William Cuffay (1788-1870) the black leader of London Chartism in 1848 was found guilty on 25th September of participating in an armed Chartist rising in Seven Dials on 16th August 1848. He denied this but was sentenced to be transported to Hobart, Australia, where he remained active until his death in 1870
A word about Cuffey, and I have done, I believe in my conscience that a more honest or
sincere man never breathed than Cuffey, and if he was foolish enough to lend himself to the
machinations of such villians, it was lest he himself might be suspected of cowardice.
Cuffey—as I frequently told him—was operated upon by the cheers and applause of the spies
and informers that filled the galleries during the sittings of the Convention and the National Assembly; and I told him and others that they would be victimised to this false enthusiasm; and that my words have been realised is a melancholy fact, as I have no hesitation in declaring that I feel more for Cuffey than for any man that has been victimised since the Whig reign of terror commenced in 1839. And, however the Press may scoff, rogues may sneer, spies may swear, and juries may convict, I tell you that an
honester man does not breathe the breath of life than Cuffey; and that he was appointed
auditor of the accounts of the Land Company from the implicit confidence that those of his
own order placed in his integrity, and from the conviction that he would not allow his
own brother to practise a fraud upon the poor to the amount of a shilling.
I remain, Your faithful Friend and unpurchaseable Representative,
Feargus O’Connor.
Leave a Reply