The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-21 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNAL%

Thell/nits considers that the Pope has now expressed him-
self with a plainness which must undeceive even the most
sanguine. Dr. Pusey can hardly think it worth while, after
the perusal of this letter to publish any more "Eirenica,"
and if any Ritualists are still dreaming of finding an open-
ing at Rome for fresh negotiations, they ought to be con-
vinced, once for all, of the futility of such attempts. The
Pope will yield nothing, and will demand everything. All
who have ever differed from the Holy See on points
of religion or morals must acknowledge that they
have been in every respect wrong. The business of
the Council is not to discuss the errors of the
past, but to pronounce judgment on errors not yet
formally condemned, and to enunciate dogmas not yet
formally sanctioned. Justification by faith and the rights
of conscience are, so far a the Pope and his Council are
concerned, antiquated and exploded errors. The Church
is to advance in the strength of its " invincible vitality '2
to proclaim the personal infallibility of the Pope, and the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The controversy between
the two Churches ought to be wonderfully abridged by this
momentous declaration of the Pope. It is as if the
battle which has for so long been indecisively waged
over a wide field were at length concentrated
on the critical point. The question, therefore, is
henceforward one, and one only. Can we acknowledge
that an infallible authority to decide all questions of
faith and morals has been committed to the Papacy ? The
modern world may reply to the claim asserted in this
letter in precisely similar language. "We can do no
other" than we do. If this letter is an indication of the
tendency of the Council, and if the result of this great
effort of the Roman Church be to proclaim an eternal sepa-
ration from all " non-Catholic " thought, the Pope will
have conferred on the world an inestimable service, though
in the opposite way to that which he expects. He will
have convinced men, once and for all, that compromise
or alliance with his Church is hopeless, and that the free
thought of Protestantism, whether abstractedly. desirable
or not, is the only condition any longer possible. - 4-‘,4f
The Standard alludes to the entertainment in honour of
the approaching departure of Mr. James Finlen, that most
indefatigable patriot and martyr, for the shores of the New
World. Weary of a long and arduous career in a thank-
less service, Mr. James Finlen, the advocate, as we are
told, of "the most advanced as well as the most approved
measures of political and social reform," takes his leave of
his ungrateful country. The unswerving advocate of the
oppressed, the dauntless champion of the people's rights,
the victim of "the ensanguined power of the English
aristocracy," has abandoned the unequal strife against
the powers of evil—in other words, the street policeman
and the workhouse authorities—and goes where so many
good patriots have gone before. Is it thus that a
great country dismisses her patriots with a shabby benefit
at a St. Luke's meeting ? At the time when Mr.
Gladstone is lavishing honours in the Queen's name upon
all who have rendered service to the Liberal party is it
possible that he can overlook what Finlen has done against
the ensanguined power of the British aristocracy in favour
of the cause of Ireland ? Is this how English Liberalism
speeds the parting patriot, with comic sketches and charac-
teristic songs ? It is sad enough that we should have to
lose our Finlen—that we should have no room for him in
our political system—that there should be not even a
knighthood to spare for one who has done such excellent
service for the Liberal cause. But to send him away with
a benefit such as his associates might accord to a beaten
prize-fighter or an ex-carcerated thief, precisely at the
very time when his principles are admitted into our
national policy, when his opinions are the theory of our
political conduct—this, indeed, is the height of ingra-
titude.

The Post thinks it will require a good deal of pluck to
follow Mr. Henry Richard to the point of view from which
the "religious constitution of the House of Commons "
may be looked at as he proposes ; but no one who read his
recent speech could fail to be amused, and possibly, by
thinking out what he is reported to have said, edified as
well as amused. Mr. Richard presented his sketch of the
religious constitution of the House of Commons to
his constituents in the framework of a solid
argument. Look at the House of Commons ,in
its religious aspect. It is an assembly composed
of " Turks, Jews, infidels, and heretics." Mr. Richard owns
that in reality there are no Turks, but ho maintains that
"metaphorically"— whatever that may signify—there
are plenty of them in the House. There are,
however, Jews who sit and vote, and who are " clever and
upright men." Mr. Richard says there is also a " good
sprinkling of infidels ; " and as to heretics, " in the eyes of
the Church of England all Dissenters are heretics." And
he asks if we can imagine this many-coloured assembly
legislating upon religion, just as if it was something
monstrous and incredible. But why not ? Before
Parliament legislates upon a subject it consults
the interests involved, and we have yet to learn that the
interests of religion are incompatible with the interests of
the community as a whole. There are Churchmen and
Dissenters who have got into the bad habit of imagining
that, from some supposed peculiarity in religion, they are
entitled to be regarded as a class apart. But, whether it
be a strange delusion or an arrogant pretension, the theory
of this claim to distinction can never stand for an instant
where Protestantism has been received.

Surely, says the Herald, there must be some occult in,
fluence in the air of Bridgwater inducing candidates to
become casuistical. Mr. Kinglake thinks an agent is not
an agent after a candidate has left the town. Mr. Brogden
thinks a briber is not a briber when he bribes through a
legal agent, whom he supposes will take care to spend the
money lawfully, because he will have to account for it,
with the knowledge that it was given him for an unlawful
purpose. Truly did the honourable member say, " I was
shutting my eyes to the way in which the money was to be
spent." Of Mr. Brogden's ability to "shut his eyes'
upon electioneering naughtiness he has himself
furnished the most wonderful illustrations. But
it is still more curious that he should be angry
with any one for not having attained to his own
proficiency in this accomplishment. The commissioners
were naturally indignant at the avowal of such sentiments,
"by a member of the House of Commons who had voted
on bribery bills." Thereupon Mr. Brogden became indig-
nant in his turn, judging his judges, and criticising his
critics with great freedom. Surely he ought to know that
though, as a member of the Legislature, he may have some
share in making the law, the Constitution has not placed
the interpretation of the law in the hands of those who
systematically break it. Of course, if he is so entitled, all
his past peccadilloes are to be forgotten, because he paid
£3,000 to a legal agent, shutting his eyes to the fact that
the greater part of that sum was to be illegally expended.
But until we hear that doctrine enunciated on some better
authority than his own, we shall decline to believe either
that he has a right to interpret the law, or that he has suc-
cessfully endeavoured to evade it.

