The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-23 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC jOUIINALS,
FROM THE DIORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
TiivlES.—Er. Calton, on taking the chair the
other day at the Rotondo mretieg, stated to the
assembly that it would occupy too much time to
enumerate ail the grievances endured by the Roman
Catholic tiu-sjects of Queen Victoria. " All they asked
was for a full and free exercise of their religion."
We frankly confess that to treat this question as one
of reason and truth is, as far as Dr. Cullen and his
friends are concerned, a mere waste of time and
argument. What they want is a cry, and a cry they
have got. It is to them a matter of the slightest
consequence that the rallying word involves a
barefaced and transparent falsehood. We should
not have ventured to use a term so strong as this
had there been room for the slightest doubt or
hesitation. Lir. C. F. Young is still at liberty to
maintain that the country is fast sinking into decay
under the blighting effects of free trade. Mr. •
Urquhart way from time to time astonish the House
of Commons with awful disclosures of the progress of
Russian bribery in high quarters. The existence of
the sea serpent is comparatively an open question,
and some day or other we may run a railway to the
moon. Given a certain amount (a:density of intellect, of
determined wrong-hcadedness, of tendency- to mental
hallucination, and we are prepared for any logical
vagaries, for any depth of folly. There are, however,
poaitious which scarcely require a negative or affir-
mative enswer—swell are those where an instant ap-
peal It be :nada to broad physical facts. Weas if
two men should stand in St. Paul's Churchyard, and
one should malntain that the existsnee of the cathe.
dial was a mere delusion—that there was no seena
edifice in existence ? Such is the manner in which
Dr. Cullen deals with his facts. Surely Cardinal
Wisemea is a fact which can be readily verified by a
very short visit to Golden-square. Surely the Roman
Directo?•,y for the current year will give the names of
all our Roman chapels, with the styles and titles of
the ministering priests. Surely all ritual observances
rendered imperative by the liturgies or traditions of
the Roman ,Church are celebrated without let or
hindrance from the Government of this country.
The priests administer their sacraments in their own
way—they confces their penitents—they anoint the
dying members of their church. They enforce the
prohibition regarding mixed marriages upon the
consciences of their devotees, although Protestants
may thus be made to feel the effect of what
Dr. Cullen called the other day, " all that is
base and filthy in the depths of bigotry and
intolerance." Surely it is but necessary to
enter any of the countless Roman chapels with
which the town is studded, and the most sceptical
may convince himself that the censers are as freely at
work as the most ardent zealot of the Roman Propa-
ganda could desire. We have Roman schools in
abundance—we have Roman nunneries more than in
abundance. We have Roman Peers—we have Roman
Members in the House of Commons. We have
gatherings and synods of the Roman priesthood held
for the purpose of defeating Acts of Imperial Parlia-
ment, and hurling defiance in the teeth of the British
Sovereign. We find the chieftains of the Roman
priesthood in Ireland bespattering the Queen's Minis-
ters, in their published letters, with the rankest
abuse, and stirring up civil strife throughout the
country; and yet we are told that in this country the
Itor.-aan subjects of Queen Victoria are denied " a full
and free exercise of their religion." What then may
their religion be ? We do not, as we have already
stated, mention these facts with any expectation cf
calling a blush of shame into the cheeks of the
Rote do orators. But if it should at length
become necessary to put forth the strength of
the law against those who disregard its prohibi-
tions, at least for our own satisfaction let
us recel attention to the real facts of the
case. What is the specific grievance adduced
in support of Dr. Cullen'a monstrous position ?
Simply this, that the dignitaries of the Roman
Church will not be allowed to flaunt about with titles
conferred upon them by a foreign Sovereign in defi-
ance of the Queen's prerogative something less than a
twelvemonth since. Law after law has been relaxed
or repealed, until the members of the Roman Church
are left as perfectly at freedom in all religious matters
as all other subjects of the British Crown. This,
however, is not enough. They now aim at sove-
reignty and dominion. Let it not be forgotten that
many of the antiquated statutes against which so much
good declamation has been directed bear a very dif-
ferent character in the eyes of the historical student.
