The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-23
Mgr. Seton Eloquently Speaks
Of the Influence of the
American Revolution
on English Liberty.

Mackey, Mr.. and Mrs. F. o. Cole, Major
! and Mrs. u. X. Pangborn, Mss Hattie
Furnival, DR.. Noble and Miss Noble, Mr.
| and Mrs. Andrew J. Corcoran. Mr. ana
/ Mrs. VIM. A. Corcoran, Mr.. and Mrs
NJ. J. Furst, DR.. and Mrs. L. K
Chambers, Mr.. and Mrs. ]. A. Dear, MI.
4 and Mrs. II. V Condfct, NJ. D., Mrs. A. !.
Drayton, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Black,
| Mr.. and Mrs. C. R. Heike, VIM. e.
| Brown, Mr.. Albert G. Wall, Mrs
| Josephine Lee, Chief and Mrs. Benjamin
| Murphy, Professor r. Waters, MISS
| Waters. Miss Cecilia Gaines.
Dinner was served at seven o'clock,
| preceded by an invocation, delivered by
4 Monsignor Seton. The menu was as fol-
lows
Green Turtle Soup, a rAnglaise
Hot House cucumbers
Fried Sole. White Wine Sauce
Bermuda Potatoes
Filet Mignon, with Mushrooms
| Florida String Beans, Potatoes en- Surprlse
Cherry Pun
Roast Philadelphia SQUAD, with dresses
Cranberry Jelly
Lettuce Salad, French Dressing
4 Tortoni Ice Cream Fancy LAKES
Roauefort Cheese Toasted Biscuits
Fruits Gomez
President Condict, when speech-making
time arrived. gave an exhaustive address
on the aims of the club and the occasion
which it was celebrating. Following MN
was the speaker of the evening. Rev. DR..
Seton, whose eloquent address on "The
influence of the American Revolution on
English Liberty aroused great enthu-
siasm. The distinguished speaker said
The first thought that came to my mind
when this subject was proposed 10 me LOT
an address at the Cosmos Club, was Har-
vey's theory of the circulation OF me
blood. Blood is a vital fluid hIndd i, II Il, Is a anr
physical organism, that liberty IS 70
mans free viii and understanding and to
his spiritual life. which Is ,s,h the me NE b oo tn9
man will lose but with his life. England
has been the home Of liberty. OF political
and constitutional liberty 50 Tar apd oa Magn as
Charta wrung from King John at
R~unnymede "a. D., 1870 seven hundred
years ago, is still essentially the great
on WHEN however, through the v~icissi-
tudes of time, the operation OF feudai
laws. the change of dynasties, and. above
transitions at the era of the Reforma-
lion these popular liberties had been
weakened and the royal authority sur
prisingly strengthened, as IN the Vaivular
1 SVSIeHI lic AaANC
vessels and from these returns to the
heart-so these fundamental principles OF
liberty, coursing through the American
colonies, were reaffirmed in the Deetar-
alton Of independence and sent back to
the mother country. All the orlgihai
thirteen colonies, whatever their prevail
ing form of religion: Puritans OF Massa-
chusetts, Quakers of Pennsylvania, Catn-
olics of Maryland, Presbyterians OF New
Jersey, Episcopalians of New York, Vir-
ginia and the Carolinas, were of English
settlement, English blood, ng n
Der and short duration OF the RUE OF
Dutch in New York and New Jersey and
of Swedes in Delaware being negligeable
Quantities for the purpose of any %conten-
ton. This Is recognized in that gem of
English literature, Gertrude OF Wyoming:
land England sent her men, from men
the chief,
Who taught those sires of Empire yet
to be.
To plant the tree of life-to plant fair
Freedoms tree.
"When finally after much patient en-
durance. long forbearance and many un-
awaiting petitions of redress, the revo-
lutionary war broke out Horace Walpole
pronounced himself unable to conceive
how a friend of British freedom could
view with equanimity the subsection OF
America In my opinion two of the earlier
and more important consequences or ef-
fects of the American revolution on
| EIlS1t2i ~
diminution of the kingly p~rerogative, and
d. the principal elimination of the
privilege of birth as a necessary condition
of ruling. These reforms, and others toe
numerous even to mention, were not sud-
denly and violently introduced, but began
slowly. worked steadily, and came as
gradually as Englishmen perceived the
success of our American form of govern
ment. when they saw that the American
Constitution was not like a house BULL
upon the sand, but was like a fortress
founded on a rock.
stAll through the seventeenth and eigh-
teenth centuries the sovereign's will, TX
pressed in the royal veto, were absolute
fassobs u fo aaf pu or domestic ouueG o. w With tas the
nineteenth century a great change came
over the spirit of England. The people
began to agitate for a return to theiI
REPRESENTATIVES of rights that had beer
usurped by the crown, and the crown has
never more dared to oppose-at least fol
any length Of tine ,,lfe a ahe SO aaa aa 20 pfo-
whether Catholic emancipation, the re.
moval Of Jewish disabilities, the enlarge
ment of the franchise, or any others thai
we're a certain expression of the popula,
will calling for the redress of wrongs, OF
the restitution of rights. So much so tina
in England-more h in any other mon
arrhv with a parliament and a constitu.
tion-it is true tina the king reigns bu
does not govern" 1t is an historical and
the head Of the administration, or Prime
Minister, in England, was almost always
chosen from the Upper House, and thu
J House of Lords exercised not a balancing
but a decisive power IN the government
If there was a clash of interests between
the aristocratic and the popular branch
between the louise Of Lords and pI II,
band not the latter that prevailed. Suc'
expressions were formerly in constant US
in England. 'Our nobility the 'grea
governing families. and others that woult
now sound either meaningless or ridicu
: lous.
Almost all Peers interfered in the cleo
lions. They had their nominees-ofte
!, members of their own family. They con
! trolied sometimes several, sometimes evel
q considerable number of boroughs-
: whence the now odious terms of Clos
Borough, Pocket Borough and Rottel
: these constituencies to Parliament wa
. hardly more h gratifying by votes
the lordly nomination and obtaining al
!, official certificate to this effect. Such out
! RACES on the people and such interference
in the elections have absolutely ceased
: and we are tempted to say in view of tn
! influence of our revolution: Post hoe erg'
! proDter hoe. The. case Is now altogethe
REVERSED and the House of Lords doe