The Press. — London, England, 1855-12-08 00:00:00

1160 unworthy, intrust only the active and the honest with the further management of their affairs. if they fitil to do this, they will cer tainly be looked on as parties to that miscon duct in their Directors of which the public have so long and so loudly complained ; and, iu that case, they may rest assured that, as the penalty of their biches, they will themselves be set aside in any future scheme of Indian Reform. We know not what candidates in tend to stand—we have no private interests to serve ; but this we do know, that the Direc. tion, as at present constituted, neither pos sesses the respect of the people of India, nor the confidence of the people of these realms. The only chance, therefore, that we can see of its continued existence lies in the infusion into it of new blood iu the shape of higher aimed and more conscientious men. The Legislature has provided the means of such infusion by the system of retirement by rota tion after stated terms, and it is for the Pro prietors to give effect to the provision at the election of April next. If they do their duty vigorously, they will deserve well of their country, and the existing system of Indian Government may yet be saved ; but if they neglect this means of renewing its vitality, we see nothing for it but extinction, as it is im possible for• any constitution, whether human or political, to last in which the appointed means of health and vitality are deliberately cast aside. THE BIBLE-BURNING CASE. " Ie a man," says Dr. JOHNSON, " thinks he " has a right to steal my spoons, I can do " nothing to him, for I do not necessarily " know what he thinks. If he proclaims that " he thinks this, I forbid hitn my house; but, " if he puts out his hand and takes them, I " send him to gaol." These are the three de grees of thinking, speaking, and acting against the law, of which, according to the old doc trine, the civil niagistrate was bound to tole rate no more than the first. Modern legisla tion has conceded the second, and modern imbecility has surrendered the third Men may now not only think what they like, and say what they like, but they may also do it; of which this past year, 1855, has witnessed many shameful instances. But of all the results of this foolish weakness on our part, none are so rife with mischief as the open violations of the law by the Papists. in the shape of bell-ringings, protwssions, and titular designations ; conduct which, when un noticed, is sure to lead to worse, and to in volve us in inextricable difficulees, by creating a kind of precedent for the offence. What, however, we especially object to in the Romanists is, that they will not permit us to be tolerant—they will not accept the con ditions of the compact. Every free gift of the Legislature they regard merely as the instalment of a debt, and in a very short time are as clamorous as ever. Giving them what they ask, is like paying an itinerant organist to leave your street ; the consequence of which indiscretion every Londoner knows right well. We, again, are apt to consider promises as binding ; they, as mere traps to catch heretics. Non sums ergo pares. We cannot cope with them on these terms. In the next place, Romanism is essentially an aggressive reli gion : when it does not encroach, it is not Romanism ; not to tolerate intolerance, is not to tolerate the Romish faith ;—and this is exactly the dilemma into which its professors have lured us. Take, again, the case of Maynooth. It is very well known that the text-books there in use contain the most dan gerous and immoral doctrines. Yet, what can we do? These doctrines are a part of their creed; and, if we object to their propagation, we are at once persecutors. The bible-burning at Kingstown is pre cisely such another case ; it is part of their religion. If we endure the one we must sub mit to the other. Dr. CULLEN has well said that to burn obnoxious books has been the custom of the faithful in the earliest times. We cannot deny it. We know, too, that ob noxious persons, as well as obnoxious prints, have been disposed of by a similar process. ~_ THE PRESS. The precedent is equally good in both in stances. It is perhaps a little hard on us. If a number of Protestants were to gather toge ther and make a holy bonfire of a huge crucifix, or of a painting of the Mother of our Lord, what a howl would be raised against the pro fanity. We know that such representations are liable to abuse, but only bigots would think of insulting the sanctity which attaches to them on that account. But then there is a wide difference between a Protestant and a Roman Catholic. The latter is bound to extirpate heresy, the former only to refute it. Besides which, it is blasphemous to draw any comparison between a son of the one Univer sal and Infallible Church and a dog of a heretic who, for all he knows of Christian virtue, might as well be a Pagan. This is the view which the Romauists take of the subject, and any restraint from carrying it into full effect they call persecution. We seek not to anticipate the verdict of the jury—one reason being that we do not suppose it will have much effect one way or the other. Rome is not to be foiled by a solitary act of opposition. If we really wish to check her aggressions and punish her insolence, the law must be put in force against all offenders; and if the present laws are not sufficient, we must find some that are. Mr. GLADSTONE once uttered a very grandiloquent sentence on this subject. He said that " England could no " more go back than could the waves of the " river which gird this giant city reseek their " source." The image was pretty, though not new, and Mr. GLADSTONE was loudly applauded. But we cannot allow the toric to dazzle reason. This very course, if we are not much mistaken, will turn out itself to be the path of retrogression. Every fresh indulgence to Rome is a step back towards meditevalism, and can only be called progress as day is a progress towards night. In the eyes of all true Roman Catholics there can be but one final settlement of all these difliealties ompltt: toleration means com plete