The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-20 00:00:00

the uncertainty of rubrics, and the intricacies of ecclesinci-
cal law, power has been wanting to prevent or prohibit
them. But the community at large, which is naturally
alarmed at these indications of a return to principles which
the nation has renounced, may rest assured that I, and
those (who) arc united with me in the government of the
church, di d‘ountenanee the usages to which you allude, and
are anxious to repress them by such means as see within
our power.
" I cannot conclude without thanking you for the kind
expressions of conieli nee which you have addressed to me;
and assuring you of the encouragement which I receive in
the responsible situation to which I have been called, from
knowing that the principles which I have long endeavoured
to maintain are the principles of such a body of persons as
have subscribed their names to the address. Our church
has now the greatest nied of such defenders. By their
prayers they may obtain for her that Divine support with-
out which no church can flourish. Ily their influence they
may multiply those means of spiritual superintendence and
Scriptural instruction which will prove our best defence
against the aggressive designs of Rome."

catholic Spain, Portugal, Brazil, should continue to defy the
papal authority, and laugh to scorn and trample under foot
the threats of y" ecclesiastical censure," and thus unnais.
t ikeably denying the Popesauthority" in domestic matter,"
to be parainnent, by holding in the cruel bondage of
slavery several millions of their fellow-creatures, whose mis-
fortune and not their fault it is that they are darker in
colour than their merciless oppressor/. Do not the coon-
trice named derive a large revenue from the traffic in
slave' ? Are not all the horrors of the middle passage called
I into daily practice by the direct perndssion of Spain, Por-
tugal, and Brazil ? Do they not refill their exhausted ex-
chequers by the traffic in blood of their fellow-man? Away,
then, with the idle tale about the Popessitpremacy hialomestic
concerns! Would to God that it were so; and that with
the members of their own communion they might bring
shout an act of tardy justice, by letting the oppretaed gar
free. But it may be that the' Popes authority in reference
to the institution of slavery had reference only to the
slavery of the white man, not to that of the coloured man ;
and yet this cannot be; for Dr. Wiseman, further to illus-
trate and prove his proposition, made particular allusion to
the favourable treaties (?) which, through the good offices
and co-operation of different popes, we have been enabled
to make with alave.hohling countries. Ile stated further,
" that he was assured, by one of the representatives of a
slave-holding country at our court, that it was entirely
through the influence of the l'ope that our overtures for
abolishing the slave trade were so very favourably received
and acted on." Favourably received and acted upon?
Yes, b 7 the most disgraceful and unblushing evasion,. and
the daily addition to the ranks of the slave gangs by the
most brutal and disgusting arts. Is it not notorious, not-
withstanding
the statement of Dr. Wiseman, that slavery'
Olin/ in all its suasuitigateil caorsolsy is the Beasilado Porto
Rico, in Cuba ? Yes, in those places coloured men and
women aro in a state but one degree removed from the I
brute beast, of the field with which they are daily doomed
to toil. Are not our treaties with slave-holding countries,
Roman catholic for the suppression, not of slavery, but of
flaw slave trade, moot unblushingly violated? Is not Pope
Pius aware of it ? If his authority is undisputed—" the
power of the Pope unchanged, unchanging"—why have
they not been exercised for so good, so holy, great
and noble an end as the liberation from the cruel
bondage of slavery of millions of his fellow-men ? Why
does he not exercise " his domestic authority" to pro-
duce the, at least gradual, amelioration of the condi.
thin of the slave, and then his ultimate emancipation ?
With these facts—undeniably clear as regards the exigence
of slavery in Boman catholic countries--Dr. Wiseman will
scarcely have the hardihood to deny that the Popes autho-
rity has been most unequivocally denied, and his " threats
of ecclesiastical censure" scattered to the winds. But it is
not too late for the l'ope to show to the protestant world
that he has only to command in order to ensure obedience.
