The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 3, 1868.

tury and a half ago by an English Poet, who was also
a Roman Catholic, and the words are as apposite now
as they were when they first dropped from the pen of
ALEXANDER PorE. " Lights of the Church" and
" Guardians of the Laws" there will still no doubt be
to defend it, and to defend it, too, we believe (though
we don't think with them), quite conscientiously.
Why, it is an outrage to common sense to think other-
wise, that it is exclusively our privilege and preroga-
tive, that it is solely the privilege and prerogative
of those who are like ourselves heart and soul for the
abolition of the Irish Church, to think, and feel,
and argue in regard to it—conscientiously. There
are two sides to every question, and the oppos-
ing side on this one is even to ourselves (who don't
go with it in the least as a sound and valid argu-
ment) perfectly comprehensible. It is from that
point of view—the side opposed to our own we
mean—that Lord BROUGHAM has laid it down, as a
kind of axiom or a sort of a dogma in his treatise
upon Political Philosophy (111. 129), that upon
the whole " greater mischiefs result from having no
establishment at all, and that the balance is decidedly
in favour of such an institution." It is precisely in
the same spirit, again, that one of the profoundest of
our political thinkers, a philosophic statesman, the
latchet of whose shoe Mr. J. S. MILL is not worthy
to unloose—we mean EDMUND BURKE—asserted
with all the emphasis of those weighty words, that
"In a Christian Commonwealth the Church and
State are one and the same thing, being different
integral parts of the same whole." The argu-
ments accumulate, according to our view, with over
whelming preponderance on our own side, but for
all that there is something to be said within reason
upon the side of our opponents. In testimony of
which we have adduced the opinions set forth in fa-
vour of a Church Establishment by two such autho-
ritative and philosophic writers as Mr. BURKE and
Lord BROUGHAM. If only the force of all this could
be felt betimes just now before the stormy contest
begins throughout the United Kingdom, but more
particularly in Ireland herself there would be
less acrimony manifested during the coming
Elections, without any diminution necessarily to
the fervour of electoral earnestness. The course
we hold so dearly at heart is safe. Then, why
such virulence in regard to those wbo are innocu-
ously, but quite consistently, endeavouring (all in
vain !) to withstand, or, at the very least, to post-
post the triumph of it? They will fail in their
antagonism—but, at any rate, let us concede to
them honesty of purpose. We, for one, cannot
but do so, at the very time that we are bent upon
furthering, to the uttermost of our power, the in-
terests of those who are resolved, come what may,
to sweep away the Irish Church, root and branch,
by means of its disestablishment and its disendow-
ment.

Mn. DISRAELI has made four more ecclesiastical
appointments. The Deanery of Lichfield, vacant by
the death of Dean HOWARD, has been conferred
upon Canon CHAMPNEYS, vicar of St. Pancras,
London ; the Canonry of St. Paul's, thus vacant,
upon Mr. PROTHERO, the rector of Whippingham,

Isle of Wight; the Canonry of Westminster, vacant

by the death of Canon HAWKINS, upon Dr.
LEIGHTON, Warden of All Souls College, Oxford;
and the Professorship of Ecclesiastical History,vacant
by the promotion of Dr. MANsEL to the Deanery of
St. Paul's, upon the Rev. WILLIAM BRIGHT, of
University College, Oxford. Two of these
appointments, the first and the last, are in
every way admirable. Canon CHAMPNEYS is
quite the most respected of the Low Church party.
He is an admirable parish priest, his large parish
being one of the best organised in London, and he
has long been marked. out for preferment by public
opinion. There is but one consideration connected
with this appointment which will need explanation.
Mr. CHAMPNEYS was a member of Mr. HARDY'S com-
mittee in 1865, but it was positively, though privately,
stated by those who ought to know, that he intended
to support Sir ROUNDELL PALMER at the forthcoming
election. His name, however, appears in the list
of Mr. MowBRAY's committee ! Mr. CHAMPNEYS
took a second class in classics forty years ago,
was rector of Whitechapel from 1837 to 1860,
and vicar of St. Pancras from the latter date to the
present time. He has thus had thirty-one years'
experience as a parochial clergyman in two of the
most populous parishes of London. In 1851
he was made a canon of St. Paul's. The canonry was
worth £l,OOO a year, the vicarage £1,700 ; so that in
becoming Dean of LICHFIELD he makes a large
pecuniary sacrifice. He may well think, however,
that he has borne long enough the burden and heat
of the day, and at his time of life may accept that
otium cum dignitate which an English deanery
affords. It is thirty-five years since the deanery of
Lichfield was last bestowed, and on that occasion it
was given to a young man who had no other claim
to it than the fact that he was a HOWARD, and the
brother of a Whig peer. The appointment in 1833
of the youthful scion of a Whig house, and that in
1868 of a hard-working and elderly London parochial
clergyman, mark the progress which has been
made in the conscience of statesmen, or rather
of the nation, whose opinion statesmen are
bound to obey. Lichfield is to be congratulated upon
having such a dean as the Low Church Canon
CHAMPNEYS; and such a bishop as the High Church
Bishop SELWYN. Such good fortune is almost more
than she can expect to enjoy, and it is not unlikely
that the diocese will before long lose its chief pastor
by his removal to the more important charge of the
province of Canterbury.
Of Mr. PROTHERO; the successor of Mr.
CHAMPNEYS in the Canonry of St. Paul's, we
know little save that the QUEEN is one of his
parishioners. He has been a fortunate man. He
took no honours at Oxford, but he entered upon the
high road to honours of another kind when he became
curate of Whippingham, in the Isle of Wight, in
1853. He held that post till 1857, when he was ap-
pointed rector by the LORD CHANCELLOR ; he was
also appointed chaplain at Osborne. The rectory
brought him in £BOO a year—not a bad sum for looking
after 647 persons ; and besides this, he received a
sum, not stated, for his chaplaincy. These posts
we presume he will continue to hold in addition
to his canonry, which is worth £l,OOO a year. So
that this gentleman, who must be somewhere about
50 years of age, but has never, that we know of, con-
ferred any benefit upon the Church, will be in receipt
of a handsome income of about £2,000 a year, or
about twice the sum that Mr. CHAMPNEYS will receive
after a distinguished university career and an arduous
term of over thirty years of London parochial
work. Clearly, Court favour is still worth having,
even in these strict days. The new Canon of West-
minster, Dr. LEIGHTON, is a far more distinguished man
than Mr. PROTHERO: He is about fifteen years Mr.
PROTHERO'S senior; carried off the prize for Latin
verse at Oxford in 1826, and took a second class in
1828. He has been Fellow, and is now Warden of All
Souls College, is a rural dean, and a Proctor in
Convocation. His name does not appear on the
Oxford Conservative committee. The last of the
four appointments is one in which we take especial
pleasure. The post is one of great importance,
and on the last occasion that it became
vacant it was conferred upon a gentleman
distinguished indeed, but by no means suitable. Dr.
MANSEL, the hard and dry metaphysician, has now
vacated it for the Deanery of St. Paul's, and the Pro-
fessorship of Ecclesiastical History is now conferred
upon Mr. BRIGHT, a gentleman who has already given
proofs of historic research, together with a poetic
mind—the two qualities most needed for the office
now entrusted to him. Oxford, and indeed all eccle-
siastical and historical students, will feel all the more
interest now in the life of ST. ATHANASIUS upon
which Mr. BRIGHT is engaged. It is noteworthy

