, 1880-06-27
CATHOLICS AND INFIDELS.
TIE TWO OPPOSING FORCES AGuAMG En-
GLAND.

Correspondence Ne1p York Times.
LONDON, June alt Is a fact worth thinking
about that Roman Catholicism on the one hand
and~ inf1delity on the other are the two chief
theological and intellectual forces Of the day.
Romanism Is great and growing power In En-
gland. The inndellty that is bcgot OF scientific
culture Is extending in London with rapidity
that church goers laye little knowledge Of.
Not the least remarkable feature Of the times Ii
the singular way in which the new Liberal Gov
-ernment holds out its: hnnds to Catholicism and
fnf1delity, though Mr. Gladstone's majority Is
acknowledged to be the result Of the Noncon-
forulst ticket. Now, the Dissentcrs are far
more intolerant toward priests and unbelieTers
than the Established Church is; and it is quite
certain to-day that If 11r. Gladstone asked Mid
Lothian to indorse his policy Of appointing a
Roman Catholic to the Vice-Regal chair Of
India and his federation OF Bradlaugh, the
Scotch Presbyterians would vote against
him to q man. Indeed. he has already re-
ceivcd q numerously signed protest against
his action IN this respect. In the past Mr. Glad-
stone has more than once had to defend himself
from the charge of being q Jesuit in disguise.
His latest answer was an attack on the Papacy
which made Holy Church vince. Nevertheless.
it must be accounted little stxunge that he has
filled the chief position in her Majesty's house.
hold with Roman Catholic, and elected one Of
As Col. Ingcrsol SO well says, the humble bee ts
most swollen when first hatchcd, so the convert
to Rome is blown out with sense Of his new
dignity and Importance. Peryerts are the re-
cruiting sergeants Of the Ronlfsh Church, and it
is nonsense to say that Lord Ripon, Ficeroy of
India, will not try to advance the interest OF
his new Church In the East To what extent he
is another question. Mr. Gladstone has already
had to declare In Parliament that LOru RipOn l5
not Jesuit. At the same time he has more or less
felt it incumbent upon him to fling protecting
shield over the worse than inEdel Bradlaugh-
Brond, unbiased minds may see in this an exam
Pile Of the Premiers generosity and liberal prin-
rezcnttng the difficulties which Minister in;
vokes when he merely runs for office" and
does not care fig how and By what means he
gets in, so that he does get in.
As for the question Of the oath raised by Brad-
laugh, the issue Is handicapped with the man.
II person of credit, and thought, and ,educa;,
the onth, he would have tapped an unsuspcctcd
spring Of sympathy; but Bradlnugh is a mouth.
Ing adventnrcr. the writer of IN obscene and
question before Parliament Isl, therefore, in
vested with good deal Of personal prejudice,
though It is generally believed Bradnugh will
hare fair play, md the forecast of the Com
1uittec's report is that they will find they
have no right to refuse to permit mem
Der to tnke the oath sas who is wiling ~ , to 40 90
declares that he is willing to take the onth and
wishes to do so and in his evidence yesterday he
repdates h,s own ,a at ne M oasn saw @
it will. He contends that the House has no
right, according to law, to refuse to allow him
to take it in full and without any reservation
whatever When it was first put TO him, he de-
clares, he did not refuse IT, but only asked to be
reported that he had no JUST claim, as the
Quukers hare, to ;. affirm" He thereupon pre-
1..-<1 <11au - ff1n JATH
declared that the oath would not be binding on
his conscience, that he does not believe in God,
and that the solemn formanty had no more in
tuence upon him than m empty sound: Brad
laugh is now fighting to be allowed to take the
oath, and to-day he says 1t will be binding on h1s
candidate Tor political and theological martyr
it was suggested in an American journal the
England. There could not be a fercer libel on
Ingersoll. The one is a giant, the other 3
pygmy; the one is q Hercules, tho other CALI
Brailatgh has neither. 1ngersoll thinks, Brad
laugh complies. Ingersoll Is In earnest. Brad
laugh IS a mere jobber:" don know whether
question Of the oath raised by person Of Brad
lnugh's character Tor want Of chnracter), or
whether It would hRve been betterit question ton
# viii not have quite dispassionate treatment
under. present circumstances, and. Il there .d =
laugh trails it in the gutter Of bis Fruits Of
the position By withdrawing from the ground
which he originally took up. A point Is being
made By tho Opposition fn regard to Brad
laughs election which may be taken as a way
side illustration of the thorough Office seeking
character OF the general election. Neither W;
Gladstone nor any other chief OF the Liberal
duce the Conservative majority by 20 or 30:
Therefore, notA stone was left unturned, ana
every chance WAS regarded. Even NJ. Brao-
vote was vote. Therefore, Mr. Adam. the Lib
eral whip, arranged that third Liberal candi-
favor Of Bradlaugh; and Mr.. Morley, the great
Nonconfmm1st member for Bristol, wrote Let