I feel deeply interested in the subject of negm slavery—
quite independently of mere abstract considerations of hu-
manity. lam myself a coloured person—a descendant of I
one of those unfortunate coloured women—who, until the
abolition of the British slave trade, were daily stolen by
" the man-stealer" from their natise wilds, and after the
endurance of much misery, were landed and made to labour
unceasingly and without reward for their whiter and more
civilised brother.
I will but add, on this subject, that the Pope could not
have a more favourable opportunity for honourable action.
Let him show hie anthowty over the catholic world, by
issuing from "the Plaminian gate" a decree that all the
slaves in iiLive-holding countries are forthwith to be liber-
ated ; and, although ha may not have the means of provid-
ing them with ships to their own country, he will he entitled
Ito their sincerest gratitude. Let him but compel his Roman
catholic followers to acknowledge the coloured man as a
member of the human family, and as such entitled to all
the rights of man, and he will have done a
deed that will outlive the memory of the greatest
pope that ever occupied the chair of Saint Peter.
Such a glorious consummation brought about, would
could—America longer remain, with all her boost of being the
greatest and freest country, and her love of true liberty, the
only. country to brave the power of enlightened public
opinion? No, no ; she would at once set free her four mil-
lions of coloured slaves, and thus blot out, as with a sponge,
the odious stain upon her star-spangled banner.
With my apologies for the length of this communication,
remain, sir, your faithful servant,
A COLOURED IttAN.
West Strand, March 17, 18,51.

TILE PAPACY ANT) THE SLAVE TRADE.

TO TDB EDITOR OP THU DAILT
ant but an obscure and poorly informed
layman of the church of England. My object in writing
to you being rather to place you in posseasion of the
chief points of a lecture delivered last evening in the
catholic chapel in Lambeth by the Rev. Dr. lVinonan,
and thus enabling you, should you deem my communi-
cation at all deserving of notice, to offer some of those
manatees remotest' far whisk your ;sorsa is onset. I
able than to make any comments myeelf.: I presented my-
self last evening at the door of the toman catholic chapel
in Lambeth, with the view of listening to one of a series of
lectures delivered at this season of the year by the Rev. Dr
Wiseman. Before I could obtain an entrance I had a de-1
man 4 made in the most emphatic manner for a shilling,
which having complied with, I was admitted into the
chapel, where, after some difficulty, I was conducted to a
seat. I anticipated, as a matter of course, the delivery by
Dr. Wiseman of a lecture on sonic portion of Scripture—of
Holy Writ—but spas, I was soon to be undeceived. The
rev. gentleman, escorted by some 20 or more persons in sur-
plices, ascended the pulpit, and afterremuring his scarlet cap,
and without further delay, it being 20 minutes past 7, com-
mand hi. lecture. After alluding to the signet manner in
which Rome hssever been preserved in all matters, whether
temporal or spiritual; how tier ecclesiastical monuments,
have been preserved against the ravages of time; how un-
changed and unchanging is Rome ; he paused a while, and
then begged to assure •• hie brethren" that it was not his
intention at all to enter controversially into the subject of
the papal supremacy, " for that would, to do so properly,
hardly he effectuated in ten discourses;" notwithstanding
which, the entire ~cope of his lecture—occupying nearly
two hours—was one grand untiring effort to vindicate the
supremacy of his ['oiliness. 'The annouucement, therefore,
that effectually to do that would require so many and more
than ten discourses, was not a little astounding to my un-
cultivated mind, for, in my simplicity, I imagiucd that in
the minds of all true Roman catholies such a statement
could require but little argument; indeed, that it was sus-
ceptible of most rapid and easy proof, and that too within
the walls of a catholic chapel. The reverend gentle-
man proceeded at considerable length to argue that the
supremacy of the Popes, not the Bishops of ]tonne' was un-
questioned, ay, undoubted, so early as the secondecutury,
lat which period a pope was solicited by a Welsh monarch,
