On this page

• Departments (2)
  • 
  • 
• Text (7)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    So. ^ ^.Vi«*01 THE DEADER. 437 ¦— ' ¦¦—'...

  • 

    GERMANY. March 30th. The proceedings in ...

  • 

    True CoNomisas.—The Times- lias the foll...

  • 

    $&*¦ &&. ¦

  • 

    On Monday evening a pleasing conversazio...

  • 

    , &i ®r«eai«» and ' «nt(vtmmn«nis. w ^ . ¦

  • 

    rUlNOKSS's THEATRE, A .worthy and enduri...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Your Words Are" What Is It To The -World...

    any priest , than are known , in case of every fami y Se aristocracy or middle passes , to the famy solicitor , and , in most of them , to the family ^ But " suppose family secrets to be known , how are they used ? This is prevented by what we call the " seal of confession . " No priest is . allowed , under any circumstances , or for any reason , to mention anything he has heard in confession to any one ; or even to refer to it iir any way to the Person himself who made the confession . So strictl } is tms observed , that if you wish your confute , speak to you on any matter , or do anything about it , he ™ iU say , « Speak to me about it out of ^ confession . How ? hen can he be made « master of the f amil y " by anything he has heard in con < g fotlj n ? this is a mere rule . J 3 o strict Jy £ £ instance

    suppose _ ^ served , that I not only never heard of one in which it was violated , but I never heard of one in which its violation was so much as suspected . If your experience of life leads you to infer that practically the confidence placed in solicitors and medical men is equally safe , I can only say that your experience has been more fortunate than mine . How this effect is secured , I am not sure that I can make a Protestnat fully understand . The result is enough , and of the result th ere is no doubt . btill you will see some of the causes of it . One is , that every priest knows that his violating this " seal " in the minutest particular would consign him to damnation , and would , meanwhile , be his absolute , hopeless , and irretrievable ruin in this -world . which

    Now as to the indecent questions you believe to be put to women . It is a dream , and a very foul one . The rule of the Church is , that priests must risk anything rather than say what may suggest to any one man , woman , or child , any one polluting idea . It is true , that if a person ' s sins have been against purity , they must be confessed , and it is often very painful . But , however disagreeable , I do not imagine that the pollution is in the confession ,, but in the commission . Even then no question can be asked , except such as may be necessary to make the confession intelligible . The practical result is , that no pure person is questioned at all on such subjects , and that any questions put to an impure person are limited to those strictly , necessary to make intelligible what has been confessed . '

    You may say , " Confession must lend to such questions . ' ? But , sir , it is far from safe for those who have no knowledge of the practical working of any system to assume that they know "better what its results must he , than those who daily live in it know what they are . My object is not to defend on belief a practice , but to state what it is . I say * then , that you are mistaken when you suppose that Catholics admit that , in the confessional , questions are put ( either have natural

    to man or woman ) which a tendency to pollute ; but that we assert that " the Roman Catholic woman has a safeguard in the Roman Catholic religion to shield her mind from being contaminated by th . em . " We neither assert nor admit anything of the sort . What we say is , that we have a security in the Roman Catholic religion , and in the system of our priests' education , and in the rules of the confessional , not that such questions shall not do harm , but that they shall not be asked . letter do not think

    Excuse the length of this ; I your intelligent readers will complain of it . Nothing more strikes thinking men than the extreme ignorance of men in the same country , the same community , the same city , as to each other ' s modes of thinking and acting . Your readers are chiefly Protestants . My experience convinces me that most of them know no more of our real way a of thinking and acting , in regard to religion , than if we or they were Indians or Chinese . Perhaps many of us may be equally ignorant of theirs : A lamentable facts for this mutual ignoYa ' noe is obviously the stronghold of bigotry . You , sir , are a foe to bigotry . You are , therefore , concerned to give each of us an opportunity of stating for ourselves what we really do think nnd hold . I remain , sir , Your obedient sorvnnt , A Rowan Catholic Husband and Fathmk . £ Tho article referred to appeared some months Since , and we " are not desirous to revive the distressing subject -, nor do wo think a newspaper the placo for such discussions . We , however , insert tho fore ~ going temperate and apparently conscientious letter , as It is qur duty , aa well as our pleasure , to do , as fur as possible , justice to all honest opinions and statements . That this statement can at all alter the opinions and the fueling on tho csvila that in some cases undoubtedly attend the Roman Catholic confessional , wo . do not imagine Our article was written in reference to ft particular civbq , and tho subject is of too great political and . social importance to be confined to npiu' ^ onal controversy . ]

    So. ^ ^.Vi«*01 The Deader. 437 ¦— ' ¦¦—'...

