ly
to the address in the House of Commons, declared himself entirely in
accordance with the resolutions of the House, and thus the whole
conspiracy came to an end, and the Government thought it well to allow
the subject to pass into obscurity without further action.

This was the end of the Orange organization, as it was known in the
days of William the Fourth. At a later date Orangeism was again
revived, but only in the form which it still maintains, by which it is
now known to us all as a political association, openly avowing
legitimate opinions and purposes, and as fairly entitled to existence
as any political club or other such organization recognized in the
movements of modern life. The treasonable conspiracy, like many
another evil, died when it was compelled to endure the light of day.

{280}

CHAPTER LXXIX.

THE CLOSE OF A REIGN AND THE OPENING OF AN ERA.

[Sidenote: 1748-1832--Mackintosh, Malthus, and Mill]

Many lives that now belong to history had faded into history during the
reign of William the Fourth. William Wilberforce, the great champion of
every noble and philanthropic movement known to his times, had passed
from the living world which he had done so much to improve. Wilberforce
lived to see the triumph of that movement against slavery and the
slave-trade which he, more than any other of his time, had inspired and
promoted. He had been compelled by ill-health to give up his position in
Parliament for several years before his death, but he had never withdrawn
his watchful sympathy and such co-operation as it was in his power to
give from any cause to which he had consecrated his life. His name will
always be illustrious in English history as that of one who loved his
fellow-men and who gave expression to that love in every act and effort
of his public and private career. Jeremy Bentham, one of the greatest of
modern thinkers, the founder of more than one school of political and
economic doctrine, a man whose influence on human thought is never likely
to pass altogether away, died in June, 1832. Bentham's principle, the
greatest happiness of the greatest number, has often been narrowly and
unfairly judged, but it may be doubted whether a sounder theory of
political and social government has ever come out of the mere wisdom of
man. The phrase utilitarianism, which came into use as the summary of
his teaching, has often been misunderstood and misapplied, and perhaps
some excuse was f