Lucius, to send missionaries to this country, and which
request was acceded to; and thus, in his, the reverend
doctor's, opinion, the fact was most clearly established that
to a pope are we indebted fur the Christian religion in this
country at that early period. The next point was that the
supremacy wee established throughout the world, and that,
too, most unequivocally and unquestionably, by the Coun-
cil of Nice, at which—l use the doctor's own words—the
Pope, being too infirm to attend, was represented by a
legate, whose opinion was decisive of the matter to discuss
which the council had assembled: in a word, that such was
the deference paid even then to papal authority, that,
though the Pope's legate had been only a deacon, the
archbishops, and of course bishops, would immediately
have deferred and placed him in the highest seat—the
one reserved and set apart fur his Holiness. This
tact, so said the reverend lecturer, was must conclusive
ot the authority of the Pope even at that early
period of the' church's history. The foregoing, and
a great many other statements were made to prove ST. GEOROE'e (lIANOYER-SOCARE) LENDING Ll-
that Rome has always been the sole depository by her BRART AND READING-BOWL—Yesterday evening an in-
bishop* of the truths of revelation—and that as the Pope's
augural meeting of members of the above recently-formed
authority was undisputed at so early a period, "it is as un-
becoming and not less absurd in all true Christians to quest- literary institution was held at the well-known 17, Old
tion and require proof of the particular year of the se-know. Bond-street, late the offices of the Agricultural Protection
lodgment of the suprenmey—than it would be in a stranger Society, but now transformed into a library and reading-
on arriving in this coinnty requiring proof that the laws room. The chair was taken by the Rev. 11. Howarth,
by which wo are governed, and to which he was expected rector of St. George's and president of the society, and the
to conform, were enacted strictly conformably with the room was densely filled by a most respectable audience.
principle of the constitution—ay, more, that we might as The chairman opened the proceedings by cougratulating
well require proofs °Coe question,the divinity of Christ and the meeting on their success iu estodolislung a library and
other portions of the Christian doctrines and faith. At this reading-room accessible to the poorest classes iu that lowa-
announcement I felt rather disposal to leave the chapel. I lily. The public intellect was, he sad, now thoroughly
was, not you can readily realise, by no means satisfied with awake, and craving for its proper food ; and if care were
the deductions of the learned divine. It did not ap- not taken to supply it with wholesome and innocent nue-
pear at all eonclusis c to my mind, that, beeau.se the then tyre, there was great danger of its preying upon gar-
bishop of Rome for at the period alluded to, haw,. lie had, therefore, in conjunction with the
the early part of the fourth ceatury, no such title other gentlemen in the management, projected the
as Pope, or universal bishop, was known, or even sought to present institution, and so far hail met with
be established—happened perhaps to be the best theologian the most complete success. They had already a library of
of his day, and his opinions deferred to—naturally held in 1,000 volumes, with every prospect of a rapid increase.
high regard—that therefore he was entitled to claim univer• Their reading-room would be supplied with ample memo
sal authority and to be considered as infallible in spiritual of studying the current history of the day, and there then
matters. It appeared to me that it might with equal pro. would be no excuse for assistants in shops, or servants in
priety be argued, that because, as is undeniably the case great houses, running off in the evening to beer-Mops ar
with the right reverend the bishops of the church of Eng- gin-palaces. He felt sure that it was the want of institm
land, some are better scholars than others, abler theo- bona like the present that led many of that class into evil
logien', therefore the one of that number acknowledged habits. Fur a subscription of 12a. a year such persons
as being superior to the others would have any right would be entitled to all the benefits of their institution.