    So . ^ ^ . Vi «* 01 THE DEADER . 437 ¦¦¦ ¦

    Germany. March 30th. The Proceedings In ...

    GERMANY . March 30 th . The proceedings in the Prussian and Bavarian representative assemblies are quite overlooked by the general public , entirely absorbed in the war question . The . Prussian . Upper House have displayed their hostility to the liberal ministry . Their first move was an opposition to the proposed modification of the Game-laws . The move was unsuccessful , and has only tended to lower the feudalists in public estimation . Ministers have been defeated in their endeavours to bring all the railways into the hands of the Government . The dispute between the King of Bavaria arid his House of Representatives , has reached such a height , that it may be regarded as a constitutional conflict . If the King refuses to give

    ear to the addresses of the representatives , expressive of want of confidence in his ministers , but retains his unpopular advisers or agents , it will be tantamount to an assumption of despotic power . Whether the Ministers will continue to face a unanimously hostile assembly remains to be seen . Important as this dispute is , it excites , no interest here , that is to say , amongst the great body of the people . The war , and that alone , is the topic of conversation , and in proportion as the Tuileries become peaceably inclined , the German courts grow warlike , more particularly the lesser ones , the boldest of all being Hanover , which , after giving

    Louis Napoleon a good round of abuse , votes one million of thalers extra for war cpntingencieSi The million is , it is said , to be expended in fortifying Geesteminde . The prohibition of the exportation of horses ^ although not unpopular among the townspeople , who think it evinces patriotism and unity among the crowned heads of Germany , is not much iii favour with the rural population of the Zollverein States , a chief source of whose yearly income is thereby cut off . It has been widely reported that the Zollverein has been led to this step in consequence of large purchases having been effected by the French Government ; but from inquiries ¦ which I have made amongst dealers , I ' . inclined

    to doubt the truth of this statementi This : prohibition , which , confined to the Zollverein countries , was not more inimical to Trance than to Austria , Mecklenburg , ' Holstein , Lauenburg , and the Hanse Towns , which are not members of the Zollverein , is now likely to lead to fresh complications ; for the Bavarian Government , in their prohibitory orders , except Austria from the prohibition —thus making Bavaria , with Austria , a direct party in the conflict , and affronting- France by aiming the prohibitory measure expressly at her . Disunion is thus produced in Germany itself , and the surmise I expressed in my last letter is likely to be Bavaria

    verified before the time anticipated . can siirely not imagine that such a bold and defiant step will meet the approval of Prussia . Northern Germany is by no means so warlike as Austria and Bavaria . In the north are the chief seaports , and the most wealth and greatest progress : there , too , is a certain degree of liberty , which helps a little to render the people indifferent to Louis Napoleon ' s death , and the revolution consequent thereupon , both of which must come some day or the other . They know that a war would not be disagreeable to Austria and Bavaria—that is , the Governments , not the people . A war might possibly prevent the expected revolution , and therefore Austria ' s

    boldness . . Notwithstanding the rumours of peace which , by the . way , dp not take any hold upon the public mind , the preparations for war are still going on with great activity , more particularly in Austria . Last ¦ iveck there was a complete razzia made upon the Vienna papers . Six morning and four evening papers were confiscated . None are allowed to give the least information with reference to the warlike preparations on the part of Austria . At the sumo time , the most violent tirades arc permitted against Louis Napoleon and the Ercrich nation . This evinces no desire for peace on the side of Austria ; indeed , a pence , such as it is just now , is almost as bad as war to the government who cannot maintain suqh an enormous force without pressing still heavier upon the pepple , and making them thus riper still for revolution . One of two evils—war or revoltand Austria naturally prefers tho former .

    True Conomisas.—The Times- Lias The Foll...

    True CoNomisas . —The Times- lias the following : — " It is now stated that tho Congress will be held at Baden-Baden , instead of at Aix-la-Chapelle , Franco having objected to Aix as Using within tho territory oi' Prussia , one of the powers to bo represented at the Congress . It is ^ vid that Count Walowslu , assisted by M . 'Drouyn do L'Huys , will represent Frnnqo , and that England will bo represented by Lord Malmesbury , assisted , as Seaond Commissioner , by Lord Cowloy . " A telegram from Berlin , however , tolls us that tho European Congress will assemble at Mannheim , and that \ t is understood that it will rnoot this month . The Memorial Diplomatique , an Austrian oruun , names Geneva ma tho wluce of juawUiw ,

    $&*¦ &&. ¦

    ¦— ' — ' - r ¦ ' —~ ¦ — ¦ ¦ ' — — ' - * * < $ ine gtrte .

