The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-26 00:00:00

PAPAL PROSELYTISM.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Passing along the road which connects
Hastings with the more fashionable quarter of St.
Leonard's, the attention of every stranger must be
caught by a large straggling whirs building, which
crowns the hill at the back of a piece of enclo&ed
waste land called Warrior-square. This is the
"Convent.* It was originally projected and built by
the late Rev. Mr. Jones, a zealous priest of the
Church of Rome, for the accommodation of a sister-
hood of nuns from the continent. The nuns came
but did not stop. They were replaced by a sisterhood
of charity, which still exists and fulfils its mission
with great zeal. Not content with educating the
children of Roman Catholic parents, instruction is
offered to all sects indifferently, doubtless with a view
to draw over to Rome the people in their childhood.
Indeed, so far do these ladies carry their generosity,
that it is understood they will give children from a
distance their breakfast in order to secure their at-
tendance. Now these ladies are directly under the
control and supervision of the Roman Catholic
priesthood, including Dr. Wiseman himself, who has
conceived a strong attachment to a very good house
adjacent to and forming part of the convent, and who
lives here in clover, and is here now whilst I write.
He is a rather conspicuous object, with his bit of
cardinal scarlet above his waistcoat, riding about in.
his well-equipped open carriage. Only one eyesore
has the " Cardinal." A very handsome church in
the decorated English style was commenced by the
late Mr. Jones on some ground closely adjacent to the
convent. It is a modern edifice in ruins. The build-
ing operations were put an end to some years
ago on the death of Mr. Jones. It would have been
one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices in the county
of Sussex, and, architectually speaking, it seems a
pity that so fine a design should have beeu arrested
midway ; for the day will come when the English
Roman Catholics will band over both themselves and
their edifices to the Anglo-Catholic Church 4 but Mr.
Jones's ideas were far too magnificent for his means;
and it is now hopeless that massive walls of two feet
in thickness, and a fine square tower, almost twice as
substantial, will ever be raised to the height originally
intended. I was inside the building myself this day
—for " the Sisters," to do them justice, are nothing
loth to show strangers their ambitious heap of modern
ruins—and there beheld beautifully chiselled archi-
traves, shafts, mullions, and arches scattered about
and piled up on the damp earth, together with whole
stacks cf boards and an infinite variety of building
materials. It was a sad sight, but it struck me as
being remarkably typical of the destinies of the Papal
Church in England. Perhaps the Cardinal derives a
melancholy satisfaction, a pensive pleasure, from view-
ing these weighty proofs of the shortcomings of bis
church. But it might be well to look into the will of
the late Mr. Jones, whose remains are entombed under
the west end of the ruins. CI simply throw out the
hint.] There is, however, another sight which he will
not so easily endure. At the foot of the bill, or I should
rather say lower down the hill, on which this failure
stands, a new Protestant church, in the same style of
architecture, and, I believe, from the designs
of the same accomplished architect, Mr. Marrable,
is now in course of erection, and will evidently
be soon completed. It rivals in its proportions the
neglected building on the top of the bill, and is a
structure highly creditable to all concerned in its
erection. Are not these edifices symbolical of the
position of the two Churches in this country (for I
contend that the acts of the Propaganda have rendered
them not branches of the same Cburoh, but two sepa-
rate and distinct Churches in doctrine, to the extent
of unchristianizing Rome)? Here is a church, begun
with all the pride and ambition of Rome, suddenly
checked in the process of building ; on the other hand is
an edifice only commenced last spring, which will be
roofed in before the winter's blasts and frosts can as-
sail it. Popery was making rapid strides in this coun-
try—so rapid, that its ambition knew no bounds,
until, through the instrumentality of Dr. Wiseman,
it became insolent and aggressive. The consequence
has been that the voice of the religion of England has
silenced its pretensions and stepped its advancing
foot. The noblest of its communion have left it in
disgust. It has been thrown back a century ; and if a
century, then for ever in this country. On the other
hand, the Church of England has gradually and
surely won her way ; she is advancing and must ad-
vance—and what is more, her ranks will be swelled
by those who have flung aside in disgust the idolatries
and the ambitious worldliness of Rome.
To return from this digression, which was irresis-
tible, let me once more call attention to the prose-
lyting efforts of the women of the Church of Rome.
What is going on here, at the very outposts of the
kingdom (physically and geographically, I mean),
is—can you doubt it?—going on, more or less, in
every part of the country. I would have these mild
and generous sisterhoods narrowly watched. Depend
upon it there is as much mischief under a veil and 11,
closely-fitting cap, as under a gaudy vestment and a
cardinal's hat.