or title to interfere in the dioceses of his other right The chairman concluded by proposing a vote of thanks to
reverend brothers. Such a conclusion would be absurd, the Marquis of Westminster and the other noblemen and
unworthy of any reflective mind, and is consequently by no gentlemen who had sent donations to the institu-
means creditable to Dr. Nicholas Wiseman. tion. The motion was enthusiastically responded to.—Lord
The Council of Nice, if my memory serves me at all, had It. Grosvenor, in returning thanks fur his noble relation,
no reference whatever to thequestion of papal supremacy: it alluded humuurously to the past and present uses of the
was called in the year 321-a for the purpose of considering premises they had occupied. Whether the protection so-
and settling the question about the proper time for keeping ciety had found it too large or too small for their purposes
Easter, and more particularly to give an authoritative nega- he did not know; but of this he was sure that no better
five to the heresy of Arius. Bishops were summoned from successor to a society for the protection of native industry
Africa, from Palestine, from every part of the world—Gaul, could be found, than a society fur the cultivation of native
Spain, wherever a church professing Christianity was eats. intellect. lie congratulated them all on the prospect of
blished ; and the Bishop of Rome, as a matter of course, soon being able to enjoy that purest of all human recrea-
received a summons to attend the council. Bow a man of dons, a good book,—Colonel Fitzroy having always taken a
Dr. Wiseman's acknowledged talent can wrest the conch- strong interne in the question of national education, re-
sion—that this fact, the Bishop of Rome's receiving a sum- Loiced in the spread of institutions like the present. He
mono to attend the council at Nice is conclusive as to his tiered that even taking the sordid pounds and shillings
claim to infallibility and universal authority in spiritual and pence view, much would be saved in police
matters being unalterably fixed—l cannot certainly recon- expenses by the spread of healthful knowledge amongst
cite. Not, however• content with such claims, new ones the poorer elasses.—Dr. Stuart, who next addressed
were adduced—to my mind not less startling than novel— the meeting, deplored the spread of noxious publications
the claim, of the successor of St. Peter ou the gratitude of among the working classes. Professionally he was aware
Englishmen—On the whole world—ay, even on the poor of the mischief seed they were growing, and had no doubt
African, torn daily from his native home, carried against
hut that ere long it would fructify iu danger to the state.
his will to the civilised home of the white man,
The infidel writings of Ilume, Gibbon, nod Voltaire had
there to be treated like a beast of the field—even these sown the seeds of the French revolution, and much of the
Africans have been ignorant of the claims of successive cheap literature of the present day had all their mischief
popes to their gratitude—but for whose spiritual ioterfer-
once is their behalf their condition would be much worse. without any of their talent. The speaker then concluded a
rather lengthy address by conjuring them in the language
The pleasing duty of extolling the virtues and claims of the of his (the north) country to put "shoulder to shoulder,"
popes down to Gregory XVI. and his successor was reserved'
fur Dr. Wiseman—the pope that is to be !Be adduced as forwarding the good work they had taken in hand.—One
or two other speakers addressed the meeting, after which
a further " proof of the papal supremacy not only in
matte spi-
ritual matter (I use the doctor's words), but also in the the proceedings terminated with the usual vote of thanks
o to the chairman.
domestic government of states." and consequently of the
claims on our gratitude by the different popes down to the; MARINE SOCIETY. Yesterday the anniversary
present one—the fact, that the institution of slavery, dinner of this institution (which Was established in the
perpetuating which this country was remarkable in her his- year 1756 and incorporated in 1772) was held at the London
tory, was first ameliorated and then wholly abolished, Tavern, Admiral Sir Charles Adams, K.C.8., Governor of
I crushed, by the authority of the several popes. That the Greenwich Hospital, in the chair. There were also present
slavery of the English, thousands of whom were annually Sir James Lushington, Sir Charles Malcolm, Captain
sold into Ireland from the city of Bristol, was Dickinson, Captain Clarke, Mr. Robert Grant, Mr. Tyler,
abolished purely by religious authority and power—! Mr. Whiteman, Mr. John Astcll, Mr. Blythe, Mr. F. and
