The Detroit times., 1910-07-28
MAY Be FORCED TO
OFFEND CATHOLICS
King George Must Make Royal
Declaration Against Church OF
Rome Against His Will.

LONDON, July 2S.-London has had
a reminder, In the shape OF quaint
heraldic proclamation. that the kins
Will be crowned next June and that
the new reign has not yet been ruily
inaugurated. Until June politics must
perforce be more or less In allegiance
and the conference on the consttu-
tional crisis be kept going through the
autumn TO avoid holding a general
election before the king Is crowned,
says-N f4.-ff- Stead -tB-a-c DIS
patch to the New York American.
Every week that passes brings into
clearer relief the difficulty OF amend
ing the royal declaration against tine
idolatrous and superstitious doctrines
OF the Church OF Rome
The Bill OF Rights, confirmed by the
Act OF Settlement, by virtue OF which
the king sits on his throne, requires
the sovereign To make his Offensive
anti-Romanist declaration "on the
first day OF the meeting OF the nrst
parliament next after his coming 10
the crown or at his coronation. which
ever comes first"
Ii Is notorious that the king dis
likes this declaration. He is as sound
Protestant as any of his subjects,
but he objects To this insult to the
faith OF millions of his faithful heges.
The leaders OF both parties agree that
the declaration is Objectionable ana
ought to be altered. The government
has introduced bill substituting Tor
the insulting words OF the old deciar-
alton this simple declaration: Il am
Ia. 81 ~
Reformed church by law established
in England"
This seems simple enough. but a
host OF enemies has sprung up. the
Scotch object TO the new declaration
as ruling out any member OF ta9
church by law established" In Scot
land.
High Church Anglicans. who per-
form mass and invoke the virgin
Mary. object fiercely TO the introduc-
ton of the word protestant"
The Nonconformists, OF whom there
are lis in the House OF Commons, OPP
pose the new declaration as a new
test act, excluding for ever all Non
copformists from royal succession.
The ultra Protestants OF Ulster aud
elsewhere wiring their hands In GRIEF
over the prospective loss Of the oppor-
tunity of insulting the followers or
the Roman faith.
Hence It Is quite possible the gov
eminent may after all fail In amend
ing the declaration.
Under those circumstances, what
shall the king do as a law-abiding
man? He must perforce comply with
the conditions laid down in the Act
of Settlement. But, IL has been point
ed out that while obeying the law he
might take the opportunity immedi-
ately after complying with the condi-
tons prescribed by act Of parliament
OF making a royal declaration on his
own bat protesting against the in
sulting language which he had been
required to use in his capacity as CON
stitutional king and asserting in his
own words the revolt OF his con-
science as a man and Christian
against the phraseology which he had
been compelled 10 employ.
There's nothing in the constitution
to prevent him easing his conscience
by such an Independent declaration.
IL he took this line. 1t would convince
the people that In George V. we have
King 10 De IeCkOucu Win. - mere
would no doubt be a prodigious pother
in some circles. but the nation as a
whole would rejoice over a sovereign
who dared to call his conscience his
own.
IL has been pointed out that even
IL the king were able to declare that
he had changed his mind and that, so
far from regarding the mass as "idola-
trous and superstitious," he regarded
il as an essential element OF true
Christian faith. IL would not in any
way affect his sovereign position. He
will not go so far as that, but that
he could do so with impunity may
encourage him to take some independ-
ent action 10 remove the bad impress
sion produced by the use OF the old
offensive declaration.