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of the French ambassador . The old Turkish party and Russia took alarm : the Khoran was invoked ; the Ulemas raised something like an insurrection in Constantinople ; the Russian ambassador threatened ; the Sultan gave way ; the Cabinet broke down ; the loan is repudiated , and the French ambassador threatens to withdraw . To France and Russia , perhaps , the affair , whatever lengths it may attain , is of no great importance ; each may expect to get
something out of any general disturbance : but to Turkey , peace or commotion means existence or destruction . Broken up as she is in every portion of her frame-work , Turkey cannot outlast a disturbance very long . If she opposes Russia she will be destroyed . If France threatens her , Russia will " protect" her , never to give her up . The status quo in that quarter is not so vitally important to England as it is to Turkey ; but it is important to several English interests , more valuable than the Ionian islands : we need only
allude to the highway to India . The disturbance , however , would transfer the rule from our old ally to one or other poAver less friendly to us . "What , then , is England doing in this new affair —where she might interfere , and might lend her voice and influence with great advantage to herself , to her ally , to the peace of Europe , and to the right distribution of power ? Unlike her own example in Cuba and in Belgium—so says the j » ost—jn Constantinople she is maintaining a strict neutrality !
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INFLUENCE OF THE " LEADER" IN AMERICA . As we know that fanaticism will drive men to excesses of facetiousness unknown to any other species of mania , we might think the deception put upon the JSfew York Herald had been intended as a hoax . The hoax would be peculiar indeed , because the authors of it seem to have subjected themselves to a loss , and to be , as it were , the victims of their own practical joke ; which is not the usual course with hoaxes . But your fanatical agitator is very apt to be the victim of his own artifice ; designing to take in all the world , he takes in none but himself ; and the present is a capital instance . A letter , signed " Williams and Lookhart , " has been transmitted to the Editor of the New York Herald , proposing to bribe that journal for the purpose of combating the election of General Wallbridge . Who ^ Messrs . " Williams and Lockhart are , we do not know ; and until we have published the present statement we do not care to know or to inquire . There is a practical reason why we do suppose ? them to have deceived the usually acute New York JCvrahl—for some hallucination
evidently there is . The statement in this hitter is , that General Wallbridge is an adventurer , dabbling in California / I shares ; andthji-fche was present at the July banquet of Mr . George Peabody , where , notwithstanding the presence of " hundreds of ladies , " he became " beastlj" intoxicated , " and " insulted nearly every English gentleman present , by declaring ( hat the Government of tlie ( Jnited Slates intended to Ji . de I
Ireland to the number of ( he . United States , and that if he av . ih President Ik ; avouKI be d—( 1 if . lOngliind should not fight or declare ; herself independent of th <; oilier allied powers of Europe . " Now this statement in itself is a complicated problem . . In the first place ; if appears , from very credible testimony , that ( Jeneral Wallbridge in not \\\ the habit of indulging in intoxication , but so much fliei reverse that lie . is peculiarly temperate , addict < d rather to water than to any other HperieH of excess . Secondly , we should like t . o have ; some insight into ( hat , peculiarly discriminating style ' vvhieh elescribe's " itcarli / e-very Kngli . sh gent Iciiuiu" as having been insulted . Who were the exceptions F What " English gentleiiiiui" was Ihe're ; who we > u ! el be ; the re ; verse ; of inmilte'el by tlii . s Hjie'Cies e >( ele-clanition ? Possibly there ; might he ; I ^ nglish ge'iil leine'ii e >( ' ( he ; I ' eacc parly , who were , not anie-nable ; to the sensation of insult . Hut the ini . iTM . tive e-oniains more . We ; an ; told that General Wallbrielge " e > bfnine' < l nu introdue-fion to our Premier , Lord Derby , through the lleniouiahle ; Mr . WalluT , formerly Chane-e'IIore ) f your Kxclieejiier , rind flint he nege > tiufcel with bis l , onlshi |> thousands of mining shares , whie-h Mr . Walker fell himself e-ulled upon f <> re > - ele ; em for flic cjvelit anel he > nour of the American nation . " A most oxtru ordinary transaction ; and we call upon JVlr . Walker to explain how , and
from what funds he redeemed those thousands of mining shares ? Indeed , we have some right to claim the testimony of Lord Derby , and to ask him how it happened that , on the first interview with General Wallbridge , he concluded a negotiation for " thousands of mining shares " ? If Messrs . Williams and Lockhart were themselves under the influence of anything stronger than water when they wrote , if they give a real account of this introduction , we must suppose that Lord Derby had not only dined , but that he had undergone several dinners , before he could be wrought to that pitch of mining enthusiasm and share-holding avidity .