that in the year 1170 the Synod of Armagh decreed Mr. 0. Ommaney, Mr. Lang, afid about forty other
that slavery should no longer exist in Ireland—that all the gentlemen. The object of the society is to edu-
slaves, English, should at once be set at liberty, and pro- eate poor boys for the sea; and since its estab-
Tided with the means of returning home—or if not pro- I lishment it has fitted out 49,019 lads, in addition
Tided with the means, allowed to return home. I could to 39,360 landsmen, to whom a bounty of clothes has been
notavoidthe involuntaryezelemation of—" How noble in the given on condition of their serving in the royal navy,
synod of Armagh!" When, I asked myself, and where, and making a total number assisted of 88,379 persons. The re-
how, will the Saxon ever be enabled fully to repay his debt port stated that during the year 1840 there had been re-
of gratitude to Ireland? New claims arise every day, eeived on board the society's ship 412 boys, making with
whereby the ingratitude of the English is made more pal- those on board on the Ist of January 517. These were dis-
pably to appear. Through the influence of Roman catho- posed of this. : Sent into the royal navy, 29; into the Indian
liciam, " the slave mart at Bristol was destroyed." Some! navy, 40 ; into merchants' service, 318 • discharged, 16 ;
saint or other went regularly to Bristol to preach against' run, 4 ; dead, 1 ; remaining on boatel on the 31st of
slavery and the slave-trade, and at last succeeded in cos- - December, 109. Sixty-three boys had been rewarded
the merchants to sign a document never again to ; with clothing after twelve months' apprenticeship, and
City sell a human being, and when the discoveries thirty-five with medals on the completion of their appren-
In the western world gave rise to stealing and tbesship. A limited number of pour boys and girls were
selling of the poor unprotected African—in fact, when also Owed out, in time of peace, to such businesses
Ides system of supplying the colonist with labour, and as promise them a respectable livelihood; 43 widows of navy
wen kb, by the unrequited toil of their fellow-men was captains and lieutenants were elected annually to receive
established, even then the popes, ever mindful of the'. a bounty of 10!. each ; and annuities continued to be paid
rights of humanity, successively, under pain " of esselesias- • to sufferers in Lord Duncan's action on the 11th of October,
tical censure,- prohibited the institution of slavery in the 1 1797. The receipts for the year (including a balance of
New World; and by their undisputed authority succeeded 405/. 17s. 7d.) amounted to 7,900!. 11s. ld.• and the ex
in " putting down the odious system—even in our own pro- , pease' to 7,871!. 15s. 7d. The loyal toasts having
testant colonies." This to my mind is surely a most extra- been drunk, the chairman gave the "Army and Navy"
ordinary statement ! I most certainly believe--ay, know—l (to which Sir James Lushington and Sir Charles Mal-
that to the irresistible voice of public opinion La this colm responded ) and " Success to the Marine Society."
country, kept alive by a Wilberforce, a Clarkson, a Barton The gallant admiral highly eulogised the institution,
—by the powerful organ of the oppressed coloured man, which he said indeed united, in the words of its motto,
" The Anti-Slavery Reporter," the talented advocate of "Charity and policy." Sixty lads belonging to the institution
its noble-hearted secretary—and, lest of all, twenty millions were at this stage of the proceedings marched into the
of British money these are the means, and none other, by room, and affectionately addressed by the chairman and by '
which the eight hundred thousand of my coloured brethren an old Marine Society boy (now a respectable City mer-
its the West India colonies were set free. How extraordi- chant). They then gave three hearty cheers and retired.
nary then Per such a statement to have been made ! By the The heelths of the chairman, the Lords Commissioners of
ohot ed means alone was the foul stain on England's the Admiralty, Sir James Lushington and the East India
-escutcheone blotted out. But is it not, Mr. Editor, a subjectfor Company, Sir Charles Adams and the Trinity House, the
grave reflection to Roman catholic', that, whilst all the president (the Earl of -Roomer), the vice-presidents, the
have treasurer, and other officers titution, were also
regorlthandprehistessranccea.°t ErnaPilandu"—lfOr the drunk with loud applause. Subsaiptiens to the amount of
Pbeeopes. ,sodowntoo
deduction is clearly opposed to the doctor's view— 4601. were announced.
necessarysuccessful with