The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-07-28
MAY Be FORCED TO
OFFEND CATHOLICS
King George Must Make Royal
Declaration Against Church of
Rome Against His Will.

LONDON, July 27.--London has had
reminder, in the shape OF quaint
heraldic proclamation, that the king
VIII be crowned next June and that
the new reign has not yet been fully
inaugurated. Until June politics must
perforce be more or less In allegiance
and the conference on the constitu-
tional crisis be kept going through the
autumn TO avoid holding general
election before the king Is crowned,
says VIM. II. Stead. In a cable dis
patch TO the New York American.
Every week that passes brings into
clearer relief the difficulty OF amend
ing the royal declaration against the
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 ION the
first day OF the meeting OF the first
| 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
n Protestant as any OF his subjects,
but he objects to this insult to the
faith OF millions of his faithful lieges.
The leaders OF both parties agree That
the declaration Is Objectionable and
ought to be altered. The government
has introduced a bill substituting for
the insulting words OF the old declar-
alton this simple declaration: Il am
u faithful member OF the Protestant
Reformed church by law established
In England"
This seems simple enough, but q
host OF enemies has sprung up. The
Scotch object to the new declaration
as ruling out any member or tue
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 lie In the House OF Commons. OPP
pose the new declaration as new
test act, excluding for ever all Non
copformists from royal succession.
The ultra Protestants of Ulster aud
elsewhere wiring their hands in grier
over the prospective loss OF the oppor-
tunity OF insulting the followers or
ihe Roman faith.
Hence Il Is quite possible the gov
eminent may after all fail In amend
ing the declaration.
Under those circumstances, what
shall the king do asa iaw-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-
lions prescribed by act OF parliament
Of making royal declaration on his
own bat protesting against the In
sulting language which he had been
required to use In his capacity as con-
/ siitutional king and asserting In his
own words the revolt OF his con-
science as q man and Christian
against the phraseology which he had
heen compelled to employ.
There's nothing ir the constitution
10 prevent him easing his conscience
by such an independent declaration.
II he took this line. 1t would convince
fhe people that in George V. we have
n king to be reckoned with. There
would no doubt be a prodigious pother
In some circles, but the nation as a
whole would rejoice over sovereign
who dared to call his conscience his
own.
IL has been pointed out that even
" the king were able to declare that
ISfe had changed his mind and that. so
lar from regarding the mass as "idola-
trous and superstitious" he regarded
q 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 to remove the bad impress
+ lion produced by the use OF the old
offensive declaration.