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Leader (1850-1860), 30th June 1860, Edition 2 of 2, Page 8, FAITH -AND FTLTHY.LUCHK. THE caso of tho...

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      England's Naughty Eo1. Quite Young, Scar...

      the gaol : had lie been asked the same question twenty years ago , he might perhaps have replied , the Exchange . Now , the ' University is the noblest and costliest building , in Sydney : this is a great deal to say of a country which we have always been accustomed to consider as inspired by -material and money-getting rather than by mental interests , the very scene and focus , indeed , of a rough and earnest scramble for the pocket ; and of such anxious fluctuations in the market , as to leave little time for better and higher things . But let us turn a little to President Nicholson's speech , who , after a humbler and simpler fashion , interests us far more than either Brougham or Gladstone . We are glad to find that he speaks of an increase of members matriculated , and of many more and most anxious to

      struggling against early disadvantages , qualify themselves for matriculation , whilst the general acquirements of those who enter enable the authorities to raise the standard ; and means are taken for duly feeding the University . By public and private grants fifteen free scholarships have been established at the Sydney Grammar School , and three exhibitions at the University for scholars corning from that school . There is further the intention of systematising a scale of lower sehools , from or through which guaranteed scholars will gradually be transmitted to the college itself , thus ensuring a soundness of acquirement which we are endeavouring to attain by means of our middle-class examinations . The President speaks well and firmly to those who have failed , after " having fulfilled all . the statutory obligations respecting attendance on lectures , " he says : — must admit thatif academic title is

      " They , and all others , , an to be regarded of the slightest conventional value , it must Jwneztly he what it professes , that those by whom it has been achieved should be regarded as having . truly and rightfully , tarn moribus qudmcZoctrina , earned the distinction . " , This is in a true English spirit , and saves us from the fear of a mere shallow conceited aping of our own " degrees . " He- urges them not ' to pursue the utilities which are likely to bring an immediate return to the pocket , as the faculties of law and medicine , to th , e neglect of that general accomplishment implied in the faculty of arts : " The Governor-General speaks in the same strain with regard to the necessity of insisting upon soundness : — < - " They had no right to confer honours unless they were properly earned , . especially ' when- ' they recollected the _ fact tlmt the JEnglisli universities were connected with tliose of the colonies . "

      We are not sorry to see that the scholarship , founded by David Cooeer , for " proficiency in classical ' ¦ ¦ li terature . " was riot awarded . Therels a firmness about this refusal that verifies the words above quoted from the President and Governor—rather not at all than not well ; but in the lower department there are classical prizemen . Our poor old . friend Albert Smith would persist to the last in his platitudes against Greek and Latin , listened ^ to as oracles by people of weak minds and discontinuous education ; it was indeed the only deep truth which he ever attempted to convey ,

      and wns no doubt the honest . conviction , of a mind which had been broken away rather too soon from the Homee and Virgil . Ten W "" tv 5 feTrty ^ ears ^ a £ cr- ^^ generally " because their schools had been bad ones , for we never yet met with a man who had been niade what could in the humblest sense be called a Greek or Latin scholar , who ever regretted it . This general talk is now over . The scholar is still respected ; and if a father , for special reasons , prefers German to Greek for his son , the matter is arranged quietly , without immodest abuse of studies which are still deemed of importance by all those best

      qualified to judge on matters of general education . However , if any men in the civilized world were likely to have thrown the classics behind them , we should have said that the Australians would he the men . It seems to have turned out

      otherwise . Amongst much that is good in the addresses , there appears to us to be one important defect or omission . Religious interests of all kinds are strong ill the colony , and conflicting ones ; and we should be sorry to see an institution designed for universal good become a stronghold of ecclesiastical despotism , or an arena for contending religious parties , but there might have been at least more of the form of usual deferential acknowledgment of divine superintendence , in which all Christian sects agree , something tnoro than the metaphors of " Heavenly dew " and tho recognition of " Time " as the main

      " Corrector where our judgments err . " We scarcely remember a solitary instance where so little reference was made to " Providtcnce , " or to moral purposes . At the next anniversary we hope tho superintendents of the ceremony will not deem silence on such subjects the wisest or liiost palatable course . This defect we feel bound to notice . May the University , however , obtain the blessing for ,-which , on . this . occasion , it did not . deign to ask , and grow in years and in honour , till it reminds us by its accomplishments and pursuits of that eminent echolar and poldior of Klizatietu , tho desecration of whoso name we once regretted , and till amongst its other studies- it can speak of . its " botany course " without cither a smile or a pang .

      60s The Leader And Saturday Analyst. [Ju...

      60 S The Leader and Saturday Analyst . [ June 30 , 1860 .

      Faith -And Ftlthy.Luchk. The Caso Of Tho...

