From our English Correspondent.
Manchester, July 3, 1894.
My Dear Friend:ー
The "Daily News" of June 28, winds up its vituperative comments on the opposition of the Bishop of Oxford to the Bill for admitting Jews to Parliament thus:
"Shade of Wilberforce! listen to this man, your son, urging his fellow-beings to rest satisfied with a degraded position in the land of their birth; with a political serfdom among the nations of the free! Yes; the father raised the Negro from bondage on account of color; the son would consign the Jew to serfdom on account of his creed."
The concurrence of this apostrophe with my remarks in a former letter, both in thought and expression is singular. The only difference is, that the whole of the dissentients from the established church, were adduced by me, but this Journal confines itself to the Jew.
A few days ago I noticed in the "Manchester Examiner" an extract from the "North Star," pungent with caustic irony upon the demeanor of the denizens of New York, towards two English ladies, for leaning upon the arm of Mr. Douglass, which two ladies, I presume, were my highminded friends from Charles Square. What must have been the emotions of these ladies in witnessing such a scene, in such a land, calling itself enlightened and free? Unprepared they were for such an exhibition by any similar outrage in "paltry London."
Englishmen have their prejudices; but in England no one is exposed to insult for any physical peculiarity, except from the rude, uncultivated class, and the American, after this manifestation, cannot escape from being placed in the ranks of these.
In France, one, or more men of color sit in the legislative Assembly.
I remember reading, that, in the interior of Africa, when a white man was seen for the first time, he was spurned, for in their eyes, his unseemly hue was the result of a loathsome disease; and who are to be the arbiters as to the comparative comeliness of tinge? Certain it is, that the larger proportion of the human races have a sable complexion; and to affirm the inferiority of this large majority, is an indirect impeachment of the wisdom and equity of their Creator.
The struggle of the oppressed against their oppressors, still agitates the whole of Europe.
The noble Hungarians at least keep the Austrians and their auxiliary Cossacks at bay; and faithful reports, I doubt not, would show that the latter have been signally discomfited.
In what an attitude stands France before the walls of Rome? Repulsed by the Romans, repudiated by the Pope and his allies, and reprobated by England, her proceedings are inexplicable and atrocious.
The doings of the French in Italy, and of the Americans in the Southern States, tend to bring republicanism into disrepute. Oppression is doubly odious, when perpetrated by the bawlers about "liberty, equality, and fraternity." In England, aristocracy, abetted by the Bishops, have slammed the door of Parliament in the face of the children of Jacob. Baron Rothschild acts with wisdom and spirit; and the cry of the persecuted will stir up the people to compel their emancipation.
Who are they that denounce them? Who was He that saidー"Father, forgive them?"
How doggedly do the Lords spiritual and temporal refuse to learn wisdom in the school of experience? The same parties refused, year after year, to relieve the Dissenters from the impious Test Act. The same parties, with the pertinacity of bigots, opposed stoutly to the last the emancipation of the Romanists. They were driven from their entrenchments, and conquered by reason and Justice; but in spite of these successive defeates, they persist in their bigoted fight, exposing themselves to a third inevitable overthrow.
I notice the walls of Manchester proclaim the departure of the magnificent "Sarah Sands." Oh! what a sand and extraordinary calamity has befallen the emigrant ship in the wide Atlantic. To be run into and sunk by the Europa steamer, sending 140 human beings to their account in a moment! In a narrow sea, such a casualty is not infrequent; but for two specks to came into collision on the ocean is as remarkable as mournful. Noises should be incessant in a fog.
Lord John Manners opposes Rothschild. To-day's account by telegraph gives about 100 for the former to 500 for the latter.
E. B.