supremacy. Rome can brook neither equal nor second. Such has ever been the charater of that marvellous and mysterious city. Divisum imperiunt cunt jove Casar habet. The priestly usurper of the capitol has adopted the motto of the Caesars, while he has made their throne his footstool; and has not swerved one inch from his pretensions for a thousand years. Nothing is trifling which relates to such a power as this—a power that combines almost superhuman energy with almost superhuman secrecy. We are apt to look on such an occurrence as that at Kingstown as a mere casual outburst of bigotry. But, if we would be safe, we should remember that with Roman organisation casual outbursts are un known. Nothing is accidental, nothing un important, nothing even is local. THE WHIGS AND THE DISSENTERS. WE were much amused by seeing Lord PANMURE advertised this week as being about to preside at an evening meeting of one of the various religious societies at Exeter-hall. It is possible that the polemical character of the locality suggested the propriety of its super vision by the War Minister. The chief of our military department desired to have an expe rimental knowledge of " the apostolic blows " and knocks " by which controversy is occa sionally distinguished. There is certainly much of the ludicrous in Lord PANMURE main taining a double connection with the British army in the Crimea and with that portion of the Church Militant which pitches its theolo gical camp at Exeter-hall. In this recent courting of Exeter•hall by the Leaders of the Whigs there is something more than is obviously apparent. The feeling of their party is not unlike that of poor Reynard, when the giutrap deprived him of his tail. They kne* that they could not meet the country at a general election without having recourse to some means to attract certain classes. Circumstances put an end to their coalition with the experienced officials of the Peelites. The Leaders of the Manchester SATURDAY, School and many of the mercantile body are not in love with them, and their old friends the Roman Catholics use them and dupe them without the affectation of enthusiasm. Hence they are slyly creeping into Exeter-hall ; and, if they remained in power to the next session, we should probably see a majority of the Cabinet taking part in the " May Meetings." It is of course calculated that Exeter hall may be as good as Lichfield-house was to a party in search of a policy. Mr. COPPOCK may yet become tract distributor to Dr. CUMMING, and the Reform Club may be directed to place itself in the van of the three denominations. The resources of the Meeting-house will be employed tt, eke out the shortcomings of the polling-booth, and the fury of political faction will be aggravated by the bitterness of excited sectarianism. The leading Ministerial organ has affected much surprise at certain societies of so-called " Religious Young Men" being ushered with out any difficulty into the presence of her Majesty's august visitor the King of SARDINIA. It was astonished that the lowest functionaries of the Palace did not remove the pre sumptuous intruders. It forgets that these religious addressers of foreign Royalty were allowed to do so with the full connivance, if not positive approbation, of the leading officials of our Crown. The Whigs must " get up the steam " In the absence of a real popularity and of a legitimate connection, they must excite a fictitious enthusiasm. They know well that the momentary equality produced by intercourse with great personages is a source of fascination to little men of little minds. Glimpses of Court life are very charming to your brawlers about the " haristocracy." It is an old art of the Whigs to cater for the vanities of democrats. As Lord MELBOURNE said on the eve of a dissolution—" Shake " hands with the Radicals, but do nothing " else for them except to smile on their wives, " and get up a dance for their daughters." All this coquetting with Exeter-hall by the Whig section is part of their system; They fear the effect produced by the Con servatives, with their vast legitimate influ ences, which are under no necessity of catering to ephemeral cries and courting insignificant cliques. " Six years of barristration," and commissionerships, were some of the resources employed by the Whigs to counteract the in fluence of the gentry of England given to the Conservatives. " Deputations " is another of the stock resources of the Whigs. Lord PAL MERSTuN fell into the Whig habitudes, and received congratulations from the pothouses, presented at his own private house ; and, during the Reform Bill excitement, there was no end of volunteer addresses. When one of the legal functionaries of that time was, in after years, taxed for all the blunders in the composition of " the Bill," he made answer— " The fact of it is, that it was hardly possible " to draw it up, with the doors always opening " to admit deputations to tell us what splendid " fellows we were r And there have been abundant symptoms to show that the Whigs are about getting up addresses and deputations to themselves. Quack authors are always advertising praises from obscure journals of their unread books. The fame of deputations extends beyond paro chial bounds, by means of paragraphs in tri umphant tone of jubilation at " Liberal pro gress " The machinery of agitation, and the weapons of electioneering warfare, are thus kept oiled and burnished for future use. Be hind every member of a Whig deputation there are, at least, half a dozen canvassers. Messrs. HATTER and COPPOCK have had wonderful assiduity in organising the Liberal place hunters into panegyrists of the Whigs. Lord PANIIIIRE coquetting with Exeter-hall, and Mr. BAINES closeted in the Cabinet, mark the tack likely to be followed by the Whigs in their domestic policy. Hoping that they will draw the dividend of a majority, they are about to coax the Dissenters to take shares in their speculation of " The Grand Whig Family Compact Company." It is a bubble, and sure to burst. Its promoters are sure to " waddle," and the country will answer " the city " that no more " lame ducks " are wanted from the Whigs.