SIR,—It is not like your usual fairness to imply that
a correspondent who deprecates the clerical manifesto against Free-trade is desirous of " muzzling the clergy" (see Spectator, December 3rd, p. 896). That might be said if he had criticised a sermon against Protection built on fact and argument. Manifestly it is the duty of every one who has an opinion on so important a subject to endeavour to communicate it, but let it be communicated by exhibiting and explaining its grounds, not by converting it to a new Quicungue Vali. We are discarding dogma from theology ; do not let us admit it to the domain of politics. The whole virus of political controversy lies in the assumption that the conscience is the organ of sound views. So far as I see, there is nothing valuable that good men have not disbelieved, or
bad men believed.—I am, Sir, &c., A. W.
SHAKESPEARE AND CANON AINGER.
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