The candidature of Mr. Leader formed the subject of several of Doyle’s suggestive sketches. In “Following the Leader” (May 12, 1837), HB has given a fanciful version of the candidate’s supporters impressed as boardsmen. O’Connell heads the file, with a placard “Leader for Westminster.” Lord Melbourne is advertising “Leader and Reform of the House of Lords.” Lord John Russell, as a “sandwich” man, announces “Annual Parliaments, Universal Suffrage, and Vote by Ballot;” Lord Palmerston’s board declares, “I am a Tory, and was always a Tory.” Sir William Molesworth, Hume, and others bring up the rear, with “Leader for Westminster” placards. The Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel are surveying the demonstration from a distance, “These, I suppose, are some of the Pismires!”
“May Day in 1837” is another ingenious version of the political situation. The figure enclosed in the green, which is surmounted by the crown, is the king, William IV.; he is getting nervous at his situation: “I have got into a warm berth, it must be owned; indeed, it grows rather Hellish.” Melbourne makes a handsome “my lord,” and Russell’s figure just suits “my lady.” Lord Morpeth is a serviceable clown. The whole dance is performed to the drum accompaniment of Dan O’Connell. Spring Rice, as chancellor of the exchequer, is going round to John Bull for the supplies, much to the national prototype’s surprise: “You little spooney! How came you to be entrusted with the ladle, eh?” Sir Francis Burdett, still in his sweep’s disguise, is stalking off from the concern: “These ’ere fellers grow so werry wulgar that a gentlemen can’t keep company with them no longer.”
It was on this occasion that Sir Francis Burdett,—finally forsaking those Radical principles upon which he had been returned in the first instance for Westminster in 1807—for which important city he had sat until 1837,—appealed to the constituency which had elected him for thirty years, and, with that chivalrous spirit which distinguished his nature, challenged the votes of his supporters as to how far his changed politics might enlist their approval, and invited his friends to pronounce their verdict on his conduct. Upon the baronet’s appeal to his constituents, in the character of “a fine old English gentleman, all on the Tory side,” when, in May, 1837, he resigned his membership for Westminster as a Radical, and offered himself as a Tory candidate, he was opposed by John Temple Leader, a prominent Radical politician. Party feeling was considerably intensified, and ungenerous efforts were made by his late Radical colleagues to inflict the mortification of a defeat upon the reformed baronet. The famous agitator, Daniel O’Connell, whose collision with Burdett was among the chief causes of his changed opinions, exerted himself to the utmost to bring about the discomfiture of his opponent, who, in return, dealt scathing contempt upon the arch-agitator. Many political satires and squibs were produced on this occasion, and, in a literary and artistic point of view, one feature of great interest associated with this incident was the appearance of an electioneering caricature by the author of “Vanity Fair.” The Marquis of Wharton, Swift, Burns, Sir Hanbury Williams, Canning, Moore, and many eminent poets, writers, and statesmen have originated electioneering ballads, and Thackeray has associated his name with a pictorial squib; in 1837, he was, as part-proprietor and contributor, associated with the unfortunate venture (as regards the inroad its subsequent failure made on his fortune), the Constitutional and Public Ledger—a daily journal, of ultra-liberal views; and as its programme included extension of popular franchise, vote by ballot, equal civil rights, religious liberty, and short parliaments, it may be imagined that the political creed which he at that time professed inclined Thackeray to look with disfavour upon the converted Burdett as an apostate from his faith: he has expressed this view in a political satire addressed to the electors of Westminster. The picture, a quarto leaf, was presented with the Guide (May 13, 1837). It represents Sir Francis Burdett and his opponent, Leader, on the hustings, as “The Rivals; or, Old Tory Glory and Young Liberal Glory.” Sir Francis is represented as decrepit, and a martyr to the gout—another attribute of a “fine old English gentleman”—from which the baronet suffered much in later life; his foot is swathed in flannel, and crutches support him to stand; his coat is worn inside out, and a glory round his head alludes to an expression of “pismire voters” he had applied to the following of his antagonists. Beneath the picture is a further explanation of the satirist’s meaning:—
“Historical truth has compelled the artist to portray the physical infirmities which keep Sir Francis from all duties except that of dining at the Pavilion; but our readers will recollect that that infirmity is the gout—one which mankind seem, by common consent, to have determined never to regard with compassion.... A picture of the Tower is seen in the background; and Sir Francis, with a ‘glory’ of ‘pismires’ round his head, is depicted as hobbling away in his turned coat from the recollections, as from the principles, of his youth.”
In spite of his sudden conversion, the electors of Westminster held their respected member in too much veneration to inflict upon him the ignominy of rejection; the wielder of the “Herculean club,” depicted as the foremost leader among the “plebs” by George Cruikshank, who has described the object of his shafts as “the eloquent and noble Sir Francis Burdett,” was placed at the head of the poll by a majority of five hundred votes over his antagonist, Leader, who had come forward as the Radical champion to oppose his return. Sir Francis Burdett is so prominent a personage in the annals of electioneering, as well as in those of parliamentary history, that a specimen of his eloquence may not be out of place; especially as the speech which he made to his constituents after the declaration of the poll by the high bailiff of Westminster is an admirable example of the orations which may be considered appropriate to these memorable occasions on the part of the successful candidate. Sir Francis rested his firm attitude on his antipathy to see the British empire dismembered: history repeats itself, and it was on the question of “Repeal of the Union” that he broke with his party.
“SPEECH OF SIR FRANCIS BURDETT ON HIS FINAL RETURN FOR WESTMINSTER, 1837.
