The Press. — London, England, 1853-09-24 00:00:00

SrPrEmntr, 24,1853. These are but a few of the extravagant 'wets whose vagaries find a place in Miss Bremer's volumes. She sees ►:outething to admire in them all, not forgetting "the emancipated ladies'" sect; but, looking closely into Mi s s liremer's ►a g es tor any good resulting front these follies ► we are inclined to doubt whether the Americans are really better than anr other people. Money is their sole sin►. lon cannot even walk through the streets " without hearing the expression he is worth "su many dollars." When ou a tour in the West " For what do people marry here in the West : for 10%.e or for money?" inquired I of an elderly, clever, Mitt in telleetual gentleman. one of my M e ad s . For money, - replied shortly. As a result, the number of divorces is largo G 'ill a portion of the States where the law does not lay any very t uouueutous impediment in the way." In the Western States she expected to find a more advanced civilisation than in the Eastern, but she was tlisajoisiitited : The various religious sects her one loon. a n d more ainalgamated ; the clergy ploplies the ash cot of a Millets. uiutn chin-0..1116A1 shall gather all tierce into its embower, maintain the necessity of wiyuliai• eiluelition, of Mid of POlatV literature, for the lull I $1 Lent_opiocai of th e religious lift.. • • • • • • 1%111 there be anything different in development-4w character? will it laws. higher and nobler ? will it ap proach somewhat 1111•4111.1' to perfeet ion ? Tian kingdom of the Millennium where the lion 1,11811 li, 11011'11 with the lamb. where every Mali shall sit in the sh:tili.w of Ili, own vine 111101 Ilgur., when' 1111 11t.111.1t• shill' 111.41 I..getli..r iu pear., and heaven skill Stilitt• over a happy family of 11,1 N I 4.1 human beings? itt that kit tgd 1111 l tits peace, and love. and prosperity to hoar.- it. place byre? Ali' it has been very painful to me to give up that bcautifid dream which glaitleiosl me its I travelle4l sest• want and saw the golden sun savants. before me onward i•ito that promised land of the \Vest, into whole. realms I seemed to be journeying. 1 1144 longer hare any faith in it. t is gone! At the close of her volumes Miss Reenter makes her confessi 111 l of faith regarding the New \Vorld. She supposes that at. the lust Clay, when the Book of I.ite is I,laieed before the throne of the Almighty Judge, there will be found in it this record of the Americans : This people were in earnest to realise the kingdom td Christ on earth fin• the " honour of God the Father !" This is her conelusimt from all she wit nessed of the efforts of rival sects. and the Babel-like confusion of their tongues. The Clay-caters, the Mormonites, the Socialists, Transcendentalists, Spirit ltapis.rs, Shakers, and others, who treat Christianity as sit 1111- imsture,--and its hopes and promises as a tie,—are all contributing to this great end ! 'We fancy that Miss Bremer will not find many persons in sober England to agree with her. The prevalenee of infidelity in one shape or (Aber in the United States suggests some very serious reflections on the fruits it may one day produce. We have touched on but mw side of Ameri can life as exhibited in these volumes, since the levity with which Miss Bremer treats it seemed to require some correction. It is much tat be regretted that all the fooleries she approvingly describes should have Ireen intro duces' ill the weirlal under sanction of her psalmist' Intllll . .and dirough the meditun of these light volumes. M !Werner ]rased two ye l ir S in Americas, and spent lunch of that time in travel. it may be supposed that her Issak a which is in the form of letters to her sister) is full of matter. She has in heartlands'. col lected some interesting details on the condi tion of the slave population ; and, should she decide on giving its an American novel. Mrs. Stowe would have to look to her laurels. We haul marked several amusing passages for extract, but must be eontent with giving one on negro ebullience at the African church in Cincinnati. The preacher. having proposed the question. " Is God with us?" went on to contemplate the fate reserved for his negro brethren:— " Hew shall we know that Gal 1,. with us? Let its look at the freation thnu." lie then boldly sketclieql out a picture of an enslaved reople. aOl oppie;oed in ev-cry way. hut not the less creasing in numbers and improving them selves. var. rhasing their own freedom from shivery ( cries 14 yew' yen oh, glory ! throughout the church) ; purehmsing land ( shunts of joy) ; ever mon and more land (inenlising shams); buying houses, large houses, larger and still THE PRESS. larger hol1914“: