How Effective Was Chartist Leadership?

Leadership was highly important to the Chartists as many of them were uneducated. They looked to their leaders to provide them with inspiring speechs and an understanding of their needs and aspirations. However, leaders were divided by both tactics and contending egos, and tactics and ideas.

Physical and moral force

·         Many Chartists used the language of violence as the natural accompaniment of a speech

·         O’ Connor was only one of many to find it got a good response at public meetings

·         It would be rash to assume that physical-force rhetoric actually meant urging people to rebel

·         Chartists often spoke of the language of resistance without ever intending violence, or to lead rebellion

·         On rare occasions violence was tried, such as Newport 1839, it was easily put down

·         Chartists were aware that a failed rising was the worst outcome

·         Some leaders who were considered  ‘moral force’ men used the language of violence

·         Thus physical violence in language can be seen as an advice or strategy, rather than declaration to call arms

·         The rhetoric of physical violence was probably necessary after the Chartist National Convention of 1839 revealed a wide variety of opinions and obvious dangers of disunity

·         Most leaders among the 1940s used it as a method of unity

·         It also became a useful weapon in asserting class solidarity against the middle classes

·         The distinction between promise and performance of physical violence angered most leaders, however

Division

·         The disagreements between Chartist leaders were often twinged with personal dislike

·         O’Connor and Lovett both loathed what one another stood for

·         O’ Connor never forgave Lovett for establishing his National Association for Moral, Social and Political Improvement of the People, the rules of association showing clearly that Lovett was sticking closely to the objectives of the London Working Men’s Association