Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-08-14
THE DEAD ENGLISH BISHOP.
some IntereStfDE Facts Concerning
the late Bishop Wi1bcrfOrce.

II
the late Bishop WilbcrfOrce.
Moncure D. Conway writes from Lon
don as follows to the Cincinnati Com
mercial, respecting Bishop Wilberforce,
who was killed by falling from his horse;
DR.. Wilberforce was too formidable a
man to large parties in the English
Church to be popular among them; he
was abIer than any man they had, and
especially he was the most effective
platform speaker in the Church. Nor,
although the crowd liked to listen to
him, was he popular among the people
generally. He was man of the world,
and he so completely looked it that ne
did not get credit for sincerity IN the
solemn performances and utterances
which his episcopal office rendered ne
cessary. The nickname he has for years
seen known by" Saponaceous Sam"
really represented the popular verdict
upon the man whose eloquence all ad-
mitted. He was q very handsome man
or would have been had there been a
triAe less hauteur in his gait and man
ner-and the enormous work that he did
in the punctual fulfillment Of his epis-
copal functions seemed to have some
mysterious embalming power over
him, for at sixty-eight his smooth,
rosy face, quick eye, vivacious
step and manner, and the entire absence
of gray in his hair, would have marked
him as much under sixty. He was not
profound scholar, and what relations
he had with learned societies was ac-
corded to the prelate rather than the
man; but he had considerable literary
ability--though he was dull when not
controversial 1t is a singular instance
of how strong the force of reaction is IN
human nature, that both OF the sons OF
the famous William Wilberforce, after
being brought up in the straight, Puri-
tanieal way, should have rebounded-
the one into the Church of Rome, the
other TO the head of the High Church
party. Bat the High Church party has
never found in him successful leader.
He was too worldlywise to throw himself
heart and soul into their causei he was
not ready, like Pusey, to accept logically
results that might have endangered the
bench on which he sat; he fought many
pitched battles, but was never ready to
enter on the ERrpath and fight it out for
a principle. 1t is impossible, even in
the hour when one would omit nothing
good that can be said of him, to regard
HIS EPISCOPAL CAREER
as a noble enc. He gave himself out
as High Church Evangelical" and,
while he was unctuously evangelical in
his talk, his deeds were not alwpys the
same. While he was Bishop of Oxford
there occurred the famous excitement
following Earl Russelrs appointment Of
DR.. Hampden to be Bishop of Hereford.
Hampden was hereto, about the same
As DR.. Temple (now Bishop Of Exeter,
but unlike Temple, he did not bend be-
/ fare the blast The Bishop of Oxford
/ IN whose diocese Hampden had been q
rector) threatened proceedings. in case
the hereto did not withdraw his "Bamp-
TON Lectures" Hampden having re-
fused. Wilberforce had to come down.
and SO be wrote saying that having ex-
amined the said lectures he found moth
inc SO bad in them after all. This
roised a laugh. ! have no doubt but
tbat had It not been for this incident
~ hen Bishop Of Oxford might have
baen nov mourned as the Pnmate
of an Englsnd, instead Of the Bishop
n Winohester. Twice be vas passed
overly the sppointmeot OF pr. la.t,
bis inferior in everything bpt honesty ~
1855, when the BishOpric Of Lond0n be-