The Daily _Yews declares that the directors of the Albert Assurance Company can be scarcely surprised that the case
as between themselves and the shareholders should make
its appearance in the police-courts. These are days of reaction
in the shareholding world. The Albert Directors have had
their time of power, they have not used that power well, and
they cannot hope to avoid the reckoning. They have under-
taken large responsibilities, and they have discharged
them badly. They have held great trusts and have
failed to render an account of them. The directors have
probably lost their own money as well as that of the
shareholders, but their own loss can no more free them
from responsibility than it freed the directors of the cele-
brated " corner house " who were once almost the dictators
of commerce. When the Overend and Gurney directors
are awaiting trial, the Albert directors, though they were
equally honoured and honourable men, must expect to
answer for their mismanagement and mistakes. We have
before us an authorised advertisement of the company,
issued during the present year, in which, under
the head of " Special advantages offered to Ag_
surers," the first item is " Security," and is
described as " the security of a Reserve Fund, and of a
capital of half-a-million sterling, subscribed by 500 share-
holders-" Yet at the time this advertisement appeared
the reserve fund and the capital were all lost, and a vast
void of £900,000 was the pit into which assurers were
literally and actually invited to fall. It is of course
possible that the directors, whose names were the guarantee
of this advertisement, knew nothing of the real state of the
case, and they as well as the shareholders and the public
will be glad that their relation to these statements should
be cleared up and their whole conduct of the business
explained.

There is a marked contrast, observes the Star, between
the congress of the "League of Peace and Unity," now
assembled at Lausanne, and that earlier congress of work-
ing men which closed its sittings a few days since at Bale.
It would be unfair to say that the members of the former
assembly are not in earnest—they are even passionate
in their enthusiasm ; but there is not the grim reality
about their proceedings which characterised the
international congress of labour. They are not
delegates charged to represent the wishes of
large bodies of their fellow countrymen ; their
views are still speculative, they comp together not to
Organise a campaign, but to exchange words of encourage-
ment and hope. The questions for discussion were three,
of which the first both in order and in importance was that
relating to the formation of a vast confederacy under the
title of the United States of Europe. Of the other two
questions, the second, which professed to deal with Poland
end tho East, was retained in the programme, mainly, it
would seem, from deference to an ancient tradition ; and
the third, that of labour and capital, lost much of its
interest from the fact that labour was only partially
represent,: d. Whatever may be thought of the
theories advocated at the meeting, br even of
the language in which some of the more enthu-
siastic expressed their views, there can be no doubt
of the purity and elevation of the sentiments by which the
speakers were actuated. We in England are somewhat
accustomed to underrate sentiment, and, fortunately for
us, are unable to realise the extent to which the fear of
war and the burden of military service enters into the daily
life of the Continent. A European federation may be far
distant; the extinction of national jealousies is, we hope,
nearer at hand, and it will certainly jealousies
accelerated by able
men like those who mot at Lausanne, coming boldly for-
ward to denounce the phantom of military ambition, and
to proelaim that peace and goodwill should be the ruling
principles of a civilised world, Even this is a sten towards
malsiug them 149Yfilb

TIER MAJESTY.

BALMORAL CASTLE, Sept. IS.
Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Beatrice,
drove out in the morning.
In the afternoon the Queen, accompanied bY
Princess Louise, drove to Tillypronie, and honoured
Sir James Clark with a visit.

LATEST INTELLEGENCFJ

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.
(Per French Atlantic Cable.)
NEW YORK, Sept. 20.
The National Steamship Company's steamer
Erin arrived out yesterday.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CLOSING PRICES.

Gold closed at 137} ; the highest quotation dur-
ing the day was 137 i; the lowest, 1364.
Sterling Exchange on London lO7l.
5-20 U. S. Bonds, 1882 1221.
ct " 1885 l2ll.
44 " 1867 ll9l.
10-40 14
Illinois l3Bl.
Erie 39l'

Cotton—Mid. upland..

29kC•

Petroleum—Standard White 32/e.
Flour, extra state, $6.20c. to $6.80c. Corn, old
mixed, sl.loc.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21.
The members of the Cabinet have now all re•
turned to the Capitol.

President Grant is expected at the White 1100°
on Wednesday.

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

NEW YORK, Sept. 21.
Advices received from Japan via San Francisco
state his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh
arrived at Jeddo on the 29th of August.

Some of the principal Japanese priests are Me•
morialising the Government to oppose Christianity'
The Austrian Embassy to China arrived at re•
kin on the 14th August.

QUEBEC, Sept. 19'
The Allan (Glasgow) steamship Moravian arrived
out to-day.

BOSTON, Sept. 20'
The extra Cunard steamship Aleppo arrived
here yesterday at 6 p.m.

QUEENSTOWN, Sept, 21.
The Cunard Royal Mail steamer Tripoli, fr°°l
New York, arrived here at 6.50 this morni°°.
She brings 87 passengers, 24 of whom she land° 3;
and despatches, and proceeded at 7 for LiverP°
All well.