that all four of the gentlemen now appointed
are Oxonians, and unless the case of Mr. CHAMPNEYS
be an exception, none of the appointments seems to
have been made with reference to secular politics.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS. MONDAY, November 2.

We are peaceful to-day. In the first place, the belief
that the King of Prussia will open the Prussian Chambers
with a peace manifesto gains strength. The report is very
current here, and it is, of course, supported by the " most
trustworthy authority," that King William has addressed
to the Emperor an autograph letter of the most affec-
tionate character, giving a rlsu2ne of his much-looked-for
speech. If this assertion be based upon fact, it would, of
course, be the most important peace guarantee
that we have had for many months past. Then,
again, the article in the Journal de St. Petersbourg
.vears in its entirety a very different character from that
which was indicated by the extract sent by telegram. The
extract was, in fact, something like the selections from
reviews printed in advertisements of books ; it expressed
an opinion entirely different from that of the writer.
The full text presents a moderate but unflinching
review of the situation of Europe ; it has none of the
insulting tenour indicated in the first extract. The Govern-
ment of Russia has, however, disclaimed its official
origin.

In addition to these cheering signs is the positive fact
that a quarrel has taken place between M. Rouher and
General Niel. A dispute of this kind must be regarded as
a very reassuring sign indeed. M. Rouher, it appears,
got the best of it, for Marshal Niel tendered his resig-
nation ; peace thus triumphing over war. General
Lebceuf has been nominated by public opinion as his
successor, but; in fact, the Emperor wants both his states-
men, and is not likely to part with them. General Niel
will remain at the War Department ; but it can hardly be
eoncluded that his counsels—which are decidedly bellicose
—are in the ascendant. Had such been the case he would
not have offered his resignation.

Count Bismarck's retirement from political life, at least
for the present, is much talked of. He will not be present
at the opening of the Chambers. A more probable theory
is that he will give up his post as Foreign Minister, and
retain only the position of Chancellor.

M. Frdmy has furnished the Emperor with a long
report on the state of Algeria. The miserable condition
of this colony never ceases to be a source of anxiety to the
Government. It is noteworthy that M. FrEmy recom-
mends as the only resource a complete transformation of
the system of colonial government. The most impartial
and competent authorities agree with him.
The position of the Pontifical Zouaves is not one of the
most agreeable. They seem to live, move, and have their
being over barrels of powder. Stores of the explosive
material are frequently being discovered under the bar-
racks, and, worse still, it is upon some of the Zouaves
themselves that the suspicion of laying these mines chiefly
falls. Nobody else can do it, and the not unnatural conclusion
is that there are traitors in the camp. But how separate the
devouring wolves from the faithful lambs ? Suspicion
falls upon all alike, and the position of many is rendered
wholly intolerable by the conduct of some few of their
number.

Senor Espeleta is to succeed Senor Marfori as the
Superintendent of Queen Isabella.
Luxembourg has decidedly profited, at least in respect
of liberty, by escaping annexation to France. Its new
constitution is remarkably liberal : it abolishes the punish-
ment of death, grants the right of public meeting, full
liberty of the press and of the expression of public opinion,
the inviolable secrecy of letters, and the privilege of asso-
ciation. The Ministers are to be responsible. Certainly
the Luxemburgers would have waited a long time for this
measure of freedom as subjects of France.

Yesterday was la Fete des illortes. Tjie cemeteries of
Paris were crowded all day with a multitude paying the
annual honours to the dead. At Montmartre a litle
political demonstration took place, the statue of Gode-
froy Cavaignac being covered with crowns of inintortelles.
A strong party of scrgents dc vale was mustered in this
cemetery.

THE IVEATHEE TABLE.-THIS DAY.