Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-13
THINGS IN GENERAL.

was pretty long one threatened indeed to
last all night, and the subject was somewhat
remote from the understanding and interest of
a stray American visitor and Icame away in
the midst of it. But was greatly interested in
Charles Bradlaugh himself. He sat. of course.
on one of the Opposition benches. the right
place for him. And close beside him sat the
very lively delegation from ireland, making
themselves quite conspicuous, keeping things
stirred up and not always in dignihed fash.
ion. but representing, nevertheless. q good
cause, standing for people asking for their
rights.
. That was good neighborhood for Brad
laugh. always intent on the obtaining and
maintaining of all the rights which belong TO
man. And the speech he was making was as
significant In its revelation of the man as bis
place or his neighbora II seems that somebody
had been doing something or saying something
against the interests of the Maharajah OF
Kashmir. have quite forgotte en- the nature of
the alleged injustice. 1t seems to me that, on
some rather suspicious information, he had
been suspended from his office. Mr. Bradlaugh
wanted that matter investigated He was not
prepared to defend the Maharajah, who ap-
pears, indeed. to be good deal of a rascal; but
he wanted the Government to make absolutely
sure that they were proceeding righteously in
their deposition. He had been assured that
the Maharajah's aecuser hao selfish interest
in his downfall.
Looked Like Henry Ward Beecher.
Charles Bradlaugh. as remember him. and
sat quite near him. looked like Henry Ward
Beecher. A man of splendid stature, with a
fine great head, smooth face, strong mouth
clear eyes. resonant and persuasive voice. You
might mistake him for a parson; one of the
STRAIGHT md 1liu rp;t
opinions of his own.
Charles Bradlaugh knows more theology to-
day. and knows it better, than the Archbishop
of Canterbury or the Holy Father at Rome.
While he lived he counted himself wiser than
either OF these high dignitaries. Now he
KNOWS exactly how wise or unwise he was. We
have no reason to think that death makes any
makes up man, goes straight on. What we
are to-day is the basis and condition Of what
we Will be tomorrow. And even if death
comes in between tomorrow and to-day, it is
not likely that this great law of inevitable sue
cession will fail. But death must make vast
affect theology. How many elaborate
oi plans m,s Of If charts s5
first five minutes after DEATH Charles
Bradlaugh has no doubt, changed some of his
opinions in the face of that revelation. But
what and how-who will venture to declare?
account Of the life of Bradlaugh, written by
Mrs. Anne Besant in the April number of the
RsuteW OF Reute,Us For many years Mrs. Be-
SAINT was Charles Bradlaugh's right hand. They
the same sentiments, had their names coupled
together IN the denunciations of the orthodox,
ana suffered common persecution. Nobody
lives who knows him better than she did
Of course. one cannot look to such hand for
much even-minded criticism. There is little
room left in such place for absolute impair
tlality That anyhow. is the rarest of virtues.
Almost without exception, one scale or the
other Is sure to dip . little. But of
the two partialities, give us the partiality of
friendship. Nine times out of ten that will be
the truer of the two. The kindest judgments
are the nearest right. That is the affirmation
of experience. This judgment. written here by
one free-thinker, infidel, atheist, reformer
champion Of truth, saint. hero of liberty.
martyr-take your choice of names-about
another. is the kindest and tenderest and most
reverent sort Of Judgment possible. And very
good and profitable reading for that reason.
Two Very Similar Characters.
L was reminded. on every page, of Edna
Lyall's I'VE Two" Luke Raeburn and Charles
Bradlaugh had much in common. Both began
as Christian boys. both put hard questions to
the parish priest and got hard answers back
accentuated with bigotry, both started def
initely on career of theological knight-er-
town. both spent strength and fortune in fight |
ing for truth as they conceived it, |
and against the meanness. the injustice, the |
the un-Christlikeness of Christian, |
they both died unbelievers. It is evident, it |
seems to ME. that in the general outline of the |
Two" told the story of the conflicts of Charles
Bradlaugh. |
The Rev James Graham Packer of st. |
Peters, Hackney road, set his confirmation !
.Ia l,.-, %I.- y, A
ticles and comparing them with the New Testa- |
ment. The task was foolish one. The Articles |
the position which was taken by the |
Church several ralhundred'years ago in the face of |
the controversies of that distant day. And they |
have, accordingly, certain historical interest |
But the controversies have long since quite |
changed. We are not thinking now about |
the questions which puzzled them then, but |
about quite different questions. And the |
Church asks nobody to believe in the Thirty
nine Articles, nowhere recites them in the |
service. nowhere provides for their teaching
or believing: has set them next to the cover in |
the revised Prayer Book and will set them |
altogether outside the cover one of these days. |
They are true. Yes; but the heads and hearts
of confirmation classes are not to be distracted /
by them.
Questions He Could Not Answer.
This, however, was not the position of the
Rev. Mr.. Packer. who had Charles Bradlaugh
In his class for confirmation. The boy must
He wrote to his pastor, asking for some ex.
plantations. The good man fell into a rage
he was not able to answer the boys
questions. Nobody gets mad at questions
which he is able to answer. Mrs. Besanr thinks
that the parson was indignant because the boy
presumed to try to understand, instead of
being willing to learn with proper meekness,
,akIng truth on faith. The chances are how
aver, that the parson simply didn't know, and
couldn't answer, and so fell back on his clerical
having no other fund of argument
20 apply to. The boy was not confirmed. His |
parents were written TO. He was an atheist, |
;he CLERICAL authority informed them. He was
suspended for three months from his office |
IS Sunday School teacher that he might repent |
Ind betake himself to orthodoxy and better
mind. That worked exactly as well IN the case
If young Bradlaugh as 1t did in the case of Mr..
MacQueary.
The Met6odists, it is said, lost General Booth,
md with him the Salvation Army, by setting |
lin down before the large and dull but ex,
remely orthodox volumes of theology, and in- |
orming him that unless in six months his ideas
bout religion could be run into these two
Ingular moulds and hardened there, never af-
erwards to change hairs breadth, he could
Tot be Methodist minister. He tried it, but
us ideas were too big for the mould. 1t
vas the case OF new wine in old
] urned mis- back on Methodisln, and Charles
3radlaugh set his face against institutional |
Christianity. Bradlaugh. shut out from Sun
lay school, spent his Sunday afternoons at
sonner's Fields, where political and religious
discussions were held. with rock for a pulpit |
nd the sky for a sounding-board. Presently
le became a speaker, and by the time the three
months were over he had given up the Sunday
chool for good, and the church along with it.
A Change of Attitude.
The incident is notable nowadays as repre-
enting the change which has taken place in |
be attitude of orthodoxy toward inquiring
nbelief. Nothing pleases the modern parson
etter than to be asked theological questions
t shows him that the young people are alive