ANCHOVIES AND TOAST.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1249, 6 February 1874, Page 3

ANCHOVIES AND TOAST.

(From our London Correspondent.) London, November 14.

•THE POPE AND GERMAN EMPEROR. . ,' Tn a former letter I referred to a second letter written by the Pope to the Emperor William, being a part of the famous correspondence between those two redoubtable tampions. This letter is said to have Sen kept back by the Emperor in pity fnr his Holiness, who is _ said to have even been sillier in his second fetter than in his first. A leading Berlin paper thus refers to rir:-." We regret to say the letter does exist; however, both its form and its contents make it fat only to thrown into the waste paper basket• for the German Emperor it has, therefore, no existnce Whoever believes he will render a service to the Pope's cause making it rmblic is free to do so. Impartial history will sne day duly acknowledge the_ma,gnanimity nf the Protestant Emperor William, disnlaved in sparingtheagedPope, notwithstanding his repeated grave insults, the renewed humiliation which the publication, of the second letter-that never had any prospect of being1 answered—must infallibly have drawn down upon the writer. You will have noticed that I have lately given a good deal of space to the subject of the squabbles between the various churches, but the fact is that the religious struggle, now commencing on 'the Continent, is assuming such: formidable dimensions, and bears such evidence of eventually creating a | tremendous tempest, into which England can scarcely fail to be drawn, that thinking I persons are regarding with anxiety every movement which'tends to cast an influence in either direction. At Glasgow, on Satur-Y day last, Mr Disraeli thus spoke on this subject, and what he said is, I assure you, worth ' grave note. He said, " I will speak now of the contest that is commencing in Europe between the spiritual and temporal powers. I look upon it as very grave, as pregnant with circumstances that may greatly embarrass Europe. The religious sentiment is often and generally taken advantage of by political causes which use it as a pretext; and there is much going on in Europe at the present moment which it appears to me may occasion us soon much anxiety in this respect. I should myself look upoH asiihe greatest danger to civilization, j if, in the'struggle that is taking place be- j tween faith and free thought, the respective sides should only be represented by the ■ Papacy and the Red Republic. And here I must say that if we have before us the.prospect of a struggle—perhaps of war and anarchy. ultimately—caused by the great question that is now rising in Europe, it will not' easily be in the power of, England entirely to withhold itself from such circumstances. Q Our connection with* Irelandwill then be brought painfully to our consciousness, and I should not be at all surprised if the yizor of Home Rule were to fall offisome day, and you behold a very different countenance. Now, gentlemen, 1 think we ought to be prepared for those circumstances. The position of England is one which is indicated, if dangers arise, of holding a middle course upon those matters. It may he open to England again to take a stand upon the reformation, which 300 years) ago was i the., source, of her greatness and her glory, and it may be her proud destiny to guard civilisation alike from the withering blast of atheism and from the simoom of sacerdotal usurpation. These things may be far off, but we live in a rapid age, and my apprehension is that they are nearer than we may suppose. If that struggle comes we must look to Scotland to aid us. It was once, and I hope is still, aland of liberty, and patriotism and of religion.