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Spirit of the Welsh Press

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Spirit of the Welsh Press [EY GWYLIEDYDD.J 10m, FARNEIX. The visit of "the uncrowned King of Ireland" to Hawarden has invested him with renewed interest and deeper affection among his Welsh admirers. He has become as immaculate as the Grand Old Man himself and receives the same honours. They are represented as the twin patriots, "in whom there is no guile." "Mr. Parnell is good and honest," says the very rdigious Giryliedydd. The Golcuad is doubtful which of the two great statesmen is the more popular at the present moment. "Mr. Parnell ob'ained proofs during his recent tour," the Methodist organ say?, "of the thorough change which has taken place in the public sentiment nf England towards him. The Bauer announces that the two greal leaders have come to a thorough understanding on the Irish question, and they have unbounded confidence in each other." The Bauer takes the occasion of the visit of Mr. Parnell to make the following remarks We may be permitted to suggeet that it would be wisdom on the part of Mr. Gladstone to invite some of the Welsh leaders to bis castle to confer with him on matters relating to the Principality. We have heard that he often talks with Mr. Stuart Rendel on Welsh question-, but we have representatives much more national, in every sense of the word, than the member fcr Montgomeryshire, and it would be a good thing if lie were to exchange sentiments with them." The name of Mr. Gee may here be seen between the lines. Mr. Gladstone knows that he can place more reliance on Mr. Rendel than upon the author of the Land League and the instigator of the tithe war. The Tyst is so gushing that I cannot do justice to its superlative eulogies, and must let the Congregational oracle speak for its,-If The secrecy that surrounds Mr. Parnell is most fascinating. He is one of the most important and interesting personages in the kingdom. It is mad- ness to suppose that Ireland can be governed in any other way than his. It is a great mistuke to suppose that lie is an extreme man. He is in favour of the unity of the three kingdoms, but speaks in the most contemptuous manner of Mr. Balfour. He proved that that gentleman's attempt to govern Ireland has been a complete failure. What a change in five years! If he had spent a night, at Hawarden in 1885 he would have been cursed by his party and race and Mr. Glad- stone would have shared the same fate, but now there is great rejoicing at the union and harmony between the two great leaders. What would Salisbury and Chamberlain give if they could get the Irish chief into their camp ? Mr. Parnell is quite indifferent about what the report of the Koyal Commissioners will be. He knows that public opinion is in his favour, and we believe that be is innocent." The Goleuad uses the same fulsome language, and abuses Englishmen in the most violent terms. 'I hey torture, persecute, and suck the blood of the Celts." THE YKAB 1869. The Tyst and Celt contain special ariides on the year that is passing. That of the Celt is written by the minister of Lammas street Chape), Carmar- then, and occupies fifteen columns or nearly one- half of the paper. The subjects upon which he treats are scepticism, democracy, the dispute about Bala College, Methodism, the tithe war, and the BithnpofSt.Asfph. The writer favours the ;4 advance" preachers, nud gives Mr. Sturgeon a back-handed blow. He rejoices over the spread of democracy, and instances the revolution in Brazil in proof of it. He picks the crust that was growing over the Bala College sore, and charges Lhe joint committee with unfairness towards the Rev. Michael D. Jones. He recommends the In- Jependents and Baptists to take a ieaf out of the book of the Methodists. "Peggy Lewis" is in italled among the notabilities of the year. The tttack on the Bishop of St. Asaph is bitter and personal. Here is a specimen of it The now Bishop of St. Asaph is an uncompro- mising enemy of Nonconformity and a disagree- able neighbour to Nonconformists. His knowledge of Welsh is imperfect. He can speak a little of it, and it would not cost him as much to acquire the language as it did the Bishop of Bangor. That prelate is an excellent neighbour, and a hundred times wiser than his brother of St. Asaph. The latter is the poorest authority in the country on the history of religion in Wales. The Carmar- then people have known the fact for some time, and the general public will soon arrive at the same conclusion. He is utterly reckless in his itatements. He gives the Methodists more credit than they deserve, and yet curses them." The Tyst is more methodical, but shows traces of the limited range of the newspaper reading of the editor. It begins with a reference to the Welsh Congregational denomination, and regrets that the state of religion within it is not satisfac- tory. It complains of the criticisms of the Bishop of St. Asaph of the statistics of the Noncon. formist sects, and denies tha.t the indifference of the people to religious things is proof of the failure of DisseDt. The bigotry of the editor Is shown in the following remarks upon the Parnell Commission :—" The scandalous charges of the Times arose entirely from jealousy and revenge—charges which the authorities of the Times knew to be false." The Seven has a homily an