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able to realize other advantages . They must take care that they do not ask faster than the masters can . give , or they will defeat their own . purpose . They must take care not to exceed reason . They ought if possible to establish a candid understanding with their masters ; they ought to know most especially how members of their own bodies are acting in different parts of the country . If they secure all these conditions , they will be able to procure such adv antages as more comfortable places to work in—to say nothing of that better personal treatment , which would do as much as anything to improve the moral tone of trade . Prosperity has its lessons as well as adversity ; and we are anxious that the working classes should make all that they can out of the present season .
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NATIONAL ARBITRATION IN PRACTICE . As the members of the Peace Society are actively engaged in trying to persuade the people of England that arbitration is the only way in which nations ought to settle their mutual differences , and as they must naturally feel anxious to learn how their system works in those countries where it has been tried , we hasten to place before them the history of an attempt which has lately been made to put down a bloody war by moral suasion and the law of kindness . By the last African mail , we have received a file of the Liberia Herald , which , among other interesting intelligence relating to that negro republic , formed in West Africa by emancipated American slaves , contains an account of the efforts made by the Government at Mourovia to persuade two hostile tribes in that neighbourhood to live at peace with each other , and of what befel the one which was silly enough to follow that advice , after the fashion recommended by Mr . Charles Gilpin , in his celebrated pamphlet .
The first notice of the dispute which we find in the Liberia Herald , is in the number for January 5 , 1853 , where a list is given of the several acts and resolutions passed by the legislature in the session which had ended only two days before . The first of these is entitled " An Act authorizing the President to adopt certain measures for adjusting and terminating the disputes and wars at present existing between the V ey and Golah chiefs , occupying portions of the Little and Grand Cape Mount territories . " What these means were is not stated : but the next number of the
Herald ( which appears fortnightly , the settlement being as yet in its infancy ) introduces us at once to the seat of war , where the one Chief acts the part of Louis Napoleon , with a divine mission to kill or make prisoners of those who resist his imperial will ; while the other Chief , acting under the pacific counsels of the Liberian Government , appears in the character of victim . The Herald had " hoped that the disturbances so long existing between the Veys and Golahs had measurably ceased , " although it did not
think it likely that sincere friendship would subsist between " Dwar-looh-Beh and Boombo , the contending chieftains . " The quarrel between these two worthies had been an old affair , and great exertions had been made by tho Government to reconcile tho contending tribes . In December , 1851 , a grand Peace Congress of West African kings and chieftains was held at Mouravia , tho capital of the negro republic , when every tiling was arranged in the most amicablo manner between Dwar-looh-Beh and Boombo .
On that occasion , " tho President gave them to understand , in strong terms , that ho would not permit them to renew hostilities—that if any causoof difficulty should again arise betweonthem , and they could not arrive at an amicablo arrangement between themselves , they should refer their case to tho Government ; and every means would bo adopted to humblo tho aggressor , and bring him . to merited punishment . " In spite of all this , Boombo , having watched , his opportunity , joined with a certain Prince Cain , and rained the standard of revolt against tho ordinances of tho famous Poaco Congress . Tho description of what followed wo must give in tho simple language of tho Liberian Herald itsolf : —
" In May last , Hooinlio ngiiin rainotl tlio stimdiird of revolt , and imrrieU and wicked tho towns of Dwarlooh-Hcli , and who , true to 1 mh obligation ;* to tho ( Hoveminont , roHortotl to arms only in dofonco of his townH and people . Tho adnriniHtnition of ( jJovornmont wiih then in tho hands of Mr . William * , und Dwnrlooh-Heh Hont to him for nHHistancc , and for permiHHion to innko reprisals Thin wiih not granted ; but commiHsiunorM wuro Hont to Boombo to demand his
reasons for violating his solemn engagement . The commissioners were discourteously received , and they returned without obtaining the least satisfaction . The Government did not cease to remonstrate with Boombo , who all the time was sorely pressing Dwar-looh-Beh ; and as this chief was denied the privilege of making an aggressive movement , he ventured to visit Mourovift , to urge the Government to take immediate measures to relieve him . While here intelligence reached him that Boombo had taken advantage of his absence , and succeeded in capturing his principal town , had murdered a number of his people , and held his family prisoners . Mr . Williams , accompanied by three commissioners , went up to little Cape Mount in the Lark , and sent
the commissioners on shore with a message to Boombo . He met the commissioners , and while in conference with them , his warriors crossed the river , attacked one of the principal towns of the inoffensive Deys , murdered more than a hundred of them , carried off hundreds into captivity , and burned the town to ashes , all while the Lark was in sight with the then executive officer of fcBfe Government on board . The commissioners returned home ; and very soon after the regular meeting of the Legislature took place , when , the whole of Boombo ' s treachery and violations of his treaty were laid before ife . The Legislature , knowing all the facts , passed a law authorizing a military force to be put on foot to subdue the rebellious chief . The President has
delayed to adopt this course , hoping that other measures might be resorted to , to end the difficulties . Dwarlooh-Beh was in Mourovia the 1 st of the month ( January ) . The object of his visit was to call the attention of Government to the continued aggressions of Boombo . The President assured him that he had the subject then under consideration ( the old European red-tape phrase on all such questions ) , and would , he hoped , soon have the country at peace .
Dwar-looh-Beh returned home ; and but a very few days after his departure from here , news reached the President that Boopbo had captured another of his principal towns . Now , what is to be done in the premises ? Is it just to Dwar-looh-Beh , that , because he has always maintained his integrity to his treaty with the Government , he should be hindered now to make aggressive movements to resist the encroachments of this bloody-minded desperado ?"
