Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-06
CURRENT TOPICS In EUROPE.
highlands Civil War.-lmpressiOns
Of Parliament.-Roumania's
Queen, Etc.

respondence OF the DEsEREr NEWS.
1t is only now, after a lapse Of two
centuries, that the minds Of mer
seem capable of grasping the impor-
lance Of the events of the Great
Civil War Of England in the seven,
teenth century. The numerous his,
tories that have been ublished con.
corning that epoch Of English his.
tory plainly indicate the Interest
taken in the subject by both Catho.
lie and Protestant, Churchman and
Nonconformist. There had been
revolutions and popular uprisings in
the British Islands at various times,
similar to those that had occurred on
the Continent and had produced
no permanent insult; but it was
during the wars Of the seventeenth
century that the British people de-
veloped those traits Of character that
distinguish the English-speaking
people from all others. True 1t is
that British constitutional liberty
had been growing for centuries, but
IT had been in a great part merely
regulations Of land titles, priestly
domination, or military duties. The
time had come when the religious
character Of the islanders was to
find recognition in the fundamental
law Of the land, and civil liberty in
the British Islands became some
thing essentially different from that
enjoyed in any other part Of the
world.
"The Great Civil war-Claren-
don calls 1t the great rebellion-was
10 certain extent the outcome OF
the Reformation. Since the down
fall Of Romanism the English edi.
ton Of the Bible had become not
only the most popular, but, as
Green, the historian, says, the only
book about which every Britisher
knew something. The consequence
was that religion dominat-
ed politics. To thousands Of
the Puritans, Of which Cromwell
and his Ironsldes were but examples,
the scriptures were the very voice
of God TO a careless generation.
Those who believed this were ready
10 die rather than this voice should
be silenced. The divine right of
private judgment was the great I'M
idea of that time. Each
individual had the right to decide
for himself. Nothing should be
allowed TO interfere with it-neither
parliaments nor armies nor SOW
ereigns. This was the leaven that
permeated the armies Of Fairfax and
Cromwell. Charles could not IN
derstand the religious strength
to him. 1t is TO the pressure
Of determined minorities that all
worthy reforms are still owing, and
the use Of force only renders the OBJ
ject aimed at more difficult Of
The above quotation,
taken from n work entitled "rhe
Great Civil War" by Mr.. Samuel
Gardner, may give n faint idea Of o
work which is well worthy care
full perusal by both English and
American readers.
The present may he called the dull
season Of Parliament One may
look long over the empty benches in
search of n character Practic-
ally there are only two persons in
the House Of Commons whose ap-
pearance and peculiar ways 1t Is
worth the while for an impressionist
10 study. These two are Mr.. Glad
stone and the O'Gorman MahOn.
Mr.. Gladstone, II would seem, is n
life study. One never gets weary
Of him. He is one of the most PIC
turesque Of men. His mobile face.
bis gestures, his habits, the constant
byplay of passion, and humor, and
human interest OF every kind of
which he Is the centre, are n joy
forever. And then the O'Gorman
Mahon-who that has seen him can
forget the duelist OF fifty years ago,
the handsome old giant with his
crown Of waving white hair, his
eccentric dress, hisunforgetable hat,
bis Old-wOrld manners and speech
yarnished with racy metaphors,
that belong TO the days of Major
half n century ago?
Bright and Gladstone were
lifelong friends Of the OiGorman
Mahon and the latter is
70 still. II is touching to see the old
men sometimes meet in lobby or cor
-idor and exchange greetings. Both
nave that touch Of courtesy which
now seems 70 be Dying ont with the |
.lUse Of the century.
Newspaper reporters claim that
here is no fun in the House Of |
commons nowadays. Everybody |
5 so respectable. The Irish MEM
,ers are all on their best behavior.
They wear irreproachable coats and
lats, and II you want TO gain admis-
lon to the gallery ofthe House they
ne the ones to apply to-thst is If
'ou want TO get In
Queen Elizabeth OF Roumania Is
oming to England, and, Of course,
here Is a flutter Of excitement. Per-
apps some Of our American liter
RIGS will recognize her best by her
om-de-plume Of Carmen Sylvia
Inder this title she is more widely
nown than any woman on the
yntinent. Both her poetical and
rose works are widely read and
,me of her paintings adorn the
Of her capital. She
as established art schools,
nd encouraged industry by
olding exhibitions in ROumania-
he has taken part in philauthropic
ork, and founded industrial schools,
pspitals. etc. The heart Of her hus-