Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-08-14

came vacant and in 1866, when the See
OF Canterbury became vacant. He was
much more pronounced as a High
Church partisan after his non.appoint-
ment 10 London; and in the Diocese OF
Oxford Roman Catholic vestments aud
altar decorations. and the daily com
munions and Ritualistic ceremonies
blossomed out with tropical luxuriance.
An immense zone Of medieval architec
ture, stained windows representing long
forgotten saints, and the like, remains
TO cell where he held sway; and yet he
aided in opening the doors OF the Uni
versities 20 Dissenters, and after n long
denunciation Of the disestablishment OF
the Irish Church, voted for it.
II is remarkable that
THE NICKNAME
TO which / have adyerted was originally
an arrow shot by this same Lord West
bury, whose life and death are, with those
Of his antagonist, chronicled in the
pages of yesterdays journals. 1t was
in those days when the Church was
startled by Lord Westbury's decision in
the case Of the Essays and Reviews "
summed up by the Inns, in an epitaph
on the Chancellor as having nonsuited
the devil and dismissed hell with cost"
that the Bishop of Oxford saw the
University which his party looked upon
as its stronghold passing into occupation
of the Broad Church; and he was kin
died to great wrath. He had secured
the condemnation of the her etical vol
ume from the Convocation; but the Lord
Chancellor (Westbury) cared about as
much for the Cohvocation as for Tooley
street tailors. In his gentle silvery way
he spoke Of the judgment delivered by
the Convocation as "oily and sapona-
ceous." Bishop Wilberforce so ragged
over this that he helped the world to
place the cap on his head, and " "Sapo-
naceous Sam" he remained on the popu-
lar tongue.
AN ENGLISH OPINION.
The London Times disregarded one of
its ordinary rules by printing second
leading article on the lamented bishop.
We extract the following:
There was hardly position DR.. Will
berforce was not qualified for. Such
was his industry that he had mastered
every subject of conversation, and such
his address that he was everywhere the
chief as well as the most agreeable in
formant. He could talk about politics;
about polemics when necessary; about
the history and literature of the past and
present century; about pictures, parks
and gardens, trees and shrubs, and all
that is dear to country gentlemen; he
had gossip for the ten thousand, and
whatever he said he could always say
it WELL and in as kindly manner as the
subject allowed. Few people knew
more of the country we live in. Had he
never been seen out Of diEing room he
would still have been one ofour notables.
But he was as great and as successful in
the church and in the Senate, within the
other circumscribed sphere of success
allowed to an English prelate. Pitt
said that William Wilberforce was the
only man he was never tired of listening
to, and we doubt whether anybody was
ever wearied, or otherwise than pleased,
with DR.. Wilbeforces speeches or SER
mons. Even when he was unprepared
or fatigued, the richness of his voice
and the variety of his intonations made
all music to the hearers. Did he look
before him, the level of this dull cam
paign, or to that higher region SO often
on his lips2 We can none of us be
Judges. Nor is it our concern. All
that we can see, all that we need reeog-
nize, and what we certainly are bound
to recognize, is an uninterrupted career
of intense, earnest and steadfast devo-
ton to the highest objects within our
ken, and to the best possible discharge
of an Englishman's duties to the church,
to society and to mankind, not forgetting
the special'object of an universal eman-
cipation, inherited as sacred trust from
his venerated father.