k increasing jubilation auil stamping of fcct ; building churches louder criegil : still more and larger churches 1 louder and still louder mov e m en t, Maturing of wet. luta eltippitiii of hamlet); thu locople iii• creasing still in inituber, in priiiwily. in imit‘poity• And in tied. rstaii.liilg. Ko that the rinses of the lwld lalzatt to territicd. still to say. ' 'they sly 600 111 l too strong for its: lit Us send them lIVIT Its l Aberia (l'i o l rn t &Mien` 1511011 :said Thid. tht . U.w ill show us, ply brethren, tlutt tioll is with us. Let us not fonuike 'lint ;, for Ilc will lead us lint of taisti‘ity, and tusks sit us a great people!" ( Extreme delight and joy, with the cry of Amok yes, yes ! oh, glory and so mi.) The whole congregation was fur seyeial rninutss like a Shinny MIL proaelier's address had built a rushing teuipest of natural eloquellee. National Abutestiosi. Speed% of I,orvl j Russell in the House of Commons April 11 4 •13. London : Lougmans. Peiglio Education as A treeterl by the 31 imams of the Committee of Priry 'owned froad 'Sin to 11442. By Sir .1. H % leWort London : I Amgmans. s•votst Note ee. 1 Wr. have already explained the principles of two educational parties,--one suppoiiing with great and increasing success it system in eon nection with the Church of England, and the other favourable to purely voluntary etfini. More prsetical, equally able. and certainly not less zealous than the latter, are the advocates of what is popularly, though rather inaccurately, termed similar instruction. This party may be said to have risen into t airlialuentary existence subsequent to the passing of the Reform Their first manifesto was istou9l by Mr. Roe buck, in 'll3 or '3l; and though del 1111 l istrations of a similar nature have been made at varying intervals, and especially by Mr. Fox in !SAO, they have never acquired at sufficient degree of j rliamenta ry strength to exercise an influence over the Ministerial measures. The plan which they put forward is not unlike that of the National Schools in Ireland, though it more closely resembles the free-schools system established in the New England States. It ' admits Of three modifications :—(1.) United soeular teaching, with a total exclusion of the religious element. (1.1 United secular teach ing, with a combined latitudinarian religious teaching, founded on a mutual compromise between all sects. (3.) United secular teach ing, given on certain (lays and at certain hours, with convenient times allotted for reli gious instriletb in, and free access to the school, at. such times, for religious instruetors of all sects. The first of these arningements is now universally rejected, the mere suggestion hav ing been sulAcient to raise in arms the 17.1510 clergy of the Establishment, besides a host of voluntaries from other denominations, for once arntyed on the manic side. The second, though supported by the high authority of Mr. 4.7ainibe, is generally fell to 1w impracti. cable, from the uncompromising temper in which all sectaries n1)1)1'411101 the snivel of theological differenees. It has been paiiially hied, and has tailed. in Ireland ; the board, though composed of the most eminent Protes tant and Catholic divines, being muddy to satisfy the scruples of their respective lid li)wers. The third appears less open to objec tion ; and it is noteworthy that. Lord .lohn, iu his clams wate attack on the secular system, passed it. by alt,bgether, probably not through forgetfulness. Rut oilier undoubt edly exist besides those urged by the clergy and their lay supporters. To establish eiluesthinal organisation of rate supported 1 schools, of which local taxation is an indispen sable clement, is practically to destroy all other schools, private or public, existing ill the country, and thus to f•l'Vfli Vitst 1111 gm which must be im,re or less in tin' hands of Government. By Mr. Fox's bill of I win the Privy Council was to be invested with powers appertaining to no (Idler department of the Executive. It might refuse to allow the intro sition of a local wh e al rate in one distnet, notwithstanding the expressed wish of a majo rity of the iuhalbitamts ; and in another might compel the imposition of such a rate, notwith standing their expressed objection thereto. It. might, moreover, unite various parishes for rating purposes. SO that a locality well sup plied with schools should be called upon to make up the deficiencies of another in which .no school existed. To powers so large and so 407 little defined grave constitutional exceptions %veil. taken : yet without powers of m t itie nature it was obvio u sly iiiiinntsibie that a roan pulsory rating for .ducal purposes should he established. Mutter, ill