the observance of Christmas Day. The Llan reviews the work of the Church in Wale; and writes hopefully of the future. It says We are glad to record great, success in every respect, and believe that when the re- turns for the year come in the number of confirmations by the Welsh bishops will bo found to be much greater than in any former year. A large number of churches have also been conse- crated, and many others are in course of building.' THE TITHE WAB. There are indications that the tithe agitation is wearing itself out. Even in Denbighshire the farmers arrange with the county authorities that distraints and sales shaH take place without moles- tation on the part of the crowd, except so far as the noise is concerned. Certain influential farmers are detailed to watch the proceedings and prevent personal violence. Accounts of the peiformances of the mob are given occasionally in some of the papers — a kind of literature that finds favour in certain circles. The Werin endeavours to be funny over a field of turnips distrained upon by the Rector of Prestatyn, Fiintshire, and complains that I policemen are put to watch the property to prevent the depredations of ragged and greasy Irishmen." The Bauer repeats the stale story of an exhibition of a straw figure at a tithe sale, representing a clergyman, and the uproarious shouts of the noisy crowd. The Herald says that Lord Mostyn has allowed 10 per cent. off the tithe paid by his tenants, and that the farmers in several parishes in Flintshire and Denbighshire have met and asked their landlords to do the same for them. The Herald states that if tile clergy had consented to an abatement of 10 per cent., as the landlords had made in reut,, there would have been no tilhe war. The farmers do not seem to understand that there had already been a considerable reduction in the amount paid. The Baner reports that a baiiilf obtained L5 damages at the Lampeter County-court for an usssult a- a lit he sale. SHOBT 50TES. The Baner announces that Mr. Gee is going to resuscitate the Welsh Land League, which died a natural death three years ago, and gives the North Vales Radical Federation a slap in the face at the Time time. The Guylicdydd «Wcs aa of tiiatote I Rev. John J ones, better known as "Vulcan." Mr Jones, like neatly all the successful Welsh j preacher?, was a self-made man. He made his mark a quarter of a century ago when he replied to an aiticle by the late Dr. Lewis Edwards on the doctrine of the Atonement. Lladmerydd," of the Ty.it, relates an interest- ing story told him in London on Christmas Day, 18t6, of four Cardiganshire men who tramped RJ! the way on foot, one only of whom could speak a word of English. It shows the simple life which Welshmen of 70 and 80 years ago led. "Idriswyu" of the JVetcs of the Week says that the Welsh-speikir.g population of Cardiff are like sheep without a shepherd, and attributes the re- j'jetion of Professor Roberts for the school board to the absence of a competent lender. The Tartan has a second article on Union of the Nonconformist Bodies with the Church of England," which is simply an attack on the latter. The different sects ought to learn to agree among themselves before they talk of union with the Church. The Go7f",vl does not like the compliment paid to it by Dr. John Thoma", of Liverpool, in his dis- closure in the Tyat of the newspapers tie is in the habit of reading. After quoting the words, it says that the mustard, pepper, salt, and vinegar of I he Tyst become offensive when they appear in the Genedl and Golcuid. Arthur," of the Ford Grot) (0f the says that the suggestion of Mr. G':e, that disestablish- ment should be one of the subjects of the week of prayer, is described by the SuU'.rday Iitiiiic as' Holy Taffy's Prayer." The Rector of Barmouth, in a letter to the Goleuc.d, repeats the request to name the clergy- man in Merionethshire who was accuse j in that paper of offering payment to Dissenters fur going to church. The name is still withheld 1 The Baner defends Dr. Barnardo against the charges made against him, and attributes them to the Roman Catholic priests, who are jealous of the succ as of his labours. "AUlud Eifion," who has had a large experience of the Church Welsh press, writes very plainly to the Lhtii on the reasons why that paper is not more appreciated. He mentions two. The first is that the contributors are not paid for their services; the other is the absence of business tact in the distribution of the paper. Any amount of soft soap is accepted, but if a layman writes on the shoitcomings of the Church or the press his contribution is rejected." The editor, in a foot- note, denies the correctness of the statements of his correspondent.

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----_._---------------A ROMANTIC…

AN OWL AMONG THE SPARROWS,

■.—! FALL DOWN A COAL PIT.…

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GREEN OHRISTMAS IN AMERICA

THE ROYAL BETROTHAL.

----------.---LORD RANDOLPH…

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SENSATIONAL AMERICAN DIVORCE…

---.. STRANGE EXPERIENCE OF…

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- SINGULAR SCENE IN A MENAGERIE.

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" SPIRITUALLY-QUICKENED."

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BODICES AND BOAS. '

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