San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-07-06
Tho SI,n me Of England.

While there is u good deal OF latent
wholesome prejudice against England
in this country, growing out OF our
Revolutionary struggle, there is very
large class of people in our midst who
almost worship Britain aud British
institutions. Undeniably there IS
much OF freedom and progress there,
but it is wrought out for the Gerry feo
at the expense of the many. Probably
iu no country in Europe are the great
mass of the people in so abject and
hopeless a state Of ignorance and serVl'
tude; in none do they receive so little
sympathy. The Herod Of the mon
archy, nobility and priesthood has
Joined hands with the PLATE OF the
commercial interests for the slaughter
Of the rights Of the labovine millions.
And the worst feature of all lies in the
fact that England literally "glories in
her shame" She stands foremost in the
world as political pharisee-a "whited
sepulchre," full Of worse than dead
mems bones, viz: the perishing bodies
and souls of living men, women and
children, comprising the great mass OF
her own offspring. On precisely this
foundation is the superstructure of her
boosted greatness and grandeur reared.
In ample proof of what we have
said we invite attention to the follow
ing passage from a late article by Rev.
DR.. Prime. who has lately visited Eng.
land. We copy from the New York
Observer, remarking in passing that
the writer is very Jealous and bigot.
ed partisan of British institutions.
Read it, and say if there could posi-.
bly, be greater burlesque on eiviliza-
ton and Christianity than the condi-
ton of this boosted empire to-day:
The most painful reflection l have
in England, comes from the vast guilt
between the very rich and the very
Door. The extremes OF lite come into
such contrast as to make one doubt
the brotherhood OF man. WegO over
there with our republican notions Of
equality, and it is very hard for us to
reconcile this contrast with the doc
trne of common humanity, not to say
Christianity. In Scotland the most
reliqiow country in the world, the
land is owned by the smallest number
of people in proportion to the whole.
And the poverty of many who tend
the flocks, or till the lands, of the rich.
is something that we know nothing of
in our country. And We wonder, as
we wander in the midst of such insti-
tutions, that the worlds progress
makes so little change from generation
to generation in the condition of the
Industrious poor. The laws of entail.
the rights of promogeniture and an
Established Church are great social
arrangements which perpetuate certain
evils from which we are happily freed
To these evils may be added the caste
principle which prevails in England
as we'll as in india. The distinction
between the nobility and common clay
is greater than we can believe it to be,
until we see and feel its practical pow
er. Because wealth is so largely con-
centrated and perpetuated in the no.
bility, and poverty so exclusively pre-.
walls among the lower orders, the bond
of sympathy is not strong between
them, and the misery of the low does
not receive, as it ought, the notice and
relief of the upper classes. Hence the
extremes remain unchanged, and will
indefinitely.
The innate reverence of rank is, to
an American, inconceivable. But the
reverence of the English mind for
royalty is positive entertainment to
us untutored savages from the wilder
ness. Ladies and gentlemen will at
tend an exhibition, or anniversary, or
public meeting of any kind and give
their money freely to the object, if some
one of the royal family is engaged to
be present and give the light of his or
her countenance. The nearer to the
Head Of the family, the greater the
honor of course, but to have the re-
hottest tinge of royal blood, and next
to that to be of noble birth, is an at
traction that brings thousands into the
support of a cause from which they
would turn away; if it were not under
the patronage of the higher order. 1t
is impossible to convey, by words, the
depth and breadth of this homage to
nobility and royalty. |,