The Evening Star FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2813, 23 February 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1872.

The additional telegraphic news extracted from the files of the Art/nn, contains little more than the confirmation of that already to hand, so far as the domestic afiairs of the United

Kingdom are concerned. The chief topic that agitates the public mind there, is that which has been stivecl in every part of the civilised world, the education of the young. Precisely the same controversy is going on there as here : precisely the same demands are made by the Roman Catholic Church for State assistance for the propagation of its religions dogmas, and precisely the same stand has been found necessary that civil and religious liberty may be maintained. The unity of purpose manifested by the Roman Catholic hierarchy, and the consequent power brought to bear upon the governments of different kingdoms, prove the advantage to he gained by concerted action. In the British Empire, and, in fact in all countries where the English language is spoken, they are in the minority, so far as numbers are concerned; but the influence of their teaching in past ages still lingers in our traditions. We have not thoroughly learned to separate things present from the unknown future, and consequently many timid men are superstituously afraid of a system of secular national education. The thorough sifting that the question will now have, must ultimately convince the most sceptical of the justice of remitting all religious instruction to parents and churches, and the Roman Catholic Church will unconsciously have done good service by bringing the matter in such a form before the world’s tribunal as to lead to a final and equitable settlement of it. Against the claims of so power!ul an organisation, thus far, no counter cooperative association has been formed. The only weapons opposed to it are the dissemination of knowledge and the utterances of reason. We believe these will be found sufficient, at any rate in New Zealand, where we have, the ballot. At Home, where its protection is yet withheld, should an appeal to the polliug booth be made, ecclesiastical censure may have more terrors; but in all cases victory is merely a matter of time: no unprejudiced person can possibly doubt on which side it will result. Politically, Europe is somewhat unquiet. France is not through its difficulties. The Orleans Princes are apparently waiting for the chance of something to turn up in their favor. Just as Louis Napoleon was content to connect himself with the Legislature in 1848, they have taken their seats as members of the General Assembly. They, however, ara not placed in so favorable a position for seizing imperial power as lie was. There is a wide difference in the circumstances. The army of France, at that time so powerful, has been broken up ; the National Guard, once so influential as a political engine, is disbanded : the name of Orleans has not the same magic in it as that of Napoleon had at that time : it is associated with no victories, and points to no popular benefits conferred by any of its possessors. The descendants of Louis Phillips have never been sufficiently identified with the popular cause as to lead to any enthusiasm in their favor, and the misfortunes of France have been so disastrous, and so long continued, that it is hardly likely any violent attempts at constitutional changes will ‘be made for some time to come. One great security against violent change is that the military force is reduced tc 200,000 men, whose leaders will most probably he dependent upon, and under the orders of the President. If, therefore, appointments are judiciously made, and political partisans kept oot of the ranks, there is a possibility of some stable form of government being evolved from these troubles. The rumored differences between Russia and Turkey do not seem very serious, as Russia can afford to allow 50,000 men to visit their homes on furlough. The war spot seems to be in the West Indies—in the island of Cuba, which has long been in a state of rebellion against Spain. It depends much upon the course of action taken by the United States whether there will be war between that country and Spain or not. We should think not, judging by the action of the Republic in the Fenian raids on Canada, and the constitutional principle of neutrality so strictly carried out. Yet the United States has been somewhat disagreeably mixed up in the Cuban quarrel. In 1848 there was a secret society formed in Alabama and some of the Southern cities, called the “ Lone Star Society,” the object of which was “ the extension of the instici tut ions, the power, the influence, and “ the commerce of the United States “ over the whole Western Hemisphere, “ and the islands of the Atlantic and “ Pacific Oceans.” The first acquisition was to have been Cuba. President Taylor, on becoming acquainted with the scheme, published a strong proclamation denouncing it in 1849, in spite of which Cuba was invaded by LoHi'/,. Hi ß force was defeated in 1850 ami again ju 1851, when fifty of his men were shot, am,! he himself garrotted. Another expedition was projected iu 1851, but it was stayed by

proclamation of the President of the United States ; and the same year, Messrs Buchanan, Mason, and Soule, United States envoys, met at Osteud and Aix-la-Ohapelle, and recommended in a report the purchase of Cuba by the States. The pride of Spain would not submit to this : the Spanish Minister in Cortes declared t.iat the sale of Cuba would be “ the sale of Spanish u honor itself.” In the island itself there is a strong pro-American party ; but-we cannot see that the relationship in which the United States stands to Cuba is such as necessarily to involve the two contries in war. Should sue!) a contingency occur, there is not much doubt as to the result—Spain must go to the wall.