The Press.
London, England, 1858-06-19 00:00:00

578

Christianity:—This done, the Church of England I
rocks to its very base. As a voluntary society
it may still continue to live and to work,
but as a National Establishment its days
are numbered. The Jewili question, small as is
may seem, involves entousaw results. It is get
§
merely to admit to ParliaMent Ilsbrew
ex-
change-broker—for whom personpfly they care
nothing—that Romani, Jesuits, Quakers, and
Independents was. IS is because they sea
behind Baron IttYruscumn's admission a long
train of results, which all the enemies of the
Church, of all kinds, clesiderate ; it is because
they know that if this measure pass her position
becomes logically indefensible; it is because they
all expect some share in the triumph and the
spoil, that all these various and differing classes
agree, for once, to force an entrance for the Jew ;
and so to rid the State of the profession of
Christianity.
We have been led, perhaps, into greater
length and greater warmth on this subject than we
at first intended ; but we cannot regret it. We
doubt if there ever was an apparently small mea-
sure which involved, and necessarily led to, such
enormous results, as does the alteration of the
Parliamentary Oaths. At a single stroke, the
keystone of the arch is removed. With the loss
of a profession of Christianity, there naturally
comes, the loss of a National Church. Upon what
ground could the Bishops retain their seats in an
assembly no longer Christian? (If we are re-
minded that the Upper House may remain Chris-
tian, after the Lower has ceased to be so, we
only wonder at the simplicity of the speaker.)
But, in truth, every step in this direction only
leads to the sure termination of a State gradually
embracing the American system. A neutral or
unbelieving Legislature cannot maintain a Chris-
tilt' Church. A State without a Church will not long
adhere to the rest of the ancient system. Already the
Jew-emancipators of the House of Commons are
ready to vote the House of Peers an obstruction
to good legislation. But, when "No Bishops"
and "No Lords " has been heard, there remains
but one more crv. What happened in England
in CROMWELL'S days, and in France in the time
of MrRABEAU, will happen again. Is it to that
we are now tending? Some will exclaim, and
sane will scoff; but when the vehicle is set in
motion, on such an inclined plane as this, no
HAMPDEN or MIRABRAI: can stop it at his
pleasure. Let those who are in haste to begin
the journey, tell us whether it is in a Republic or
in a Despotism that they mean to land us ?

" A SPIRITED FOREIGN POLICY."

Warn it became revealed to the British public,
through our disputes at Canton, that every
British admiral and consul in every part of the
world had had virtually intrusted to their dis-

cretion the power of declaring war against any
of the nations in whose territories or waters they
might be stationed, every man who understood
the true principles of international law was lost in
amazement, that an English Government should
have so recklessly intrusted such officials with
powers so vast, so dangerous, and so illegal.
It was in vain, however, that this breach of
the law of nations was pointed out and de-
nounced by those who felt keenly for the honour
of thei country, and knew also that that honour
could only be preserved by a strict adherence to
law and justice. The nation was in a state of
excited delusion about the transcendant merits of
Lord PALMERSTON—they readily believed the
false statements and gross misrepresentations
which he so unblushingly made in his speech at
the Mansion-house and in his address to his
Tiverton constituents. That the British flag was
insulted, and that the British lion must avenge
the insult, were the only ideas which at that
time received favour in their sight ; and perhaps
this great people never presented so humiliating
an appearance to surrounding nations as when it
allowed itself to be misled by such wretched
declamation as was then too generally uttered on
the hustings.
To confess the truth, however, there is a
sneaking fondness for lording it over others
amongst too many of our people whose pursuits
bring them in contact with foreign nations; and