    On Monday Evening A Pleasing Conversazio...

    On Monday evening a pleasing conversazione took place , as announced , at the Marylebbne Literary and Scientific Institution , in Edward-street , Portmansquare . The amphitheatre of the lecture-room haa been boarded over , and for the time transferred into a picture gallery . The popular President of the Institute , Mr . Jacob Bell , has lent , as we have already informed our readers , some sixty or seventy valuable pictures for exhibition . These comprise a number of Sir Edwin Landseers , Mr . Frith ' s " Derby Day , " Rosa Bonheur ' s " Horse Fair , " with works by Egg , Stone , Elmore , Ward , and other academicians . To the " Bibliomania , " No . 39 in the

    catalogue , but undignified by any critical notice there , our attention has been particularly drawn by an eminent critic , whose opinion of this work , by a comparatively unknown artist * is that it is a marvel of power and originality . Sir Edwin Landseer ' s school-slate , with the sketch on it for his " Larder Invaded / ' is an interesting relic . By the display oi this artist ' s master-pieces also , a real boon has been conferred upon the Marylebone public , for which Mr . Bell is entitled to their thanks . That this gentlemen is a wag , we must own and prove—thougl the reader of the quotation may be apt to say de tt fabula—hy a passage from the preface to his descriptive catalogue . .

    This catalogue , he says , " will serve to correct some erroneous statements which have been circulated respecting several of the pictures . Th < critiques of works of art , by . which the taste and opinion of the public are much influenced , are sometimes written without special knowledge respecting the several subjects described . It is necessary to say something ; and where the history of the scene depicted is but imperfectly known and understood , the author may find it necessary to draw upon his to take random shot

    imagination for his facts , or a at what he supposes to have been the intention of the artist . For example , in a critique on a picture by Sir E . Landseer , some years ago , representing a hare and a weasel , it was remarked : — ' We think the rabbit is too much like a hare , and we never saw a ferret of that colour . '" We fancy the public are slow to rely upon such criticisms as the above , and we hardly think it is a specimen unless it be a unique one [" which is perhaps an HibernicismJ .

    The joke is , however , a good one , and wo enjoyed it , as we fancy the reader wilL The relative value as guides , of professional or amateur critics , we need hardly inform Mr . Bell , has been a thousand times discussed in fine art circles , but is not yet settled . We have tried both with advantage—both without ; but we should be delighted to welcome to our columns one who combines so evidently as Mr . Bell the quality of smart writing with that of excellent taste .

    , &I ®R«Eai«» And ' «Nt(Vtmmn«Nis. W ^ . ¦

    Stoates mix ! ( ihttertitutmenff * - ¦ «» , ¦ :

    Rulnokss's Theatre, A .Worthy And Enduri...

    rUlNOKSS ' s THEATRE , A . worthy and enduring capital was placed upon the column of Mr . Kenn ' s scenic triumphs on the occasion of tho production , for his benefit , on Monday evening last , of " King Henry the Fifth . " The public are now so familiar with the enthusiastic prodigality which has characterised tho Shakespearian revivals of this management that tho readers of The LisAJDjsit will liardly thank us for a retrospective review of them . It is , again , so very hard to settle satisfactorily within these littlo bounds , if at all , whether the pprfection of embellishment consistent

    with good taste has long boon : past , is but now reached , has still to bo achieved , or is even a jack-alantcrn , luring meij away fro unreal truth and beauty , that wo will rather remind tho render of these moot points than impertinently pound him with excathedra . judgments , or najl him to unprofitable discussion . Ho will bo laoro obligee ) , to us for reporting the novelties presented by . tho Princess ' s version of the play , the treatment of which at Sadler ' s Wells Theatre wo justly eulogised not long ago . We arc on no very delicate ground hero , f or Mr . Kcan , by his selection for tho most part of different points from those chosen by Mr . Phelps for special illustrat on , uncalled

    has placed all comparisons , except manifestly for personal ones , out of the question . Tho great curiosity of tho " rovival" is tho substitution oi tho muso ,, Olio—imporsonatod by Mrs . Oliarlon Kcanfor the traditional Father Timo ot I ho dramatis persona in tho character of Churus , Instead ot Mr . Henry Marston , whoso irreproachable elocution wo marked at Sadler ' s Wells , wo had in Mrs . Kean , on Monday , a no loss oxoollont pilot through tho piece , which the introduction of tho part would almost jjoein to indicate as intondedfor apagount ; nnd , like all present , wo could not bitt sympathise with tho sausfwqtipn oxpressod in tho managerial manifesto , that »• thus au opportuuity was oflforod to that lady which

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 2, 1859, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_02041859/page/21/