However , having a very strong idea that this General Wallbridge is a very dangerous person , from the manner in which he distributed shares in England , seduced the Premier , and otherwise perverted British influence to his purposes , Messrs . Williams and Lockhart propose to deal with the Nero York Herald on a plan which they understand to be common . " We address you , "
they say , " as public journalists , having understood your paper to be similar to the Examiner , not taking side 3 in politics , but one that is used very much in the United States to influence public opinion , and , like the Examiner and Leader in this city , very successful in popular elections . " Why . , our success , whether in America or England , should subject us to insinuations of this sort , we do not understand ;
but we find ourselves in tolerable good company Setting aside General Wallbridge , of whom we have slight knowledge , we find ourselves associated in joint co-operation with Mr . Walker , Lord Derby , and our contemporary , the Examiner . The thing that surprises us , indeed , is , that the New Yorh Herald should have treated this hallucination as a grave affair ; but since our contemporary has done so , we must inform him that the Examiner is by no means tobe purchasedin the manner supposed ; andthatitsabto
stinence from taking sides in politics is also , say the truth , a delusion of mania ; since pur contemporary is distinguished amongst the Liberal journals especially devoted to the late Government , —not on any corrupt grounds at all , but simply , we believe , from political sympathy . Indeed , the practice of purchasing journals , if ever it existed , has fallen into general disuse in this country ; and for ourselves , we can only repeat what we said last week , —that no journal stands more unpledged to any party or person than our own .
There is , indeed , a substantial reason why the New York Herald should have put some kind of faith in this communication . When men ballast their averments with precious metal , they generally have at least some kind of honest intention in what they say—some kind of purpose ; and this flighty letter from Mcssrs . Williams and Lockhart , was ballasted with a 50 / . note . Now one is apt to
believe a docuuientenclosingaSOZ . note . There is a sort of hona fides in that ga , ge altogether overwhelming . We ; pardon , therefore , our New Ye > rk contemporary for submitting his judgment for the ; moment to a hallucination thus substantially booked ; the ; more He ) , sinen ; the editor of the " New York paper was authorized to draw on A 1 e \ ssi \ s . Williams and Lockhart lor 200 / . more !
That we ; may honourably influence elections in the Unifeel States we ; do not question , nor are we ; surprised that a London antagonist should proceeei to strike un , in this boomerang fashion , by a kinel of cire'urnbendibuH across the Atlantic . If we ; are ; surprised at all , it is at the dise : overy that Messrs . Williams and Lockhart profess te > be acting in cone-e ; rt , with Mr . Gee > rge ; Thompson , " our late ; Me'inber for the ; Tower II am letn , who wouhl visit the ; Unifeel State's , and counsel his IVieMids against supporting any measure which wouhl p lace ; this Gemenil Wallbridgo in iioniination . " It seems , then , that while ; we ; are ; on the ;
side of Geneml Wallbrielge , the ; Examiner , Mr . Walker , Lord Derby , and Home ; e > ther interest that , we ; elo not , very we ; ll unelerstaml , w <; have lor our cne ; mie'S , Mr . < u ; orge ; Themipson , the ; Abolitionists in general , and Messrs . Williams anel | je > ekharf ; anel that th <; result of the ; cemtevst b <; twee ; n ourselves , with the ; allie ; s albresnjd , and our <; iH ; mics , Me ; ssrs . Williams anel Lock hart , the 1 Abolitionists , anel Mr . ( ileorgo ThennpHon , is lo have ; a ere > nsieleirabl <; e ;( lrct e > n the ; Nenv York elections . 11 , may be ; so . We ; neither disclaim our posifiem , nor our influence , ne > r our iillios ; alfheuigh we ; we ; re ; uncemsciouH of a eemnnon interest with Lord Derby . We only protest against
the bribe . We have never had the chance . The only reward which we seek in the discussion of American politics is the approbation of our friends in the Union , with whose political principles we feel a deep sympathy , and whose championship of our common cause we re . gard as of the most powerful augury for the future destinies of the world .