I remain, Sir, yours faithfully,

St. Leonard's. on-Sea, Sussex, Sept. 20.

THE LATE LIEUTENANT-COLONEL DAVIS, 52D
REGIMENT.—There are few officers in the British army whose
death will be more generally and sincerely lamented than
that of Lieutenant-Colonel Davis. He was for many years,
indeed from his first entsring the service, attached to the
52d Light Infantry, of which distinguished regiment, about
a twelvemonth since, he rose to the command. Shortly
after attaining this honourable position he was attacked with
erysipelas, which has terminated in an epileptic seizure.
Lieutenaut-Colonel Davis was an officer of great accomplish-
ments, and was a very skilful artist. Thebeautiful drawings
he published about two years ago of the Falls of Niagara, in
a large folio, are well known, and it is much to be regretted
that these splendid works of art, together with two line en-
gravings of "Fair-head" and " Beachy- head," are the only
drawings he has given to the public. Colonel Davis was
also a first-rate musician, and took great pains in establishing
Mullah classes in the regiment. At one time there were not
far short of a hundred soldiers, we believe, who could join
in chorus. His attention was ever devoted to the intellectual
and moral improvement of his men, and in the schools of the
regiment he took the liveliest interest. His health having
entirely failed him, Colonel Davis retired last month from
the command of the 52d, when Colonel Forester succeeded
him. Colonel Davis was the brother of Sir John Davis, late
Governor of Hong-Kong.
BLOOMERISM AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.—Yester-
day afternoon the visitors to the Great National Exhibition,
in Hyde-park, had an opportunity of judging of the merits
of the new American costume, of which Mrs. Bloomer is the
reported inventor. Shortly before two o'clock three ladies
attended, according to the Bloomer fashion, and accompanied
by two gentlemen. wearing the habiliments of the new sect,
made their appearance in the large open space to the west of
the Crystal Palace. They appeared to be personsoftl.snoof
station in society, and bore with considerable good humour
the taunts which were freely directed against them. They
walked round the building followed by a large number
persons who had been attracted towards' thernby the noveltyl
of their dress, but did not enter the Exhibition. They car-
ried with them a quantity of printed bills announcing a lec-
ture by one of their order in Finsbury, on Monday evening
next, and these they politely distributed amongst such per-
sons
round about as were willinghour to acand a cep th
t em
half . After remaining on the
, they rode away in
as
phaeton which was in waiting for them. It was stated th
two of the ladies belonged to a family of great at
respectability
in Torrington-square.
A "BLoomsn."—Sunday last a female dre,med
partly in the Bloomer costume, arrived in Carlow by the
early train, and from the display of two gold watches, at-
tracted more than ordinary attention. During the night,
however, one of the detectives belonging to the metropoli-
tan police force WAS on her track, and the following day
travelled in the same train to King's-bridge station, where
he arrested Mary Ryan on a charge of having robbed, on
the previous week at Liverpool, a Mr. M—e, a native of
Limerick, who had just returned from the California " dig-
gisgs,of 160/. in 20/. notes.
MINSTER.-00 Friday last a person dressed as a
midshipman, and boasting largely of his connexions, took
up his quarters at the Marquis of Granby; and among his
delights fancied he should like a stroll. To conduce to his
pleasure, the good host offered him the nse of a pony and
cart, which being readily accepted, the professed nautical
gentleman went fur a ride. Having reached the Waterloo
'tavern in Canterbury, he adopted means for getting the
name on the cart erased, and disposing of it a ith the pony.
The landlord of this house not liking these prscsedings, and
as his customer Lad run up a goodly score, required payment,
to
which the " midshipman" promised, but, going n
. lie
reached
de-
camped, and nothing more was heard of him till
Chatham ; but no tidings of the pony and cead, t r
fucortuhlder there
be learnt by its owner, Mr. Toops ; and, indeed, clue
toad this city,
eft
to the fugitive was then lost. On retutrra,rn;
however, Mr. Toops found his pony and
at the Waterloo Tavern; which, with the g.
he soon obtained, leaving the swindler to escapeido
abargain. unscathed,police,
but happily deprived of what he intended to make
—Kentish Observer.