A sign of the same kind is the cool request
to Mr. Bright, made by some of his Birmingham constituents, that he would use his influence for "the expulsion of the Jesuits from England," to which, of course, Mr. Bright says no. We will not go so far as to say that in certain countries,—possibly Spain may now be one of them,—where the Jesuits have acquired an immense organization which the ignorance and superstition of the country renders formidable, such a measure might not be under certain circum- stances justifiable, as the only possible mode of sapping an influ- ence fostered by the grant of special privileges which it should never have had. But to fulminate special laws against the Jesuits in England would be the silliest cowardice, weakness, and injustice. If our general legislation does not protect us fully against any class of intriguers whatever, let us strengthen it. But if it does, the Jesuits have as much right as any other religious body to any influence they can legally obtain. If, though not illegal, their methods are immoral, let us bring public opinion to bear on them, as ou other like cases. There is something simply despicable in these howls against specially unpopular religious names.
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