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REVIEWS 461 Commons, theequation of the Commons with Liberty,and the forceof their 'goodness' and 'democracy' overthrew the Stuart'Establishment' (p. 8) and leaders like'Molotov'(p. 467). The cards hadfallen,anda majorturningpoint hadoccurred. Despots andDemocrats: The FirstJacobean Houseo[ Commons in theAgeofNotestein should rate- witha suitable introduction - asa classic of historical literature. LOUIS A. K•AFLA University ofCalgary Bronterre:A PoliticalBiographyof BronterreO'Brien •8o4-•864. •,LFR•.D •,LtmtM•.R. Toronto,University of TorontoPress, •97•; London,George Allen andUnwin,•97•. Pp.•9•, illus.$••.5o. Althoughusuallygivena back seatto FeargusO'Connor,JamesBronterre O'Brienhasalways beenrecognized asthemost important of theChartist theorists . Hal•vycalled him'themost powerful mindamong them.'Gammage said hewasthemanwith thegreatest breadthof visionandmostconsistent democraticvision . MarkHovell,notanadmirer, saidO'Connor borrowed hisviews almost entirely fromthe'schoolmaster ofChartism.' Thereisnodisagreement on theimportance ofO'Brien's contribution asintellectual andideologue, although therearevarying estimates of hisabilities andoriginality. Plummer's biography adds greatly toourunderstanding oftheextent andcharacter ofO'Brien's mind andideas. Hisisbyfarthemost substantial andimportant treatment ofO'Brien thatcanbefound inthelarge andgrowing literature onChartism, andforthis we areindebted to him.Plummer's bookwill beindispensable for a longtime. It isespecially useful in tracing thedimensions of O'Brien's thinking through hisnumerous writings, inpointing outtheimportance oftheFrench Revolution tothem,andin following hiscareer asa radical journalist. It also gives ussome additional information onhistroubled relationship withtheother'O,' O'Connor. It isless useful onthehistoriography ofO'Brien, onassessing theIrishinfluences in Chartism (onwhichthereislittlein thisbook),thechanging character of English politics, working-class movements, thetypology of a revolutionary, or Chartism ingeneral. Onthese subjects thereisnonewperspective, andthereis stillroomfora moreanalytic discussion of O'Brien's ideas. O'Brien'snameiswell known,but hehaswaitedlongerfor a biographer than manyotherleadingChartists. One of the reasons is the curiousattractionof O'Connor(recently called'charismatic'), but thereisalsoa practicalconsideration .Onegathers from Plummer's notesand bibliography that thereare few surviving materials on O'Brien's life.Thereisno extensive correspondence, no memoirs or diaries. Most of the evidence for his career must be drawn from what hepublished inthepress andtherefore wished hisaudience toknow. Theabsence of important biographical source materialmakes it difficultfor Plummer to get verydeeply intoO'Brien's mindatthecrucial moments ofhislife.Buta greater attempt todososhould have been made fromtheevidence thatisavailable. We arelefthanging atdecisive moments. Weareunable tofolloworunderstand, for 462 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW example, thereason whyO'Brienabandoned violence asa politicaltactic- he wasof course oneof theprincipal'physical force'Chartists - andbecame what Hal•vycalled'anorthodox social democrat.' It isnotsatisfactory tohedge that O'Brienwasperhaps not basically a violentman and initiallymisjudged the situation. He wasin fact an extremely difficultman.Plummerdoesnot deny this;buthedoesreferto it almost asan afterthought, andhedoes nottakeup theimportant suggestion hemakes onpage•47,thatO'Briendidnotunderstand his own talents. This is a fundamental character defect worth far more comment. Morose,crotchety, somewhat reckless, hot-tempered - thesepersonality traits werehis,andthebiographer hassome obligation to assess themastheyaffecta man's decisions, ideas, andrelationships withothers andastheycommingle with theterriblestrains of theintense life of an enrag•andrevolutionary. A psychologicaldimension iscertainly necessary in discussing a figureasformidable and tormented asO'Brien,especially in viewof hislatermentalbreakdown, which isherelightlypassed overasalmostthenecessary consequence of a life broken byprison, outrage, andrecrimination. If weareto respect individual differences' - andPlummercertainly does - wemustremember thatmenrespond differently or in degrees to adversity. Although heisnotmentioned except in passing, Hovellisalways present in thepages of thisbiography. In hisfamousaccountof the Chartistmovement, Hovellwashighly unsympathetic toO'Brien,considering himunstable, a fanatic anda demagogue, capable of arguinghimself'intotempestuous incoherence.' Plummer is of another mind. O'Brien is for him almost a rationalist of the later Owenphase whose motives areselfless andstraightforward, a manofhighideals andsincere political convictions, drivenbya 'divinediscontent.' Whenheerred, heerredon'thesideofRight' (p. •57). It isanoldproblem butonenoteasily avoided:howdoweknow'theRight'?Bynotknowing ourselves? Hovellcouldnotabidejacobins, but Plummer's portraitisalsonotaltogether convincing. Asif to refutetheaccusation of utopianism, Plummer characterizes O'Brienasa prophet,a manwhose ideas werein advance ofhistime.He iscalled thepioneer ofthewelfarestate, oneof themakers ofmodern Britain,anauthorof theconcept of thenationalization of keyindustries. He iscontrasted to Marx hedidnotaccept theideaofimpersonal historical change - butisalsocredited withhavinganticipated 'thenubofKarl Marx'stheoryofvalue'(p. •o9). These generalizations are perhap• necessary torescue O'Brien from the charge ofbeinga merevisionary andto lendauthorityto hisintellect, butit isalsoclear that theyoversimplify the historical meansby whichimportantchanges occur. Historicaldevelopment isseenprincipallythroughthe eyesof thehero,and a certainoverallperspective islost.Many years agoButterfield discussed the'whig interpetation,' not without ambivalentfeelingsabout its useand purpose. Recentlya philosopher has usedthe expression 'retrospective fallacy.' Both describe theessential impulse of thisnewbiography of O'Brien.The justification for a man'slife isfoundin thosefuture developments whichhe is presumed to haveanticipated orhelpedproduce, provided, ofcourse...

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