Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 65, No. 403, May, 1849

In Short

This volume is a monthly issue of Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, a cornerstone of nineteenth-century literary and political journalism. It functions as a sophisticated survey of contemporary life, blending analytical essays on colonization and European geopolitics with fictional narratives and reflective poetry. It has endured as a primary window into the Victorian mind, documenting the tensions between tradition and reform, the anxiety over shifting class structures, and the imperial confidence of a nation attempting to navigate a rapidly modernizing world.

The Story

The volume opens with a vigorous defense of the British colonial project. The editors argue that England is uniquely called to "plant the unoccupied regions of the earth" to relieve domestic overcrowding and extend the reach of British literature, religion, and constitutional order. They suggest that this enterprise provides a necessary outlet for the nation’s "overflowing numbers" and "overflowing wealth," viewing it as a benevolent work that essentially creates new versions of the motherland across the seas.

However, this optimism is tempered by rigorous critiques of specific colonial theories, particularly those of Edward Gibbon Wakefield. The editors dismantle the complexity of his "sufficient price" model, which attempts to regulate the transition of laborers into landowners. They argue that such schemes, while theoretically tidy, are practically impossible to manage without inducing economic hardship or social friction. They also express deep skepticism toward the idea of "sectarian colonies," warning that forcing settlers into narrow religious silos will only invite future persecution and dissent, ultimately undoing the progress toward mutual toleration.

The scope then widens to the political convulsions of the continent. The narrative shifts to France and the failure of the "Reaction"—the conservative efforts to restore a rigid, ultramontane order. Through a discussion of the works of Quinet and de Maistre, the magazine tracks the decline of the old Bourbon spirit. It argues that the attempt to link modern French politics with the extreme religious authority of the Council of Trent is a fatal blunder that threatens the stability of the state.

The focus eventually settles on the struggle between Austria and Hungary. The editors provide a detailed account of the Hungarian Diet’s attempts to reform its ancient institutions while maintaining independence from the Austrian crown. They detail the "unparalleled generosity" of the Hungarian nobles, who voluntarily abolished their own feudal rights to grant land to the peasantry. The narrative culminates in a call for a peaceful reconciliation between the two nations, warning that Austria’s insistence on a uniform, centralized system over Hungary’s long-standing constitution is a dangerous error that risks the stability of all Europe.

Interspersed throughout these political arguments are personal stories and verses. One such narrative follows a young couple, William and Eva, who flee their aristocratic families to live in hiding. Their tragic story, recounted by a village doctor, emphasizes the enduring power of faith and maternal love in the face of death and social exclusion. The volume concludes with a somber reflection on the life of the student—the "rake" and the "wrangler"—whose years at university are consumed by the anxieties of examinations, capturing the fleeting nature of youth and the relentless march of time.

How It Unfolds

The mandate of empire The editors establish the moral and economic necessity of British colonization, framing the movement of people abroad as an act of nation-building that benefits both the colony and the mother country.

The critique of theory A skeptical examination follows, testing the practicality of artificial economic systems in colonies and warning that state-imposed religious homogeneity is a recipe for future social strife.

The European landscape The focus shifts to the intellectual conflicts in France, where the struggle between democratic impulses and traditionalist conservatism is analyzed through the lens of history and religious authority.

The Hungarian struggle The narrative moves to the legal and social evolution of Hungary, documenting the bold democratic reforms enacted by the Diet and the subsequent clash with the Austrian imperial government.

The personal and the poetic The volume concludes by humanizing these large-scale movements, offering a poignant story of a disinherited couple’s flight and closing with meditations on the bittersweet passage of the academic years.

The People

The figures in these pages are often archetypes of their social or political roles. Dr. Barnaby, the village doctor, serves as a compassionate witness to the tragedy of William and Eva. William is defined by his rejection of aristocratic privilege in favor of personal love, while Eva acts as the emotional heart of the story, dying in exile but holding fast to the hope that her son will remember her love. Lord James Kysington represents the cold, inflexible authority of the old order, standing in stark contrast to the vulnerability of the young family.

In the realm of politics, the "theorist" Mr. Wakefield is treated as a misguided architect whose complex schemes lack the wisdom of practical experience. The editors position themselves as the voice of sound conservatism, while figures like the Duke of Bordeaux are analyzed for their potential to lead France into a more stable, constitutional future. The Hungarian nobles, meanwhile, are cast in a heroic light for their willingness to surrender feudal power for the sake of national progress, standing against the rigid, centralizing pressures of the Austrian cabinet.

In Its Own Voice

"Without too much national partiality, without overlooking our own faults, and that canker of a too money-loving, too money-making morality, which has eaten into our character... we may boldly say that the best seed-plot of the human race that now exists... is to be found in this island of Great Britain."

The editors argue that despite its flaws, Britain remains a unique vessel for spreading civilization.

"We thought that it was one of the chief boasts, and most fortunate characteristics of our age, that men of different sects, Presbyterians and Episcopalians, Independents and Baptists, had learned to live quietly together."

The magazine laments the potential for religious segregation in proposed new colonies.

"It is a name Lord James Kysington must not hear."

Lady Mary Kysington attempts to silence the past by forbidding the mention of a name associated with a family disgrace.

What It's Really About

At its core, this volume grapples with the tension between the desire for order and the necessity of change. The central question is whether a society can reform itself from within—like the Hungarian Diet—or whether it must rely on the "wildfire" of revolution. It probes the limits of human planning, suggesting that schemes born in the minds of theorists often crumble when they meet the complexities of real life. Underlying these discussions is a profound anxiety about the role of the individual within the state, the importance of religious tolerance in a secularizing age, and the weight of history as a guide—or a shackle—for the future.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the evolution of nineteenth-century political thought will find this volume an invaluable primary source. It captures the specific, urgent tone of the Victorian intelligentsia—earnest, occasionally pedantic, and deeply concerned with the "civilizing" mission of the British Empire. It is not an easy read; the prose is dense, filled with the formal syntax of the era, and assumes a reader well-versed in the specific religious and political debates of 1849. You will encounter attitudes toward colonization and class that are distinctly of their time, requiring a patient and analytical eye.

However, the reward is a vivid, unvarnished encounter with the past. The writing remains precise and often startlingly sharp, especially when the contributors move away from abstract theory to describe the human consequences of political failure. The poetry and the narrative of the young couple offer a needed respite, grounding the heavy political discourse in the universal experiences of love, loss, and the relentless passage of time. To read this is to see the Victorian world not as a distant museum exhibit, but as a living, breathing laboratory where the foundations of the modern world were being debated, challenged, and forged.