Hall-Caine on the Teaching of “The Eternal City.”

White Ribbon, Volume 7, Issue 79, 1 December 1901, Page 8

Hall-Caine on the Teaching of “The Eternal City.”

To those of our subscribers who have read “The Eternal City,” by HallCaine, the author’s exposition of his hero’s creed will be interesting. The following letter was addressed by the author to Mr Arthur Spurgeon, of the National Free Agency, and was published in the British Weekly : “ Greeba Castle, Isle of Man, “ 24th Sept., 1901.

“My dear Mr Spurgeon,—l am naturally much interested diat you propose to speak on David Rossi’s creed as a message for the times, and I respond very cheerfully to your request for a short message from myself. *• The literary critics, who have never studied political principles in the abstract, have told the public that David Rossi is a wild and impractical dreamer, whose politics aie not to be seriously considered ; but I could wish you to tell your hearers that they will find nearly all Rossi’s theories in the published writings of Joseph Mazzini, to which I earnestly refer them. “ 1 could wish your readers to realise that Rossi’s theory of life is not Com munism, for it recognises the importance and necessity of individual effort and reward ; tiiat it is not Socialism according to any system yet formulated for the world ; and that, above all, it is not Anarchism, lor it denounces violence as a means of removing the evih of existence.

“ 1 could also wish your hearers to realise that Rossi’s political faith is founded on the laws of nature, which always make for Unity, and are thereby binding together nati( ns and races, massing together wealth and bringing the land into great ownerships, with tin certain sequel of abolishing warfare and nationalising capital. “ If Rossi’s doctrines are accepted they will carry your hearers far. The) will lead them back to a theory of political life which finds its perfect expression in the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer tells us that God is out Father, and, therefore, all men are

brothers, with no natural differences between them. “ This cuts at the root of the pagan theory of life on which States are built, with their monarchies and the armies banded together to uphold their inequalities. It also carries us beyond the conditions and possibilities of our own time. But if I am asked what message for the present hour and moment David Rossi has for the people who are facing the problems ot exis tence, I reply : “ (1) That we should try to bring the land Lack to the real (as well as the nominal; possession of the State. “(2) That we should try to nationalise all capital in the industries (such as railways) which are the absolute necessities of the whole people. “ (3) That we should try to settl international differences as we settle individual ones, by th< appeal to the arbitration of a court. “ (4) That we should never forget that the same morality which is hinding upon us as men is binding upon us as nations, and therefore we should resist ah attempts to establish conscrip tion. “(5* That whatever our views on the necessity of defensive warfare, we should see that aggressive warfare is contrary to the pre ceptsof Christ. “ (fi) That the precepts of Christ are good as politics as well as good as religion, and that the worst anomalies of life come by the fact that, while as individual:* we try to be Christian men, as nations we are too often conten to behave as barbarians.”