Theeconomicpositionwasthusassailedonmanypoints，thoughbyenemiesmutuallyopposedtoeachother。Thegeneraltendencyoftheeconomistswasagainstgovernmentinterference，andtheirmostpopulartriumphonapplicationofthedo-nothingprinciple。Inthefree-tradeagitation，theirmainopponentsweretheinterestedclasses，thelandowners，andthemerelystupidConservatives。Elsewheretheywereopposedbyagenuine，evenifamisguided，philanthropy；byConservativeswhowishedtomeetrevolutionnotbysimpleobstruction，butbyrousingthegovernmenttoasenseofitsduties。Southey’s’paternalgovernment’mightberidiculedbyMacaulayandtheWhigs；
Cobbett’sgoodoldtimesmightbetreatedasthefigmentofanignorantrailer。TheYoungEnglanderswhofoundtheirgospelinDisraeli’sSibylmightbetakentorepresentmerefancifulantiquarianismmasqueradingasseriouspolitics；andCarlyle，withhisfiercedenunciationsofthe’dismalscience’inChartismandtheLatter-DayPamphletssetdownasaneccentricandimpatientfanaticnaturallyatwarwithsoundreason。Theappropriateremedy，asMillthought，wasacalm，scientificexpositionofsoundprinciples。Hisadversaries，ashethought，reproducedinthemaintheoldsentimentalismagainstwhichBenthamandJamesMillhadwagedwar，takinganewcolouringfromasillyromanticismandweakregretsforapicturesquepast。Buttherewasaperplexingfact。ChurchmenandTorieswereactingasleadersoftheveryclassestowhomRadicalslookfortheirownnaturalallies。Shaftesburycomplainedthathecouldnotgettheevangelicalstotakeupthefactorymovement。32*Theyhadbeenthemainstayoftheanti-slaverymovement，buttheydidnotseemtobetroubledaboutwhiteslavery。Thereason，nodoubt，wasobvious；theevangelicalsweremainlyofthemiddleclass，andclassprejudicesweretoostrongfortheappealstoreligiousprinciples。Ontheotherhand，theRadicalartisanswouldacceptmenlikeSadlerorShaftesburyforleadersasadrowningmanmayaccepthelpfromanenemy。Thepointofagreementwassimplythatsomethingshouldbedone，andthatwasenoughtoalienatethepoormanfromWhigsandUtilitarians，whowerealwaysprovingthatnothingshouldbedone。
WhilethesecontroversieswereintheforegroundtheremarkablemovementofwhichMrandMrsSidneyWebb33*arethefirsthistorians，wasdevelopingitself。Workmenwerelearninghowtoorganiseeffectivetrades-unions，andco-operatorswereturningintoamorepracticablechannelsomeoftheaspirationsofwhichOwenhadbeentheprophet。WhatMillthoughtofsuchmovementswillappearpresently。Meanwhileitisenoughtosaythattheeconomistsgenerallyconfinedthemselvestothrowingcoldwateruponwhattheyheldtobeirrationalschemes。Theworkingclassescouldnotraisetheirpositionbycombination，thoughtheyhadanundeniablerighttotryfruitlessexperiments。
Theyweregoingastrayafterfalseprophets，andblindtothedaylightofatruescience。Theco-operativemovement，indeed，receivedawarmerwelcomewhenitcametobeknown。Buttheremarkablepointisoncemorethewidegapbetweenthe’philosophicalRadicals’andtheclasseswhomtheyaspiredtolead。Theaspirationsofthepoorerclasstookaformcondemnedassimplyabsurdandillogicalbythetheoriesoftheirwould-beleaders。34*
III。MALTHUSIANCONTROVERSY