With the continent fast running out of HGV Lorries, because they’ve all been parked in Kent somewhere, just before Christmas France gave in to continental pressure to let them get running again.

Contrasting last week’s assessment of 2020 where times haven’t been so much ‘interesting’ as downright difficult, by way of light relief, here some contrast with events of 1920 and 1820.

What can we learn from 100 and 200 years ago?

Politics in 1920

The great influenza epidemic finally burned out with the fourth wave ending in the spring of 1920.

The first mortalities had originated in Kansas in December 1917, then spread throughout the allied troops still fighting in France in 1918.

By 1920, the pandemic had spread around the world and while estimates of mortality vary between 17 and 50 million, with some going as high as 100 million. The suspected total number of cases worldwide is thought to be in excess of 500 million.

As newspapers at the start of the outbreak were only permitted to report on neutral Spain and the serious impact there, it was seen as “Spanish” flu, despite having originated in the midwest of the US.

In the United Kingdom, politics of 1920 were dominated by “the Irish question” and the events of ‘Bloody Sunday’ on November 21, 1920 were uppermost in many minds as the year drew to a close.

The day started with the IRA under Michael Collins killing or wounding 15 members of the ‘Cairo Gang’ the undercover agents of the London government. It ended with the Black and Tans, supported by British troops, opening fire on spectators and players at a Gaelic football match at Croke Park, killing and fatally wounding 14 people, two of whom were children.

Three further deaths followed that evening and the later retaliation by the British was to lead to the truce of May 1921 and the Irish secession from the UK in December the following year.

Politics in 1820

William Hone’s biting satire The Political Alphabet, with illustrations by George Cruikshank, was originally produced around 1820 during the aftermath of the Peterloo Massacre in August 1819 when a cavalry charge into a crowd of ~60,000 resulted in 18 deaths and circa 400 to 700 injured.

The satire is a response to intense social unrest that derived from factors including extreme poverty and the lack of political representation for many thousands of British people. Hone and Cruikshank target the pillars of power: the King, parliament, law, the church and the aristocracy.

The copy in the British Library dates from around 1830, but its messages would still have resonated with those campaigning for political reform.

It was not until 1832 that the first Reform Act was passed in parliament, increasing the number of adult men allowed to vote from under 400,000 to over 650,000 in a British population of around 12 million at the time.

The Political Alphabet of 1820

A’ s Aristocracy—hideous sight!—
Nourish’d by those, too, who ’same divine right!

B is a Brave one in Liberty’s cause,
Who’ll slay the Monster contemning her laws.

C is a Contrast—revolting, but true,
Want with the many—excess with the few.

D is a Despot, in whom ye may see
A symbol of all who hate the word—free.

E is an Eye whose glance scatters the crew
Of knave and corruptionist—jobber and jew.

F is fair Freedom, sustain’d by the Press,
Our rights to assert, our wrongs to redress.

G is a Gen’ral of insane renown,
He madly stood forth to act for the crown.

Here is the Hero who’ll carry reform;
With unquailing heart he’ll weather the storm.

I s an Incestuous—mischievous Thing,
Who boughs, and bleeds, and snarls at the king.

J is a Janus, with his double face,
Now for the gibbet and then for free grace.

K stands for kingcraft, of Vanity born
Here you behold its legitimate form.

L is a Locust of infernal birth,
Sent forth to consume the fruits of the earth.

M is a Mask, an able invention,
For those who would hide dishonest intention.

N is a Noodle, who croaks for the Church,
Clings to corruption, and holds out the birch.

O is Old Bags, whose hope’s the forlorn.
For he’ll die in a ditch, to put off Reform.

P is a picture of Poverty’s sons.
Whose complaints must be cured by sabres and guns.

Q stands for Question—How long shall this be
A portrait of man—destin’d to be free?

R is a Rat, known in Westminster Hall;
Apostate and In grate—Oh, what a fall!

S is the Standard, now boldly unfurl’d;
The terror of tyrants—the hope of the world.

T is a Temple, some fondly suppose
To distinguish the land where Liberty grows.

U’s the Unhuman and putrescent corpse
Of despots, who’ve reign’d by perj’ry and force.

V are the Vermin who swarm through the land,
And plunder the people on every hand.

W is Wealth, but not for the poor,
Who are but to shew what men can endure.

X an Example of paternal rule,
Deriv’d from the liberal Castlereagh school.

“Y” yields to no one—nor cunning nor force,
But beats back assailants, and keeps on its course.

Z is the ultima ratio regum;
And then for the Paean of Justice and Freedom!

Acknowledgements

Viscount Castlereagh was Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons when the Peterloo Massacre took place and was strongly disliked for his approach to liberty and reform.

The king at the time was George III who, nearing the end of his life, was said to be severely mentally ill.

It’s worth watching the film The Madness  of King George to see more – originally, it was to be called The Madness of George III, but movie bosses were worried cinemagoers would wonder where parts one and two were.

King George was monarch during the revolt of the American colonies in 1776 and subsequent war of independence.

I’m indebted to the British Library for the majority of the introductory text to this piece.

The Poem is entirely William Hone’s – nothing added and, save for the supporting text (of which there was much) nothing cut out either.

How much the English language has changed in two centuries – as much as our politics.

caveat.lector@icloud.com