“Yours very truly,
“R. Cobden.
“R. Hill, Esq.”
This was followed, within a week, by a second letter, in which it will be seen that the warmth of his feelings led him into very strong expressions. These I do not suppress, as every one can make for them the allowance due to time, circumstance, and a generous nature:—
“Manchester, 26th January, 1843.
“My dear Sir,—I have read over the correspondence, and, so far as success in placing the Government in the wrong goes, you will be pronounced triumphant by all who will read it. But nothing is more true than the remark in your brother’s excellent letter, that the force of public opinion cannot be brought to bear upon the authorities to compel them to work out details. So far as your object in that direction is concerned, your correspondence will, I suspect, be nugatory. If your object be to justify yourself in the eyes of the public, that, I submit, is supererogatory. You cannot stand better than you do with the impartial British public. You will get no further facilities from Tory functionaries. They hate the whole thing with a diabolical hatred. And well they may. It is a terrible engine for upsetting monopoly and corruption: witness our League operations, the spawn of your penny postage! Now, let me deal frankly and concisely with you. I want to see you remunerated for the work you have done. The labourer is worthy of his hire. The country is in your debt. An organized plan is alone necessary to insure you a national subscription of a sum of money sufficient to reimburse you for time, trouble, and annoyance incurred and expended in your great social revolution.... A public subscription—a really national one—would give you power and independence, and when the next change of Government takes place you would be in the ascendant. Until then I expect no hearty co-operation in carrying out your details. We must be content, in the meantime, to prevent the Tories from robbing us of any substantial part of the principle, and I think we have bulldogs enough in the House now to prevent that. I should like to have some talk with you about this matter. Meantime, excuse my plainness, and don’t suspect me of wishing to make you a sordid patriot. You see what an effect the £50,000 League Fund is producing: a similar demonstration in favour of the author of Postage Reform, and a seat in Parliament in prospective, would have a like effect upon the enemy.
“Believe me,
“Yours truly,
“R. Cobden.
“Rowland Hill, Esq.”