This simple story of the results of arbitration ought to be carefully studied by Mr . Cobden and his friends . Its " unadorned eloquence " may perhaps have more weight with them , than all the arguments of their opponents . But this is not the end of the history of the wars in West Africa . On the 2 nd of I < ebruary we have further accounts of the doings of Boombo , who , we are told , " continues to be successful in his bloody deeds ; neither grey hairs , nor infants at the breast , receive the least sympathy from this bloody-minded butcher . Regardless of his obligations to Government , he has continued to
push forward his aggressive marches ; he has now surrounded several towns of our friends , and in a few days , unless his headway is suddenly arrested , will capture them and murder the inhabitants . " And all tho while tho Liberian President has the subject " under consideration , and hopes to liave tho country at poaco before long , in such a way as will gratify every friend of peace , " —and what is of more consequence to tho economical reformers of Monrovia , so as to
" obviate tho necessity of Government disbursing a large sum in forcing the belligerents to maintain the conditions of their treaty stipulations . " Nothing could answer JJoombo's purpose more eflbctually , and accordingly , wo learn from the Herald of February 15 , that he was then extending his depredations into the Dey country—burning villages and murdering tho inhabitants—and n few days since robbed several factories owned by morchants of this place [ Mourovia ] established in that section .
Our latest accounts of tho war oomo down to March 2 nd , by which time the President appears to have become convinced that tho pacific measures of Government wore not sufficient in dealing with miscreants lileo Hoombo . Determined to bring matters to an issue , the President left Mourovia on the 1 st of March with 200 armed men . " It is not expected . " Hays tho Herald ,
" that a , necessity will exist for any lighting , still it in wcWfto bo prepared for any emergency . " Hero tho bulletins from tho seat of war break oil suddenly . Wo look forward with much anxiety to tho next news from Liberia for an account of tho meeting of Hoombo and President Roberts ; rathor anticipating that it will have proved necessary to back tho canons of peace with tho coarser cannons of war .
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CARDINAL WISEMAN AND THE BRITISH REFORMATION SOCIETY . The British Reformation Society—a body , no doubt , of considerable piety and utility , but which has hitherto made its converts and its collections in commendably humble obscurity , has suddenly emerged into publicity , in a singularly comic manner . Wherever we walk , we see a placard , contending for place with announcements o £ cheap hats , cheap pills , cheap clothes , and all sorts of cheap improprieties , which informs us
that this active secret society has been playing Box and Cox with Cardinal Wiseman , asking his Eminence if he fi g , and , on receiving a reply in the negative , inviting him to " come on . " A poster , oi enormous magnitude , which extinguishes , for ever , the glory of whole hosts of secular advertisements , iirst informed us of the fact , that two discreet gentlemen , of one of the varieties of our manifold Protestant " persuasion , " had offered to advance against the imperturbable Goliath , if only a meeting would assemble to see these conceited little Davids have
their fling . The proposition would really have been tempting , had his Eminence cared as much for victory , as did his insect antagonists for fame . But he , known to literature and to the world , who might combat Whately with his own weapons , and deal back sarcasms to him of Exeter , as well as logic to him of Dublin , could have cared little for his personal dignity , and less for his official character , if he had entered the lists with these contemptible adversaries , who invited his hostility in the consciousness that they were beneath it , and with the intention of proclaiming
themselves conquerors , if , as they foresaw must be the case , he -would not stoop to administer to them their due meed of curative castigation . He did not , of course , notice the petty annoyance of which he _ was the subject . He may possibly have seen some of our May meetings , with their seething crowds of pseudo-pietists , engaged in crochet , for the most part , and , at intervals , refreshed with sherry and biscuits , careless of tho dull routine of virtue , but ever and anon brightening up into a cheer at some dash of religious vituperation , or deafening with , applause some reverend Orangeman , who lias been , moat bounteous in his dealing of damnation to all religions
in . Christendom , save that special form of fanaticism represented at the meeting . His Eminence may have entertained doubts as to whether the religion which he deems true could be advanced by the bandying of its most august mysteries among a passionate and ignorant assemblage , to whom they were signs of contention , not symbols of belief . He may only have wished to reprove the presumption of those unknown persons , who , without authority , without being delegated , either b y dissenting body , or by the Established Church , called on him — the representative , in this country , of the principle of Catholicism , to debate and to discuss his faith , and , without tho
hope of making one convert , to open his heart to an unsympathising audience , and to state to controversialists , thirsting for display , what men of liia religion fed , as well as what they think . Most properly lie declined ; and what is tho consequence P Tlie meeting at which the Cardinal might have presided , railed oil" , like a wild beast at a show , into a compartment of Ins own , lias boon held ; the anticipated audacious interpretation of his absence has been made , and a 4 > audience has eomo to the charitable
conclusion , that what arose from scorn , is attributable to pusillanimity . Resolutions have been passed , surely in contravention of the Third Commandment , expressing a valueless , but decisive opinion , on questions which have been subjects of Christian controversy for ages ; and clergymen—wo trust self-ordained—have pandered to this lust for religious excitement , and have taught professed ChristianH to sit in judgment , where , an thoir own faith tenches , they Hhould only kneel in hone .
In the name of eormlion decency , let us protest against Much proceedings . Blasphemy in any nhapo is odious enough , but hypocritical blasphemy —blasphemy in a white tie and on a platform . — blasphemy , talking with glib disrespect , " wagging the tongue with dexterous acceptability" on matters of tho highest import , —pueli blasphemy outrages decency , and not merely religion , and is an offensive to tho good tasto of tho unheliover , as it in revolting to the honest con-Bcionco of tho faithful . Tho British Reformation
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April 23 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 397
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Leader (1850-1860), April 23, 1853, page 397, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1983/page/13/
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