      FAITH -AND FTLTHY . LUCHK . THE caso of tho Roman Jew boy , Moutara , is totally eclipsed by that of tho English Protestant boy , Vansittabt . Wo hnvo congratulated ourselves that bo gross an interference with personal liberty and paternal rights could never take place under

      the eye of our just and equal laws , and have given ourselves up to the belief that nowhere , except under the shadow of the Inquisition , could such an outrage have even been attempted on the plea of glorifying God and advancing the true faith . But our English Jesuits : have shown that they can dare quite as much as any Roman priest , arid with as reckless & disregard of the means they employ . Indeed , in- this respect , the conduct of the persons who attempted to kidnap young Vansittart is infinitely more discreditable than that of the priests of Bologna . Moetaha was the son of a poor Jew ; Vansittart is the son of a wealthy member of Parliament , and it was no secret that he would inherit a very considerable property . Some excuse may be urged for the tyranny of those who make proselytes purely out of a love for souls , nnd in the conscientious belief that they are saving fellow-creatures from perdition . Religious zeal may lead such missionaries to employ means not altogether Warrantable , but still their motives are entitled to . some degree of respect . It is a very different thing , however , when the primary motive is a sordid one , and when the agencies made use of are those of deceit , concealment , imposition , and evil counsel . Young Vansittart ' s history during the last three months , as originally given by himself , is both curious and startling—quite a story of religious adventure by flood nnd field . His father , Mr . Vansittart , M . P . for Windsor , intended him for the navy : but the boy failed to pass his examination , beimr unable to grapple ' with mathematics and double decimals . Indeed , it appears that the lad was rather deficient in intellect . After this failure he was placed with a Mr . Jansen , who kept a military school at Brighton . In the holidays young Vax-sittart went on the Continent , his father being anxious that he should acquire a pure French accent , with perhaps a smattering of German . The youth , however , seemed to bring back with him stronger impressions of the Catholic churches he had visited than of anything else . Shortly after the boy ' s return , from the Continent-Mr . Vansittakt was telegraphed for tn Brighton , and on going down he found that his son had been abducted from the school by a priest , of the name of Clery ; and it was only on the threat of a mandamus that Cilery was-induced . 'to restore the boy to his father . Mr . Vanpittart now looked about for a sound Protestant / clergyman , with whom he could place his sont and he found stich a person as he desired in the Rev . Mr . Hodgson , of Rackheath . So to Eaclcheath . the boy wassent , and Mr . Hodgson deposes that while at his house the boy had not shown any disinclination to join in Protestant worship ; "but , oh the Contrary , exhibited aiiunusual inclination in ' that . direction . - ¦ ¦ - . - ,.. "¦ " ¦ — Young Vansittart , however , had not been many days at Mr . Hodgson ^ before His Jesuit friends in Bri ghton found out his retreat . One day , when Mr . Hodgson had left houie . _ the boy observed a man in a long blue cloak and a little Italian hat crouching down under a hedge near the rectory . On approaching this mysterious personage he discovered him to be a Catholic priest , named GiTJGtNr , to whom he had been introduced at Brighton . " How do you do , my dear young friend ? " said the crouching personage ; " I hope you will not desert our firith : "but here the clerical gentleman checked ¦ himself ,-nnd ' proceeded- to make the boy tako an oath upon a holy relic that he would never mention having seen him there . ' The boy having eomplied ~ thjg " pious father gave this curt and comprehensive , if not elegantly expressed , piece of advice : — . "' Cut and run to the Jesuit -chapel , Willow Liiine , Norwich , and remember that whatever you are doing is for the glory of God . Addio carisshno , " said the priest , kissing the boy on the cheek ; " we shall meet ' again .- " Master Vansittart is now fairly launched on 'his adventures . " Tie cuts and runs , according to the priestly advice , and arrives in Norwich ; and as he is wnnderirijr about , scarcely knowing * what business ho has there at all , Canon Dayton spies him from a window , mid beckons him in . The boy tells his story . His hither is a Protestant , but he himself wishes to be a Catholic , and he has run awny from school to embrace the faith j at which recital the canon was so delighted that ho went off' in a fit of chuckling * ,-nnd , rubbing his hands , said it wns " si capital joke . " As a reward for this meritorious act , Canon -Dai / ton treated Master Vanstttart to n glass of wine—after which the lad felt rather stupelied— -and then pressed him to tako another . And now , as he wished to become a good Catholic , as it was desirable that his Protestiint father should not be able to find him , Canon Dai / ton decided that ho should be sent to " Father Thomas , " a close and discreet , acquaintance of his in London . But here a little difficulty arose about funds . The cunon was very zealous in the cnuso of tho true ; faith , but not to the extent of being willing * to pay eighteen shillings , the amount of tho boy's fare to London . Ah ! he hail u w-itcli , n very nice silver watch , worth two pounds . It was not his own . Well , that did not matter ; nnd Cunon Dai / ton knew a j \ lr . Him A , a good Catholic watchmaker , \ v \\ q would buy it of him . S . > Cunon Dat / ton and his young friend are off to the watchmaker's , ( ho young friend walking in the canonVnhmlow- fw fear of dotoction . Mr . Bkha was a very good ' . ' Catholic , and , like the ennou , very zealous in the cnuso of Mother Church ; but he dooliiu'd to give fifteen shillings for Master Vansittaiit ' s " beautiful silver watch . " There was quite a touch of tho L ' tsvito about Mr . Bkiia ' s proceeding . He was aware thnt the watch did not belong to the ' boy , and ho could not « ivo fifteen shillings . But he knew a , friend , an auctioneer— n friend in the city "—and perhaps he would buy it . Mr . Bfha went to see his friend the auctioneer , and camo Imek -in an uncommonly short time with the required nmount ., whereupon the canon chuckled again , and said , " Capital , capital !" The canon's generosity nnd solf-sncrifico in the . enr ..-w of . two

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 30, 1860, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_30061860/page/8/