The Lake Charles echo., 1878-08-01
FREE THOUGHT AND THE
OIIOGY.

itLondou letter to the Baltimore Sun.
This noon was at o meetiDg ot
! literary men, who are considering the
best means OF cooperation with Victor
Hugo and Edmund About in reference
to the great international literary con-
gress, to be held in Paris, from June d
to the 10th. at this meeting tins chief
| lions of literature in Landon were pres
ent. ] propose to allude to them all in
due season, in associations appropriate.
Now, Simply select one by way of con-
trast to the central figurein the gloup OF
theological doctors and their disciples
herein described afterwards
This man, Herbert Spencer, is un-
tioubtedly the foremost leader of =" free
thought" in Europe, must confess to
very small knowledge of slave thought,
and therefore, am not a boisterous de-
claimer about an imaginative novelty
termed Stree Thought" for j never
knew when thought was anything else
put frse. 1t they mean free expression
for Fl" free thought" j am with them
clearly. In this group, composed OF
that literary galaxy which embraces
Lord Hoaghten, Mr.. w. E. Gladstone,
Prof. Tyndall, Prof Fawcett, Robert
Browning, Canon Farrar Robert
Love- Prof. Huxley, Sir William
Lawson, Mr.. John Walter, Mr..
Thomas Carlyle, the duke of Argyle,
Alfred Tennyson, Edmund Locker,
Wilkie Collins and Charles Reade, the
character of Herbert Spencer stands out
in bold relief In his varied writings on
Especial philosophy" or his disquisi>
tions on the ." principles of psychology"
to say nothing of his marvellous essays
on the principles Of mortality" he
stands unapproachsd by any European
"tree thinker" of his age. That sad
face of his looks as if he were saying con
stantly to himself, "Eo GodF What
lies beneath these first principles them
selves? FIom what region come they9
What is the unseen foundation on which
! the superstructureae rests? The same sad
face ianswers, 1.-THE unkhowable," and
whispers, "Some essential verify must
be llosked for" A sad man, typical of
aueer phantasmata and fallacies; of con
tradictions of Kant, of speculations OF
Sir William Hamilton, of German me-
.taphysical puEsles and ''fincoherent
heterogeneity." Yethow preeminently
interesting is his sadness and that blank
which says, "No iGodf" interesting
because painful, painful because erso-
neous. Cardinal Manning. This is lhs
reception day. The entire of the ibishepe
of the Roman cGathslic chufch in Eng
land are at this reception. The majority
of the patrician Catholic families ol
England are at this reception. lit is an
interesting gathering. What talegion oi
ilIbrainii What O roll of blue blood
4 The vast saloons are thronged. .There
\ iis an animation and guilelsss ,afiabiiity
which impressee us forcihly afteriIeayine
n the iceberg fofmality around the lliterar,
lions named above. In this great ,grony
\ the figure .of the ,cardinalsstands ont lik,
q painting of o priest of the mediSva
times. There are % few men ip this cit,
who have 40 firmly and tairly graspet
: the entire counsel Of God as manifested
by the incarnation OF His son, and few
men who have 20 tenacioualy held til,
single place ON the rock of Peter as Car
tdinal Manning. For this reason hi
clear and luminous style. of preaching
guiding and projecting under the agenc!
of God in every walk of allite, point
ing to that kingdom of which sstther
shall lbe no end" For this reason WI
. see jew and Gentle in eager siIenc
within the reach of his voice every Sun
day in this graat world N London.
: The whole mien and appearance q
. this great divine gave me the limpressiol
of an earnest mar. OF high moral feeling
= ! purity of purpose and intensely religion
! sentiment. OF clear intellect and mar
lxelous mental reach, yet aa simple az