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WHAT IS MEANT BY " WEAKENING" THE ESTABLISHMENT ? Of all the arguments used against the revival of Convocation during the past week , the most pitiful was , that it would " weaken" the establishment . It is a sign of that moral cowardice , too common nowadays , which shows itself when public action of any moment has to be taken . Our moralists do not ask whether a course be
right or wrong , but whether it be pleasant or painful . There is a fatal disposition to shirk consequences , as if they could be shirked with impunity ; and an insane attempt to reach a desired goal by setting out in a direction opposite to that marked on the finger-posts of principle . All this may be very trite , but it is very true and very much to the point ; and that such remarks should be both trite and true of the
Church of England , is sad enough ; and we are filled with a feeling akin to terror when we remember the part it assumes to play in the national education ; when we reflect on the influence it must exercise directly on its adherents , and indirectly on its opponents ; when we realize its tremendous grasp of society , and the results of its intervention on all sides . That the institution which , above all others , should be honest to the core , is not so , but just the reverse ; that that which should be real is a juggle and a sham , —these are signs which indicate rottenness at the
heart of England . We tolerate it , we uphold it , we pay for it , we share in it , we are in every sense accessories to the fraud , and participators in the seeming profits . And when we are told that a consultation of the clergy , with a view to restore soundness—a consultation , mark , of those selected and appointed and alleged to be ordained of God to watch over the rest—when we are gravely told that this course would weaken the establishment , we are amazed at the blindness and folly of these self-appointed counsellors ot the Church . We are compelled to ask—are they
true members of the Church of -England » > We are compelled to say that such advisers are less the true friends of the Church than we who do not accept her doctrines , and who reject ner arrogant claims , but who espouse the cause ot the honest minority of her children because we are anxious that Englishmen should know what they do believe , and act up to the convictions
they profess to entertain . , We have always endeavoured to write upto the highest level of the Church ' s claims . W © have defined and described her apart from Jitr secular characteristics . We have not dwelt on her great wealth , or the enormous patronage o her lay members , and the shameful praetito oi dispensing of the cure of souls in the interests ™ families , or by the hammer of the auctioneer . W . » I ,,,. ™ imirm-mlv treated all the different bu . We We uniformltreated all the uiuexc- »~
y tions of the Church as honest and sincere , j this outcry raised by the rumoured Ti ™ \ r 0 Convocation , has altered our vhwh . vvu now convinced that the ; majority of those profit by the institution called the Ch "" ; England , arc , consciously or uneonscioiiMY . sincere ; and that the correct deiimtiou oi u Church of England , is a corporate ™>« y ™ to sen tern , the , seve ; ral members oi whir i a ^ - ., ;„„ 'ri , ; ,. i . ir-Ninft Arl . ieles as an uu «» l >< lIlh ...
condition to on joying the property ¦ oi ' 1 ( l poration ; and that any measure * wine ; ii _ w ^ make these l ) issente ; rs not virtually violai . the Act , of Uniformity , is hold to be » " llUU which would weaken the establishmen t . xi \ ^ terms , that the Church of Entf laml . ^ l *^ ,. of the loaves anel lishe ; s— -not of . ; lina \ u ( im it Mammon . After all we have written , w Unit the ; views taken by the < Jlob « tli ^ _ the Daily News , anel Lord Derby , '" ' ° J ™ ;„ . that the " Church in an engine e > i \ > o « ' . „ . „ - lluence , and nothing else ; in short , ¦ _ ,,,,, „ mis , ; , or cross , between . Peter and M ^» j ^ . ^^ process of making it otherwise ; is w ^*'' ; Y . | y ft " weakening the establishment ; < " - (; rity more proeioun thing in the eyes ot u « than religion itself .
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J 03 S THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 30, 1852, page 1038, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1958/page/10/
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