New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-13
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS,
General View Of the Religious Movement In
England.


of a worthy servant of God and Of the Church. 1t
is none the less true that religious discussion has
been opened in England, Of a more serious char
acter than any which has taken place in Europe
since the last Council, the Council Of Trent This
il bv no means near its close on the other hand,
the coincidence of the Socialist mo' ement with
the religious awakening will give an immense
compass to this great movement of the human
mind The Revolution under the violent form OF
armed force. and in the name of certain abstract
nrinciples. purely mechanical and barren in them
selves. such as universal suffrage, sovereignty of
the people, and the like, has found in this new en-
terprise of the human mind, its most formidable
and its most efficient adversary.
You know the two circumstances which have
determined this crisis The first fact is an actual
event that is the establishment of the hierarchy
in ENGLAND by the creation Of thirteen bishops,
under the Primary of Cardinal Wiseman, Arch
bisbop of Westminster. The second fact is almost
nothing in itself, it is private letter OF an OLD
member of Mr.. Benefits congregation addressed
to the Bishop of Durham But this private letter
has been published, and the author of 1t is the
Prime Minister Of the Queen. 1t has produced
the effect of a spark of fire upon train OF gun
powder. Since that moment, there is not NUM-
cpslity, there is not a corporation in the United
kingdom, which has not published its Address to
the Queen. not a busy body who has not issued
his pamphlet or written bis letter to Lord John
Russell, to Cardinal Wiseman, or to The Tunes
or The Morning Chronicle, not preacher who
has not put forth half dozen more or less thun-
derous discusses Cardinal Wiseman, aud the
new bishops have calmly proceeded to take pos
session of their new powers, while Catholic
ceremonies and sermons have been multiplied
The Cardinal holds a grand ordination OF priests
TO morrow in Manchester Square, Spanish Chapel
The Cabinet has been in elaboration several
times and has no doubt arrived at some conclu.
sion. But nothing has yet transpred with regard
TO the decision Still am led to believe that one
result of these deliberations has been the dismissal
of Mr. Bennett 1.-THE incumbent OF hlngsorldGe
and St Barnabasl demanded by the bishop OF
London. This last step is too grave not to have
been concerted with the Queen as the supreme
authority in the affairs Of the Church, and conse
ouently with the Ministry.
| will endeavOr to give you an impartial and de-
cided view Of the causes OF this agitation, OF the
justice or injustice of the proceedings OF the truth
ties, of the real facts which lie behind all appear
ances, and in fine, of the immediate and remote
consequences of this movement
If belonged to any OF the acknowledged and
classified parties, should be able at once to pre-
sent you with my ideas and facts in positive
form, as dictated by party spirit. But IL would
remain to be SEEN if | should be able to commu-
nicate to you anything that would be interesting
or even Ineligible in America. / will give you
today my personal opinion, that Is to say the
opinion OF Frenchman, a Roman Catholic by
baptism areligious Socialist by conviction, and by
air n
the force of circumstances condemned to trans
portation for life in consequence OF protesting
against an expedition with the object OF restoring
the Pope to the Pontihcal throne; again become
a Christian in exile, and even Catholic, with
some differences which cannot here explain
and Catholic Christian after having reconciled
all the essential principles OF the Socialist Politi
cal economy, with the dOgmas, the morality, and
the ceremonies of the Church, in almost all re-
spects. will frankly avow that the revolution
experienced in my mind IS not yet suihclenty
elaborated to enable me TO announce II clearly In
few words that these few words would not be
easily comprehended and that finally my now
moral and intellectual position is not OF suifici
emily remote date to give me the duty, or perhaps
the right of publicly explaining myself | will
place myself in the point of view of an English
man, devoted to the greatness of his country, and
will Judge outside, and if possible, above the diff
ferent parties, attempting TO conciliate the ee-
ments Of the past and those OF the future, and to
DO justice to the three great countries constitu-
tonally united. but religiously divided. which
called the United Kingdom OF Great Britain.
This division is the great difficulty OF the past,
the great historical difficulty Of British ciyiliza
tom it has been far more than 1t now 10, a great
embarrassment for the statesmen of Great Britain;
the enemies ofthis nation may take advantage of
it to attempt to embarass and restrain its i'm.
mense development on the globe; its friends, on
the other hand, may attempt 10 remove or dmn-
ish the difficulties. With no further explanation,
l will place myself in this last point of view,
which is that OF my convictions, of my sympathies
or if you please, OF my interests.
The two facts which have alluded to above, as
being at the origin Of the great Religious Revea-
tiOn which has just put forth its first impulse, its
first sprOut with so much energy, represent the
last drops of water which make full vase over
flow the last ounces which cause the loaded bal.
ance TO turn. For long time the vase has been
filling, the two scales OF the balance have been
loading, under the incessant action of the two re
hgiOus elements, to which the emancipation of the
Catholics gave very lively impulse.
The two parties vigilant, ardent in the state of
Apostleship, if may SO express it, in English So
ciety considered religiously, are the Roman Cath
ocs on the one hand, and the members Of the
Evangelical Alliance on the other, forming an al
most complete compound OF the different sects of
Professionalism. The central point of all attacks is
the Church OF England; and may say il without
hostility, the sleeping party which has been sud-
denly aroused by what iE called the Papal agrees
sioD is the Church of England.
We should not believe, however, that the
Church of England has remained inert during the
18th century. The Masses the regular corps Of
Bishops and of ministers have without doubt been
In this state Of comparative inertia, accomplishing
peaceably, and above all, honorably and seriously
the domestic duties of the Parish Church, of the
School, Of the Almshouse, attempting like all
established powers, to set aside all slippery ques.
tons, to postpone difficulties by dilatory methods,
and to escape the force Of permanent creation and
the continual development which God has placed
in the immortal soul Of man and of Humanity.
But It was not possible that in the bosom of this
great body which forms the Established Church
OF powerful nation living under the protection
OF the most ancient cnnatitntion of Enrone nf