There is little to say and less need to add anything to what
Mr. Wheeler writes, whose industry and discernment collect together all
the accessible facts of his subject. My knowledge of Charles Robert
Newman is confined to his correspondence, which, with my present
engagements, I could not refer to and examine without delaying the
printer longer than would be convenient to you, as Mr. Wheeler's
article is in type. The impression Mr. C. R. Newman conveyed to me by
his letters is, I judge, sufficient for the purpose in hand. Charles
Newman had an intermittent mind. He would write with great force
and clearness, and in another letter, which was confused in parts,
he would frankly say that his mind was leaving him, as was its wont
as I understood him, and after a few months less or more, it would
return to him, when he would write again. In this manly frankness
and strong self-consciousness he resembled his two eminent brothers
Francis and John. I trusted to his friend Mr. Purnell, who was the
medium in communicating with me, to send me further letters when
Mr. Charles was able or disposed to write them. I expected to hear
from him again. Much occupied with debates and otherwise at the time,
I neglected writing further to him myself. Afterwards thinking his
disablement might have grown upon him with years, disinclined me
from asking him to resume his letters. Mr. Wheeler seems ignorant of
Charles Newman's mental peculiarity, and does not recognise what may
be generous delicacy on the part of his brothers in not referring to
it. To do so would have subjected them to the imputation, very frequent
formerly, of imputing difference of opinion to want of saneness. Even
so liberal a preacher as W. J. Fox accounted, in 1841, for my disbelief
in Theism by conjecturing the existence of some mental deficiency. No
doubt many persons with whom Charles Newman had dealings in offices
he held, would regard his Atheism--which it was contrary to his nature
to conceal--as a personal disqualification. He avowed his opinions as
naturally and as boldly as Professor Newman and the Cardinal avowed
theirs. It is not conceivable that Cardinal Newman ever intermitted
his aid--or Professor Newman either--on this account. They were both
incapable of personal intolerance. They might deplore that their
brother Charles's opinions were so alien, so contrary to theirs;
but this they would never make matter of reproach. It was doubtless
a great trial to them that their brother, having fine powers like
their own, making no persistent effort for his own maintenance,
although he knew it must render independence impossible. Possibly
the solitariness which he chose caused his tendency to unusualness
of conduct, not to say eccentricity, to grow upon him--which they
could not control or mitigate without an interference, which might
subject them to resentment and reproach. Charles no doubt inherited
his father's sympathy for social improvement, which led to his sharing
Robert Owen's sociologic views. But he did not acquire his Atheism
from Robert Owen--as Professor Newman has said--for Robert Owen was
not an Atheist--always believing in some Great Power.
Professor Newman has told me that in any further edition of his
little book upon his brother, the Cardinal, he will, on my authority,
correct his description of Robert Owen as an Atheist. Charles owed
his Atheism to himself, as his brothers owed their opinions to their
own conclusions and reflections. Charles not taking a degree was less
likely to be owing to means not being furnished to him than to his
intermittent indecision of mind and his strong discernment, which
produced satisfaction with the world, with others, and with himself.
George Jacob Holyoake.