friends of england

'THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENT DISCONTENTS'

( With thanks to 18th cent. Parliamentarian Edmund Burke )

'WE CALL WITH CONFIDENCE UPON THE ANCIENT ARISTOCRACY OF THIS LAND TO COME FORWARD AND TAKE THEIR PLACE WITH THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND IN THE PRESENT CRISIS OF THE USURPATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE AND NATION BY THE STEALTH OF SUCCESSIVE BRITISH PARLIAMENTS OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES.

REFORM WE MUST ALWAYS HAVE BUT TEMPERED BY OUR REGARD TO MAINTAIN OUR LINKS WITH THE PAST. NOT AS WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN THE RECENT PAST, THE ALMOST TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF OUR ANCIENT CONSTITUTION OF ENGLAND.

LET THE LAW OF ENGLAND BE BY THE COMMON CONSENT OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR OWN ENGLISH PARLIAMENT. WE HAVE GIVEN THE WORLD MUCH BENEFIT FROM THE FRUIT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR LOVE OF ENGLISH FREEDOM FROM OUR EARLY DAYS IN THIS LAND. ALL WE NOW ASK FOR IS THAT OUR PAST SHOULD NOT BE EXTINGUISHED AS OF NO PURPOSE IN THE LIFE OF OUR NATION IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

LET US HAVE THE FLOWER OF OUR ANCIENT NOBILITY WITH US; LET US HAVE THE SONS OF THE HEROES OF RUNNYMEDE ON OUR SIDE ; LET US PROVE OURSELVES WORTHY TO BE CALLED ENGLISHMEN AT THIS TIME IN OUR HISTORY?.'