In the days of Elizabeth, in those of the second
Charles, and of his more ill-advised brother, a statute
against Romanism was much less an affair of religion
than a necessary precaution against the open attack
or insidious intrigues of foreign Powers. But
things are altered since the time of Phillip 11., of
Cardinal Richellau, and Louis XIV. We are happily
at amity with our French neighbours. No English-
man save n Spanish bondholder cares a fourpenny-
piece about the power of Spain. Thus it comes to
pass that when the necessity had apparently peseed
away the law fell into desuetude. One by one every
important etatuto affecting the free exercise of the
Itoinan religion in this country has been shelved or
repealed. The consequence is what we see. The
country is to be handed over to political turmoil and
confusion in order that the Roman priesthood may
make good their pretensions to absolute dominion over
cur liberties and consciences. Let it not be said that
we are overstating the case in order to make out a
point in our own favour. The proposition for abro-
gating the fundamental laws cf the realm and for plac-
ing the English Crown upon the head of a Roman
Catholic has certainly not been the playful supposition
of a Protestant writer. It becomes our duty, as it is
the necessity of our position, to meet cur autaguni.sts
in time. If it be needful to enact a series of laws
which may preserve the people of this country from
being seriously disturbed by the present crusade of
the Roman Propaganda, the fault lies at the doors
of the essnilants. Nor when the struggle shall
have once commenced in good earnest between a
powerful Government and the emissaries of Rome,
have we any doubts as to a very speedy and very
satisfactory termination of the contest. When we
look back upon the political history of the last twenty
years, we find that upon two distinct occasions
menaces similar to the one recently hurled against us
from the Rotunda have been delivered in Dublin.
We have seen the gathering and the bursting of the
two bubbles of O'Couneliem and Young Irelandism.
The patience and long suffering of the Government
were severely tested upon both occasions. They kept
the blow long in suspense. Long did they trust that
the theatrical tempest might blow over without,
say active interference from the public authorities.
But when the time for action did arrive, it was but
necessary to stretch forth a hand, and the miserable
braggarts who had so long disturbed the country
were seen in their true light. When the nettle was
firmly grasped there was no sting. As it has been
before so it will be again immediately the strength
of the law shall be put forth. Cullenism is not one
whit a stronger plant than O'Connelism or Young
Irelendism. IVe would call the particular atten-
tion of the Rotundo orators to this significant fact,
that in public opinion the fault of the Ministerial
Act lay not in its strength but its weakness. It
would have been: much more easy for Lord John
to have passed a Bill through the Houses which
should have consisted of far more stringent proposi-
tions. Dr. Ullathorne contemplates as the ultimatum
of the British Parliament that he is to be permitted
perpetually to infringe the law upon the payment of a
certain amount of black mail. The levy is to be con-
tributed by the penny subscriptions of his congrega-
tion. Dr. Ullathorue, however, is miserably de-
ceived as to the intention and power of those whose
duty it will be to enforce obedience to the recent Par-
liamentary declaration. He will most certainly not
escape the consequence of his acts by a vicarious
penny martyrdom. There is now a principle at stake
of equal importance with the subject-matter of the
dispute, which is, whether an Act of the English
Parliament must be obeyed, or may be defied with
impunity.
ADVERTISER.—" What about Lord John
Russell's promised new Reform Bill ?" The ques-
tion is supposed to be put to the Noble Lord himself.
And if so, we are satisfied he is just as incapable of
answering it as we are ourselves. Depend upon it,
the Noble Lord hag never bestowed a thought on the
subject, since the happy hour when the Queen an-
nounced to her faithful Commons, that they were dis-
charged from attendance on their legislative duties,
and were free agents to go where and when they
pleased. Lord John Russell has no heart for the
task of preparing a second Reform Bill. It is the
necessity of the case, not any love for the labour,
that made him make the promise he has done, to in-
troduce a new measure of legislative reform on the
re-assembling of Parliament. And tasks which
cir-
cumstances
force upon men, are never either
riod
under-
taken heartily, or &moor than can be
help
evil day is deferred until the latest possible The
,a
compatible with the performance of the duty under-
taken.pe We can, therefore,
say with confidence, that
not only has Lord John li'
present hour, not bestowed
ut'hsell down to the
o.u:Fll nliotl.on his nevy
measure of reform,
weeks to coma. at if the
but that be
apply him-
self to the task for some
Premier has hitherto voted the subject of I arlinmen-
teary reform a bore, and will continue to do so until
stern necessity compelseonsideraticn,
him to take the question into
no reason why the country
consideration, that is
should not nova without delay, give its best
sattention
to it. And, in order that this may be'. done the
more
effectuelly, let us repeat the advice we yester-
day gave, that all who have a right to have their
names inscribed on the list of electors for the next
twelve months, should take care that they prefer
their claims to have their names so entered this very
day. Monday is the last day on which it will be
competent fur them to do so. But those who are in
a position to do it to-day, should not defer it until
Monday. It is a sound maxim—one which equally