The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-03-11
Notes of Summer Travel.
In Ensland's Metropolis-The Established
Church-Public Spirit of the Royal
FamiIy-ParIiament House, Etc.
LONDON, Sept. %, 1881.


You well know the strong inherited
love l have had, from child, for dear
old England, the mother-land. That
ardent admiration, at first perhaps pref
udicod and unreasohing, has grown more
and more into settled conviction. 1t
se,ms to m, that The b,astful AFRO
pancc with which some Americans decry
all that is English finds no parallel save
in the petty conceit Of u strnttihg boy
who likes to fancy himself wiser and
better than his father. We belong to one
great race. The same blood which has
made glorious tile history Of the English
people III this Island Empire, gives
strength and vigor to the English people
in our young Republic.
London, Epglands great metropolis, is
a little world in itself. One cannot learn
it in a week, or q; month, yet its people
possess some characteristics so strongly
marked TINT "Le who runs may read"
We are early impressed by the fact this
wonderful nation is essentially religious
nation. Especially is this seen in the
observance Of Sunday. The sancity OF
the Sabbath day is nowhere recognized
on the continent. The shops are brilliant
and inviting, tho drinking saloons do
good traffic. The churches are almost
deserted, The broader streets are well
coyerered with small tables around which
the crowds gather, and idly sip wine or
beer. Even Geneva, where Caiyln's
rigid code was once enforced, is now
giyea over to worldliness and careless Nv
ing. Here, the reverse is conspicuonsly
:true. One can not buy dinner at hotel
or restaurant except in the stipulated
hours. The news Of President Garfield's
assassination was cabled first on Satur-
day evening. We were told that we
could learn nothing more Of his condi-
ton until Monday, except through the
private kilograms of the American Ex-
change. As business is altogether sus-
pended, so are the churches-whose
name is legion-crowded with earnest
and attentive worshippers. l do not
mean simply that tho people throng here
or there to hear this. or that wonderful
preacher l have seen parish churches
filled, although the sermon was very or
binary: Besides it's Sunday worship,
there are on every week day at st. Pauls
Cathedral, five services. CHANGING in
at one Of these hours of prayer, the other
day, found assembled what we would
consider an excellent Sunday congrega-
ton for one Of our large churches.
How far this devout temper of the
people may be due to their established
church, l may not now inquire. We
have seen, elsewhere, the union of Church
and Statc-nay, we have seen the church
assuming the States place and usurping
her functions, and as its result, we have
an Italy practically divorced from all
religion. But England does not furnish
"a parallel case. The church here usurps
no civil authority. Her Bishops, her
councils with the Lords of the Realm,
constitute the Honse of Peers; their in
khuence may be to chrstianize and elevate
the Govern,nent-thcy can not contrcl it.
Possibly, Nell, you share the common
misconception concerning the reve-
,nues Of this established church. 1t
is an error to suppose that the Govern
mcnt gives one pound to the church.
Her wealth is the free gift Of individuals
Suppose you should leave a large sum OF
money to some benevolent institution
with the proviso that it should preserve
the principal intact, and use the interest
from year to year. Now, something sim.
liar to this was done by the proprietors
Of many large estates i'll England long
ago. Only, III beqneathing this per
petual income to the church, they die
not obtain it from money deposited ii
bank, but from the land they possessed
Il snrer legacy: they gave the church, a!
it were, a mortgage upon their land, EN-
powering her to collect year by year, for
ever, the amount stipulated. So you SC,
that the union of Church and State her,
..neans nothing more than that this Els
,tablishcd Church is the Church of TIN
English people, the Church of their low
and allegiance. And she is doing nobl,
IL Chnrch's work in the land. Sh
gathers into her fold at once the highes
and the lowest and is a nursing mother t.
them all. Never since that glorious Re
blood Of her martyrs, has she been NOR
full of spiritual life and energy. W
know that the power OF christianity la
more or less leavened all society. Bn
here we feel, indeed, that the king
donS Of the world arc become the kin.
.dons of one Lord and Of His Christ.
The magnificent Central Hall Of til
Houses of Pertinent holds this psrpetna
reminder for the Peers aud Common
alike who rule the rstinias OF the n;
ton: Except the Lord keep the house
their labor is hut lost that build it." Til
very Queen who sits upon the thron
receives her crown and scertre from til
hands of the Church in the solemn pr,
cincts of Westminster Abbey. In a
things, Gods hand is acknowledge,
Gods mighty aid Invoked.
We can not be here long without b
coming sensible Of the public spirite
sentiments which animate the Roy:
Family. If there is all ordinary fire i