great llWittlart`, the rejection of Mr. Fox's plan. which has not been followed lip. so far its Parliament is eon (*cruet', by any other of a similar diameter. We have. then. setting aside minor di( ferences, three great parties ail% twitting oppo site views in educational matters. We hive the voluntitrists„ who say to the State. " nothing;' the seettlarists, who say, tine united secular instruction. and leave religion to be taught by those whose special business it is ;" and, lastly. those composing the great iiiikjerity of the ho support a system of religious and secular teaching, par tially supported by tiovertiment grants, given through the Committee of l'ouncil, in further iulee of private and local efforts. So stands Ilse question in this year '43. 'nue statistics of popular education an briefly and lucidly stated by Lord Russell, whose language we quote as being. in Met, an obstruct from the mint of sir .1. Kay Shuttlewert The number of p 111 ilitY.'41•114111111 1 D i al i ng on t h .!II at of -- %C, MI WI at tits. taking .4 Ihr ernes's. weft 1:0.173 ; ti number of 14 . 1 . •011% lirli.m.rnig to the %Oiled*, or oil tit. mime! Looks, webs. 1114411• is, 71/I,:i4N; letatalea, 610/11 ; at the aellool.. 31,,t m atc h. Males 1134,107. female* 15t1,1311. The nitoola•r of i%/46. 11111 • ▪ exinting ott the 31,4 .4 11site11, 1P.141, Nlf. .:11,1•r• the tosmiser 10111illtellil: to Ih.. edema.. sir sill 111.. • 11111.1i\ IA its. lii.ilt.N 317,001, Penal., 3:.3,•:111; at• tendito; at the 1111. :11t4 111 March, 1,16 31'7,3911. 3 . ! . .!,310. The 1.....paij00 ..1 .rhlllluA .q 1 the hook. Ia 1111 . 1411.111111 joss m a ps espial In I I or I hi 11ig . ..4111s Illi• 1 , 191411111 , 11 ilf al/etlllNllee In 0.1.11141.1t* ill t h eleil4lkl4 Ulla equal to WI I••►III 1...1' . I N all 111 .11' PilNts• rrsiin what I lochs 11. 11. IN. N Vtry to...orate eatitowle of the and wirla isrlutigien: 11l I lii• Nr i nN.la Of t h e list 114 t all 'luiti.•a. The Ittaisa. NiII hoot It I. .04 111411 i the UUllitier 11111 s. whieh 'fifty I. tea for pertly from the einettle.tato.....f thrro• it iiiiml4.l. sirlis..is liiseltillwebil N tilt and slwlch. 111111 paill% Irons lila so.e..stett ' w ing s om l.• llp 1....1t0tt5.1 to 1 Pi..l. Nllleh. 1111.0%* 1.., %tllm.- 4111..111 Illy mitill. 4.1 scitsolity. 111 Iski Church It, MAI and 11or.•eg11 '21:0 1110 311,II•Vt ; I 'm44E1.0%0..11111, 11.0019 I this t hr only 14 part of Ow 4 'mlgr• ::iiii..rnitti %Ambit's I; Rowan 31,7;541; Veggie' I,eleasie, 2101E0 • t o ts', stl4l' ••7 N-4 t op, 54.1,.1.- -4 •limrvk lit I% 11141111111. 1,2141,077. .umber 17,1115 ; mid Forrips, 1.7015 , IVerole, om, :197 ; 4'l otsgregotiono4l, P 49: Roomosio 1'014..11V. :$ ; Lag g ed Poelllmll4, 27 1 ) to4NI. I 9,P 4 :4 1111.111111. of 1111.111. NO•11.10,1‘ ass iM47 staiod :--4111141reli 49 . KI 7. 10 411 ; 11rilisit HuJ Foortio sod 14, 1111,%::491. ; Weld. %Nils 1,7,3171. ; olasiregatio moil, 4,9411 /. ; Loomis's 1 • 14 41h01500, 10,090/. Itimgeol w.lioNolts, )211,1 mot, kolisi, 1,1)111,14715/. I IWO. I p,hHll be rather smiler t loom firer sloe toms k if I nail for tal uthrr hello' oho I thi. moo Item he iiiimisist pros Well for Ilie wand. misses. of them. loilsirsle N 114144 1,109,1MMW. Of the aggregate stated sls,ve. nearly half* milhim is contributed in 5ehm.1. 1 ,4114.e, i.e., by parents and relatives, themselves be longing to the labouring classes. This is, of all, the most rOliiiSing symptom. Charity may do much ; but dimity. if it dues not de. grade the recipient. at least weitliens both his espiirily and his desire for personal exertion. And not the least perplexing feature of this great soeial problem presented for our solu tion is the necessity of so encouraging the efforts of those who toil for their own or their children's teaehing as not to hinder, but to assist,—not to paralyse by ill-judged trinnifi retire, but to stimulate, by giving help only to such as are more willing than able to help themselves. Lilian, nod other AWNS. By Wiitibrip Mai 1, worth Prole& Now firrt II N 4.....crti._ York : Redfield. Tom sight of this volume of Pined's pos•3111,. voileeted, for the first time. in Aistei iris. ham sileetesi sis with miogleil feelings. Elise of the old familiar fares of •• the l'istsiips sage Union, - it wilketits up sonny rersilleet loss par Coking of that pensive %et allude , ' to by a IHIPUIIir WritVE " i,r 1...1 ruin 'lna onnvonalre--rodenar 'ln ins%ni.." Ntaity of the poems in thin volume are old favourites, known to tot by heart for years ; and, 31 , 1 ae read them again. our thought. alt. taken bask to that spritig-tinue of life when their writer was at Cambridge. surrounded by that brilliant circle of kindred spirits, who Gni