charles Jenkinson later married again the strongest influence in Robert's upbringing was that of his father. Charles Jenkin son showed a kindliness towards his son which could not always be taken for granted in an age when fathers were apt to be more rumbustious and overbearing than is the fashion now. Even more exceptionally, Robert, as he grew up, showed no sign of any disagreement with his father's political outlook. It is natural enough for the young to challenge the attitudes of middle age, but this was not the feeling of Robert Jenkin son. The radicalism which influenced Canning and even Castlereagh in their youth made no impact on him. From his early days he was as staunch a Tory as his father. His education was conventional. He attended Charterhouse from 1783 to 1787, and then proceeded to Christ Church, Oxford, where he was a close friend of Canning, and went down in 1789. He gave no evidence of academic brilliance but he did take a keen interest in political discussion, to such an
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