“Gentlemen, Electors of the City and Liberties of Westminster—
“It now becomes my pleasing task to return you my most sincere and grateful thanks for the high honour which you have again conferred upon me. In the first place, I have to thank you for the arrangements that you have made, and for the consideration you have manifested in regard to the present state of my health, and for the relief your attention has afforded me from those duties which would have been painful and difficult on this great and important occasion, and which has rendered my part in the struggle comparatively easy and full of satisfaction. (Cheers.) Permit me to congratulate you upon the noble, the patriotic, the independent efforts you have made, and through you, gentlemen, to congratulate the people at large upon the glorious triumph of the English constitution, which has been achieved against the vain and futile efforts of Radicalism and democracy. Gentlemen, I congratulate you upon the firm determination you have shown to maintain all the great and inestimable institutions of this country against the efforts of her enemies. (Loud cheers, with faint hisses.) The task which I have now to perform is both short and pleasant, and I shall not now detain you, after the triumph you have achieved and the victory you have won, merely to indulge my own feelings of exultation and of gratification; but this I will say, that the electors of Westminster have by the result of their noble and patriotic exertions set an example to the people of England, to be looked up to and followed; and in every part of this great nation I make no doubt but that this brilliant example will have the happy effect of sending good men, who love their country and venerate her constitution, to unite for their defence, and at the same time to defeat the machinations and conspiracies of the bad. (Loud applause.) I will not dwell on these subjects, but this much I will observe, that you are much indebted even to your enemies for the signal triumph you have so nobly and so gloriously achieved. (Great cheering.) The malignity and malice of some persons have done much to aid the cause of the constitution; but I should say that if there is one individual to whom you are more indebted than any other, that person certainly was Mr. Daniel O’Connell. (Loud cheers and groans.) The attacks of that individual have tended to serve the cause which they were designed to injure. Gentlemen, the big beggarman of Ireland (renewed cheers) has mistaken the good sense and patriotism of the people of England. He has intruded himself with his uncalled-for advice upon the electors of Westminster, and with (as it now turns out) his disregarded threats. He has intruded that advice and those suggestions in an Irish letter, couched in a strain more Irish than Irish itself (loud laughter), and containing in every point that mixture of blarney and bully, the former of which has only excited the disgust, and the latter the contempt of the electors of Westminster. (Loud cheers, groans, and laughter.) I know not what influence that letter may be said to have had upon His Majesty’s ministers; but this I know, that the people of England, and especially the electors of Westminster, were made of sterner stuff. Whatever His Majesty’s ministers may think proper to do, what course they may choose to pursue, we have shown our determination to maintain and support the English constitution and to resist to the uttermost the dismemberment of the British empire, notwithstanding that Mr. Daniel O’Connell is our declared and determined foe. (Loud cheers, with shouts of disapprobation from the ‘Leader’ party.) In addition, I will merely say that you view as I do the attempt to control your opinions lately made by the great popish priest-ridden paid patriot of Ireland. (Great applause and sensation.) And I will add this, that I wish such persons would declare and destroy themselves as he has done; no danger could then be apprehended, as I think it would be on all occasions safer to have such persons my foes than my friends. (Cheers, and yellings from the ‘Leader’ party.) Gentlemen, with these observations I shall take my leave. The sun shines upon our principles and our affections at this moment; but there is a still brighter sunshine in every honest English heart at the triumph achieved by you and the example you have set to the rest of England. (Cheers.) Wishing you all good and happiness, and full of the devotion I owe you electors of Westminster and to the friends to the cause of England and the constitution, I now take my leave. (Renewed cheering, which continued for several minutes, during which time the hon. baronet bowed to the meeting and retired from the hustings, accompanied as he came, by a large body of his friends and supporters.)”
The situation of Mr. Leader was illustrated by a parody of Sir E. Landseer’s picture of “The Dog and the Shadow;” the bone is Bridgwater (which seat he relinquished to contest Westminster)—the latter is inscribed on the shadow.
The sequel of the Westminster contest was given by HB as a “Race for the Westminster Stakes between an Old Thoro’bred and a Young Cock-tail—weight for age—the old ’un winning in a canter” (May 22, 1837). Lord Russell, Wellington, and others are assembled as spectators in a booth to the right. Lord Castlereagh, the jockey, is bringing in easily the high-mettled racer with Burdett’s face. Roebuck is vainly whipping and spurring “Leader,” the second horse. Hume and O’Connell are highly excited at the defeat of their favourite.
The question of a Repeal of the Union was one of a momentous order, and accordingly a considerable interest seems to have attended Burdett’s change of sides. Doyle has given a capital version of the story in “Taking up a Fare. ‘All the World’s a Stage’” (May 24, 1837). The coach represented is “Peel’s Stager;” Sir James Graham is ostler; Sir Robert Peel, as “whip,” is raising up his reins and addressing the box passenger, William IV., “We begin to load up capital well,” alluding to Burdett, the fresh customer. “You don’t say so,” remarks the king. Peel continues his reminiscences of the new inside passenger. “He as is now getting in—was formerly a great ally of the ‘Comet.’[74] He has since travelled occasionally with the ‘Mazeppa’[75] people; but, for some time back, I have missed him off the road entirely.” The Duke of Wellington, who is making everything secure, and Lord Lyndhurst are in the “boot.” Sir Francis Burdett, still lamed with the gout, is about to enter the coach; the door is held for him by Lord Stanley: “I should know your face: didn’t you once drive the ‘Darby Dilly?’ What are you doing now?” Lord Stanley (whom HB, in a former cartoon, had drawn upsetting the “Darby Dilly” in question) is touching his hat to Sir Francis, and replying, “At present, Sir, I’m with these people; but since ‘the Dilly’ was done up I haven’t had no regular engagement. I sometimes drives the ‘Conservative’ up a stage and sometimes take it down.” Lord Castlereagh appears as Burdett’s tiger.