Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-23

uOHS III AlciaHu, pIOhS tlS COIiesloh Va 'iiN
Liberal party and speedily untitled it to
meet the serried front of the Tory oppo-
nents. and Disraeli, Salisbury, and asso-
ciates marched triumphantly to the high
places ofpower, plainly indicating that the
Liberal party must be reconstructed, with
new leaders and with issues shaped to the
awakened convictions of millions Of peo-
pie, who will not sleep nor tire until 81
ant wrong is cloven down and the noblest
principles of justice and fair play en-
throned.
An example of this rising opinion in
the English mind we have noticed in an
immense meeting in London recently
held in one of the largest audience rooms
of Europa meeting of sir thousand per-
sons, attended by no less than four men,
bers of the Parliament recently chosen,
in which various men of distinction spoke,
one of the best ofthe speeches being made
by an Episcopal clergyman, who took the
ground that his church would be purer,
stronger, and more useful without It's con-
nection with the Government. He de-
clared it would be better for Church and
State, if the Union were dissolved. The
Chairman OF this great London meeting,
in the opening speech, said;
"They could not play the Conservative and
prosper. (Applause.) 1t had been said that
it was the reckless and extravagant reforms
of the Liberal party that had brought their
downfall. Such statement, he need scarce
ly say, was utterly devoid of truth So long
as they were firmly led they we're victorious
" led Great reforms in ireland were &C.
complished with step which was irresis.-
tible, and there was vigour and impetus still
left in the Liberal party to achieve much
re-(applause) but when they turned
from Ireland to England they made the grand
discovery that what was sauce for the goose
was not sauce for the gander. daughter and
applause They found that what was disre-
garded in Ireland was revered in England,
and when they treated the cardinal question
of education so as to bolster up in this coun-
try that which they demolished in Ireland, it
became evident that their leaders did not be-
lieve in the universal application of those
great principles of equity and justice which.
if they existed at all, existed not for this cor
ner or for that, but for the whole. (Appiause.
The question only became difficult when they
approached the Church. The Church
poisoned the whole atmosphere of domestic
life, and it was impossible that it should be
otherwise so long as it existed as a gigantic
monopoly in country of equal rights-an
invidious supremacy, built up by artificial
means-a huge fragment of the obsolete past
projecting into the present, and standing
against the whole current of modern thought
(Applause.) 1t was impossible that such an
anomaly should exist, and that its existence
should not imperil and enbarrass every prob
lem which came within its reach. The Church
question was the lion in the path of the Lib
eral party. CLEAR, hear) Events and the
course of legislation, together with the pro-
gress of opinion, had led them to the question
of Church reform, and now there was no es-
Gaping from it, and until they had fought the
good fight they could not advance or retrieve
their position in the country"
1t was resolved to raise t100, 900 to aid
in making a campaign for Disestablish-
ment, and f22, 800 was raised in an hour.
There is little doubt that this movement
is to 90 forward with increasing momcn-
tum. The Committee chosen for the pur-
pose announced the intention to take early
steps for canvassing the country thor
oughly, and their determination to make
the separation of Church and State the
great Liberal question of the day. The
entire kingdom is to rock with that strong.
resistless tide of earnest, sturdy sentiment
which usually characteristics Great Britain
in important emergencies, and neither
Tory Cabinets nor Wing Lords can with
stand its force until its work is accom-
plished, though the time required may be
longer than sanguine persons anticipate.
This movement will be sustained not alone
by the Dissenters and Catholics. but by
many of the best persons of the Estab-
lishcd Church. and by fair-minded men
generally. 1t will be watched with lively
interest by friends of Reform, Liberty,
and Justice in all civilized lands.