The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-09
Journalism and the Clergy.

lrTo!h &c LOHdOn
During the recent meeting Of the Church
Congress Mt Plymouth discussion was
devoted to the reported dearth Of the best
kind Of candidates for holy orders. On
this subject the exactions Of the bishops,
Of the congregations, and Of society are apt
to differ; the qualifications thus severally
demanded vary, and all combined form a
composite standard OF somewhat high
kind. Two other topics occupied the Con-
gress-the .:alienated classes" and news
papers. One speaker complained that only
five per cent. OF the workingmen went to
church. Rev. II. Hugo said that the mobs
of Lancashire and London are rs heather
rs those denounced by st. Paul in the first
chapter OF the Epistle OF the Romans. Some
OF the denunciations thus hurled at the
humber classes in the metropolis and in one
OF our greatest counties are too strong for
quotation-the mildest are bad enough. II
this clerical gentleman speaks the truth the
masses OF our people are I" filled with all
unrighteousness, wickedneSs, covetouSness,
bate, deceit, malignity; back-biters, haters
OF God, despiteful, proud, boasters, invent
ors of evil things, disobedient to parents
without understanding, covenant-breakcrs,
without natural affection, implicable, I'M
mcrciful." 1t is easy for Mr.. Hugo
to fling about such wild charges, but
we doubt much whether his knowledge is
equal to his zeal. He gave as his ideal Of
sermon that it must be "short and
sharp" Ii all his are sharp rs this a
little would certainly 60 q long way. No
| wonder that after such an outburst the con-
rrcss fell to lamenting the defects OF the
modern press. Nothing half as full-favored
as Mr.. Hugo's diatribes appears IN ordinary
journalism. 1t seems that the secular press
is not religious enough for Mr.. Hugo and
his friends; therefore one gentleman pro-
posed that "a penny weekly newspaper for
the Million should be started, and another
that it should be subsidized by the Chris
tian knowledge Society to the extent OF ten
thousand year. There is something round
and mouth-tilling in both proposals; 4 mil
| lion readers is fine prospect for any Jour
nalist: subsidy OF 100000 year Is also
solid and satisfactory. But in being entitled
to speak with some authority on this topic,
and having no enmity to the clergy,
we should not advise them to desert
their parsonages and pulpits for the edito-
rial office and desk There is q certain mys-
tcry about every craft, and we are not sure
that journal entirely supplied with lead
ing articles by persons formerly accustomed
to writing sermons would be either an in
teresting or influential publication. We
fear that it would require something more
than the proposed subsidy to keep it long
afloat The proposer OF this clerical eXpe-
| dition into new field denounced certain
section of London papers as Dissenting,
Radical, and irreligious." Will this KIND
of vague dcnunciation be the model for the
new editor: Could not the piolls assallant
be little more distinctive in his attacks ?
A Radical may or may not be "rrell-
rious'': a "Dissenter" may OF may
not be 4 Radical When, however,
whole party of men is described as at the
same time " dissenting" and "lrreliSous,'
we fear that the unfortunate gentleman
who uttered the words must live in very
narrow ideal church Of his own. with the
notion that all outside are something like
the heathen. II he is appointed to conduct
the neWsChurch paper it will certainly be
formidable rival, not to its secular contem-
| poraries, but to some OF those clerical jour-
mails that are now distinguished for yltupe-
ration. But whether the Christian Know
ledge Society will give him G10, 900 Il year
in order that week after week he may de-
nouncc " dissenters" rs '' irreligious " re-
mains to be seen. They will probably pre-
fer to spend the money. as now, on " books
and novelettes and Illuminated cards "-en-
gines OF conversion which Canon ErSklne
Clarke spoke OF with some contempt.