Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-27
ENGLAND HAS TROUBLES OF Her own
A Bitter War is Now in Progress
Within the Church.
CEN SOR SHIP IN SSIA
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

memora hiIia of the first and second en-
pires, both fashioned by Napoleons out of
the chaos of the preceding republics And
why not a third empire erected out of
lettering republic by third Napoleon? One
might think that the very publicity given
the facts, the canvassing of opinion il the
press, the telegraphing of details of con-
spiracies. suggests that of all unlikely
things this Napoleonic movement is the
NEST unlikely to succeed. But there are
evidences that Prince Victor has himself
well in hand, and nowadays, when news
must be had even if not absolutely true.
publicity does not count against success.
The dangerous element in France Is her
large standing army with no real head.
The first principle of militarism is leader
ship. and the German, recognizing this, has
made his war lord his sovereign. l be-
lieye the French army today would well
come leader who at the same time was
their emperor. Were 1t possible for the
French republic to rid itself of large por-
ton of it's army 1t might outlfve the pre-
tenders, but this cannot be done. and the
situation is critical. France may pass
through the crisis safely without a change
of government but it is a fact that few
think SO. and all eyes are turned to the
pretenders to her quondam throne.
The Orleanists are yacillatlng and weak
pCmpous enough to make an impression.
but without the courage to dare. The Bour-
bons are shoddy, but geptlemany, with
nothing great about them.
A Name to COnjure With.
Napoleon is the name to conjure with in
France 1t brings to mind a refulgent glow
OF empire and of power. of that possible
pomp and glitter which shall dazzle the
crowd; those memories of the second en-
pire which shall soothe the aristocrats who
for ten years have been crying that the
republic has turned Paris into provincial
town, and to whom only the Russian al
lance. with it's courtly pageants its royal
representatives. has made life possible
Empire, which is synonym for Napoleon,
too. will compensate France for her lost
provinces. for it is not the sense of loss
that is making her cry for revenge, but
sense of inferiOrity.
Empire would put her on a level with
Germany, while at the same time it would
end the internecine struggle of politicians
while yet leaving room for the realization
of the ambitions of many petty men.
France needs in this hour strong man;
there is in the name OF Prince Victor Ma
pOleOn strength, and in the shadows behind
his dtmly seen throne the memory of
mighty empire. There is nothing in his ca
reer that tells distinctly the stuff he is
made of. but there is in his name to thou
sands of Frenchmen. and Others too
promise of the surcease of those conditions
that not only have weakened France but
have made the Dreyfus case worlds eye
sore, and a Fashoda incident a spark to
explode the European powder magazine.
Church Crisis.
England is at present passing through
one of those religious crises which are pc
culiar to her and which will probably con-
tinue to agitate mems minds as long as
church and state remain bound together
1t was so in Ireland until the disestablish-
ment, but since that time quarrels and ex-
"a
been mainly political. The trouble in Eng
land turns on the usual one of ritual and
practices in the church which have not re-
ceiVed the sanction of the Book of Com
mon Prayer There can be no doubt that
at the time of the reformation in England
and the formulating of new rules for re-
Igious guidance zeal for the new faith
sternly condemned many innocent usages
ana rites that the people had enjoyed and
Denented by. AT the same time many GUS
toms We're discontinued which it does not
seem possible could have taken permanent
root among such a people as the English
The advanced party" as the ritualists are
called, is accused of going back to the lat
ter class of usages and reintroducing into
the church what the prayer book expressly
forbade. These are confession, reserVa ton
OF the sacrament, prayers for the dead the
use of certain vestments, incense. candles
other than for light, pictures and images
hymns to the Virgin Mary, and various in
Temptations in the ceremonial and liturgy
N.
the prayer book forbds only some of these
and is silent on others, and because of this
the ritualists claim that they are merely
restoring the innocent practices which were
never meant to be denied the people 1t is
because the only guide English churchmen
nave is not explicit that all the present
trouble comes
A Serious Matter.
AS there is nothing so bitter in all the
world as religious quarrel. these dissen-
slons in the church separate families, cause
much distress, are hurtful to the cause of
religion generally, and, lastly, do no good
in any direction. If good came of them ul-
timately they might be tolerated but the
rltuahsts look upon the Protestant crusade
headed by John kensit, as persecution and
nothing SO helps a cause as this. John
kensit is a London publisher and is flood
ing the country at present with literature
similar TO that I remember reading in
America some years ago, and which was
there directed against the Roman Catholic
Church. With Catholics Kensit has moth
ing to do; his aim is 10 drive Roman Cath
oics out of the Church of England and in
this he IS not alone. He is supported by a
considerable body of clergy and laity Even
where they do not directly support him
such strong men as Canon Fleming, Pre-
bendary Web6-Peploe and Sir William Har-
court take up the cudgels on his side The
excitement has not yet reached the height
II attained when Father Maconochie and
his alds were StOrmed at St. Adams HOl-
born, some years ago. when the clergy and
choir were assaulted In the church services
howled down and free fights resulted. The
storm is growing. however and | should
not be surprised TO see 1t break forth at any
moment. The newspapers are full of IT
and Sir William Harcourt's four-column
article IN the Times the other day adds fuel
to the fire. If the matter could be gone at
without violence and bishops got TO disci-
pline their ritualistic clergy. the case would
be better. but the present proportions of
the fight are a scandal.
Rcsorting to Violence.
Only last Wednesday nigh. St Clements
Church. Belfast. was broken into and all
the internal fittings, including the chancel
screen. which was recently restored by
order Of the bishop of the diocese, smashed
to atoms On the previous night the rector
of the parish was prevented from leaving
the church by a crowd Of three OF four
hundred people. and it was midnight before
ne was rescued by the police. Within the
| last few months, In consequence of the dis
orderly scenes taking place in St Clements
every Sunday. the bishop of the diocese
! closed the church and no services have
| taken place there since.
This is only one CT many similar cases
| that might be cited against the ritualists