The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1872-01-07

ORNING. JANUARY 7, 1871.
OF st. Bede. Saxon England, with all il
sumoiSs, seems to me sanity and beaut
iui. Norman England have always love
less. because, although majestic, 1t becam
continually less Catholic, until the ev
sPlr's g the world broke of the light yok
OF faith at the so-cslled Reformation. Still
I loved the Christian Englaud which sur
vtved, and all tho lingering outline Of dio
ceses and parishes, ,catbedrals and churches
WITH the names of saints upon them. Il il
this vlsion of the past which still hover
over England and makes it beautiful ani
lau Of .fhe memories of the kingdom o
God. Mey, loved the parish church o.
ny childhood and the college chapel of my
youth; and tue little church under . greer
niHside where the morning and evening
prayers and the music Of the English Bible
ior seveuteen years became q part Of my
soul. Nothing IL moro beautiful in the
nat9Tal order, and If there were NO eternal
world could have made it my home" To
~. Manning the time when saints walked
tbs earth OF England 10 more of q reality
than the day. before yesterday to most OF
as. Where the ordinary eye SEES only q
Rias,l' RRiGor, ,gnsrsns lrish peasant, Or. Manning
light and truth; destined by che power Of
his unquestiRning faith to redeem perhaps,
in the sud, wen English philosophers and
statesmen. When it was said in the
praise of the murdered Archbishop Of
Paris that he was disposed to regret the
Introduction Of the dogma Of infailibility,
Archbishop Manning came eagerly to the
rescue Of bis friends's memory, and as one
would vindicate person unjustly accused
of crime, he vindicated the dead Archbish-
op from the stigma of having for a moment
dared to have an opinion Of his own on
such subject. OF course, II DR.. Manning
yyn Nr.S1S IL \
natio, there would be nothing remarkable
10 all this. But he is man Of the widest
culture, of high intellectual gifts, of keen
and penetrating Judgement ia all ordinary
affairs, remarkable for his close and logical
argument, his persuasive reasoning, and
for genial, quiet kind Of humor which
seems especially calculated to dissolve 80
phistry by its action. He is an English
gentleman, q man of the world he was
at Oxford with Arthur Pendennis
and young Lord Magnus Charters; lie
lives at York Place in the London of to-
day he drives down to the House of Com
mons and talks politics in the lobby with
Gladstone and Lowe he meets Disraeli at |
dinner parties, and is on friendly terms, / |
dare say, with Huxley and Herbert Spen- |
Ger he reads the newspapers, and make
no doubt is now we'll acquainted with the
history of the agitation against Tammany
and Boss Tweed. think such man is a
iNOhVuo prGuOmCuOu III our age. lE
ss II one of the medieval saints from the
stained windows of u church should sud
aenly become infused with, life and take a
part In all the ways of our present world,
can understand the long abiding power
IF the Catholic Church when remember
hat have beard aud seen and talked with
Henry Edward Manning.
DR.. Manning is not, fnncy, very much
sf a political reformer. His inclinations
would probably be rather conservative
han otherwise. He Is drawn toward
Gladstone and the Liberal party Iess by
distinct political affinity, of wliici, there ia
,ut little, than by his hope and belief that
through Gladstone something will be done
or that ireland which, to this Oxford
The Catholic members of Parliament.
whether English or Irish, consult Arch.
,ishop Manning constantly upon all oues.
ions connected with education or religion.
His parlor in York Place-is the FREQUENT
Genes OF conferences which have their in
.uence upon the action of the House of
Commons. He is @ devoted upholder of
he doctrine of total abstinence from intox.
eating drinks and he is the only English
nan OF real influence and ability, except ,
'rancls Newman, who is in favor of pro-
lnitory legislation. He is the medium of
ommunicaGion between Rome and Eng.
and; the living link of connection he.
ween the English Catholic peer and the
rieh Catholic bricklayer. The position
,hieh !. he occupies is at all events quite
distinctive. There is nobody else in Eng !
ana VINO could set up the faintcst claim
any s1ch place: 1t would be superfluous
Q remark that do not expect the readers ,
I the GALAXY to have any sympathy with !
ne opinions, theological or political, of
uch man. But the man himself is wor-
ny OF profound interest, OF study, and I
ven OF dmlTation. He is the spirit, the ,
the form Of living English scholar and ,
entleman. He represents aud illustrates | ,
loVement the most remarkable, possibly !
ne most portentous, which has disturbed :