Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-12 00:00:00

PREPARATIONS FOR ISE EX ECMON.

Yesterday was indeed a solemn, day for all parties in
the Kirkdale;Gaol. From an early hour in the morning.,
the condemned criminal was engaged in prayer With the
worthy chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Appleton, to whose words
of spiritual consolation ho seemed deeply touched. In the
course of the day Mrs. Rogers, his wife, had a last and
farewell interview with her husband. Of what transpired
at the interview, which of course was strictly private, we
are unable to give, but it may be imagined that it was one
of a most affectingamd painful nature—each andall being
deeply impressed with the solemnity of the raelaneholy:eir-,
cunastancee that had brought to pass such waeparation in
this world. However, we understand that tho -criminal and
his wife, wheis a very pious member of a Wesleyan Metho-
dist congregation, prayed carneatly and far vent:y-together
but at last the hour came for their final separation, and
they separated; to mast no more on.thie earth. 'then the
wife left the gaol, sirs was' weopiiig most bitterly. The
remainder of the day was spent by the prisoner in
prayer arid devotion. While this melancholy scene was
transpiring in the prisoaer's cell, thooffiaials were ertgage4
.in a no less painful occupation, that of erecting the
sea Told in the front of the gaol, on which Henry Rogers
meat suffer an ignominious (bath. This, at all times, a
melancholy sight, was,. on this occasion,. rendered doubly
so by the public ex.citement and feeling of indignation
that has been aroused, in this case. For-while the men
were so employed, notwithstanding that it was raining se
very; sharply, a large- number of persons, were present
watohing the operations of the workmen as they were ad...-
lusting the fatal platform. with a harderisd'indifference,
and a deiteanour that was far from creditable's° be call-
bited in a country where Christianity is profassol Their
observations and •conversation being anything but appro-
priate to such an awful eocasion as that of praparing the
instrument by, which a fellow bring • was emit to be
launched intotternity: The crowl rernained•*atil long
after the completion of thescaffill, and appeared reluctant
to leave the spot. We understand that the prisoner and
his family feel indebted Lean. the officials of the gaol for
the kindness ani attention bestowed upon them under
the circumstanses..of this distressing caie, they having,
as far as the. discipline of the prison woald allo', done
their utmost to alleviate the feelings of all concern,/ In

a few short hours•this horrible tragedy will be brought to
a close, by the execution of Henry Roger?. -

THE FRENCE PRESS. ON THE STATE OF AFrAIES

UT INDIA.

A correspondent,.writing on Thursday evening,
says :

The Univers yesterday commenced a series of
articles on the Indian insurrection, whieh, as fro, as .
they have yet gone, 'fully maintain, if they, do not
augment, the reputation already acquired by that
journal for want of common sense and. bitter
hatred of England.. Fortunately, the venom of '
the Univers is of no veu dangerouS description
were its effects as virulent as the animas .with.
which it is emitted,. England would long since
have been annihilated,. and the earth purged of
heretics—of all those, at least, who refused forth--
with to abjure their errors, and embrace the
gentle doctrines of which- M. Louis Veuillot
same 'spectacles,. and carried to med extremes
by its mania of proselytism, the Ultramentano
journal has long since discredited itself in Franca
by its extravagant views., and enormous bigotry.
Its Parisian cotemporaries rarely condescend an
argue with it seriously, and, indeel, to do:co
mere loss of time. In the present instance,
hoWever,. one or two of them take it to 'task
expressing themselves in terms of strong disap-
probation.. This is in reply to its yesterday's
article, which is quite out-heroded by the egre—
gious folly of that published to-day. Ono is
not surprised to hear- the Univers declare
that, if. England loses India, it will be in
.conse—
quence of the Rsf6rmation, and that had she
'remained Caelalio she -mould have preserved her
'Eastern possessions. That is only in aceondanee •
with the usual strain of the priestly periodical.
But one is certainly rather astonished to learn that
now her, °ally hope of retaining the empire, that
is on the point of escaping from her grasp is .by
applying to Franco for assistance. The Unz:veree
foresees the time when, her stores of fighting men
exhausted, she will seek-the aid of her ally, and then
conditions must be imposed upon the suppliant.
In.return for the sword that shall re-establish her
power ha the East she must quit the Mediterranean.
The lonian Isles must be joined to Greece,- Malta
must revert to France, which possesses, in Northern.
Africa,- " another India, less rich, but healthier
than that of the English—an agricultural and
militiarf empire, which France will not hold a cen-
tury. without filing: it. with a Christian people.'
Wattle. Gibraltar is restored to Spain, Fiance may
fairly, in return for- this service, take possession-of
the -13eleario 'lslands, which are nn•the- way to
Algeria. " Maltado the hands of France,.hecomes.
for Letin Europe a sure barrier against tile 'East.
and gives to the- Holy Places and to tho Co.tholin
;interests in that part of the world a protection
which cease to be illusory.'' But, without further-
. following up the rhapsodies of the Uleitere,,l will
briefly quote the Debuts and the Bieck,
• The Debais- says : •
The Univers-to-day prophesies, with texts- of Scripture,
the fall of England,. and declares her enmenoned to the
lodgment of God. " They lashed Catholic truth,',' says
the Univers, " with the, prosperity of &gland., See (they
said) is not Protestant England the freest, the richest-, the.
strong la nation in the world ? They can no longer use•
this argument since. England is condemned to perish."-
" Yet a little," says the Univers, " and we shall less often
hear it asked what England would have gained by romai2-
ing Catholic She would have gained this —she would
have made herself in India a soli empire, and she wculd
not have been overthrown at a blow, shamefully hustled
(t.ouscu'ee)." One can hardly discuss such arguments,
attired in srieh language. Lct us, however, point our, to
the Univers, that its prophetic. ardour makes it loan sight
of the past, and c f the lessons of history. Certainly it it
, grievous to be threatened with the loss of an humerus*
colony, even when one possesses many others that are
tranquil and prosperous, b•at it is yet more grievous to
have lost all one's colonies or to have none tolose, and
that is the condition of the most Catholic nations in the
world—Spain arid Portugal. The present diMculties of
England are the attribates and the natural and legitimate
compensations of power and prosperity. Before rejoicing
at them, and pr.:ally cengrieulating oneself on being
exemp. fr m them, it would be well to reflect that it le
already something to have so much to lose, end that it,
enables the, loser Willy to support the. comparison with
those who have noth'ng. It is not then yet time topoiaa
Out the effects of Divine vengeance in the situation or
England, and to declare that heresy has been fatal to her
* power ; bat it is always time for the Unive) s to peered-
gate and inte-pret the decisions of Heaven, at the ri. k of
tilding itself at variance with those of common

According to the Univers, had England been ta.
Roman Catholic power, and hal she applied hereelf,,
on obtaining possession of India, to convert the
Hindoos to the true faith, the present insuirebtien
would never have occurred. The conversion of the
natives was her first duty and solo security. Irt
reply to this, the Sieele proposes an hypothesis—
Since the last expedition in Kabylia, Algeria is tranquil;
colonization developes itEelf, trade flouriehao, cultivation is
extended. Send missionaries to the-A*1%1)4 attempt to im-
pose upon them a new form of worbhip, go, cross in hand,
to exact from them the abjuration of their pment creed,
and you will obtain frz result an immense and formidable
insurrection. Englikh domination in India. French domi-
nation in Africa, ate mainta ned, anti will be maintained,
only by tolerance,