The Press. — London, England, 1854-01-28 00:00:00

r pr.. --- Joan 28,1854. The true test of faith is the belief in revela tion, without attempting to travel beyond the limits of human thought, in order to get rid of seemingly insoluble difficulties. So far Mr. Manse' deals with the philosophy o f the question. It is disappointing to find that on the theological point—the eternal duration of fisture punishment--he declines t o enter ; for few possess the acuteness, the learning, the clearness of style that he could have brought to the discussion. He insists, however, on the necessity of holding fast that conception of eternity which human conscious us as an important regulative truth , ne ss gives and the danger of endeavouring to exchange it for a speoulative idea of "a fixed state out of time," as this must be vague and meaningless to human intelligence. In concluding this meagre summary of a pamphlet full of close and lucid argument, we must repeat our regret that the author has modestly refrained from pushing his principles to all their doctrinal consequences, as the discussion would have gained greatly, and the possibility of misunderstanding the principles themselves would have been precluded. The Private Letters of Sir Jaw Brooke, K.O .8., Rajah of Sarawak. Edited by John C. Templer, Esq. London : Bentley. SIR JAMES BROOKE we believe to be both an able and an honest man ; and his persecution has diplayed in very unamiable colours the tendency to invidious disparagement of merit which exists among a certain class. But, if we are to speak truth plainly, Sir James seems to us to have been somewhat unlucky in his choice of friends. His former confidential agent is now his bitter personal enemy; and the gentleman whom he leaves in charge of his English interests, the editor of this COM. spond enee, has jeopardised his fame by the pub lication of papers which certainly ought never to have appeared in print. Macaulay 's remark on Boswell applies to these volumes : consi dering how unsparingly all the weaknesses and failings of the hero are exposed by his biographer, it furnishes strong proof of his real merit that so little can be found to urge against him. But such experiments ought not to be tried : they are at best dangerous ; they provoke ridicule as well as censure ; and they lay open their subject (who must be pre sumed cognisant of what is done in his name) to a charge the most fatal of ail to heroic pre tensions, that of an interested puffing of his own good deeds. We cannot but feel, in re viewing the Brooke correspondence, that we are dealing with doeuments not meant for our inspection. It is bad enough to rummage the drawers of a dead hero for every scrap of paper in his handwriting, and to expose his most private and familiar notes to the criticism of a careless or hostile public. But it is tenfold worse to do this in the case of a man who is still living, who holds an official station abroad, who is notoriously the target for bitter and unceasing attacks, and whose weakest point is perhaps an oversensitiveness to that obloquy which invariably attaches to a distinguished career. We could almost suspect Mr. Tem pler of being an enemy in disguise ; or, dis carding that hypothesis, we can only con clude that the vanity of authorship, and pos sibly the desire to connect his own name with that of an eminent personage, have seduced him into this grievous blunder. We repeat it emphatically—ordinary prudence, ordinary delicacy, nay, the common feelings of a gen tleman, ought to luaus dictated the suppres sion of at least one-half of what is here dis closed. Nor can we attach the slightest validity to Mr. Templer's editorial apologies, which are to the effect that his friend Sir James placed the correspondence in question in his hands to be used for the vindication of his diameter against the attacks of Mr. Hume and others. We are told that Sir James "sug " gested the propriety of publishing his let " ters ;" but did he recommend the publica tion of all, in this unabridged, unniutilated form ? If so, we regret it the more, because it would then be a natural inference that the letters were written for publication, which is 'Fite sufficient to destrpy their value as evi dence of intention : ;To gum hap ko uttgrly THE PRESS. forfeited his claim to simplicity of character and directness of purpose as he who addresses the world under the semblance of a confiden tial effusion to a bosom friend. However, the deed is done ; we are willing to hope that it was not done with Sir James's sanction ; and it only remains to observe, that, notwithstand ing the disclosures here made, we retain our belief in the high qualifications, both moral and intellectual, of the Rajah of Sarawak. Neither eau we conscientiously affirm that these Letters 4..amtain anything very novel or very striking. They are in parts interesting, a/ almost any familiar correspondence must be that deals with topics of personal adven ture ; but most of the substance of what is here stated has appeared before in the journals : only the form is new, and not always that: while the scanty matter is eked out with domestic details of which the publication is at once in delicate and absurd. Lord John Russell al ways excepted, we really know no instance of editorial duties more injudiciously or more slackly performed. Here is a characteristic sketch of the way in which our friends south of the Channel con duct scientific explorations : The French egledition has been here, bat only stayed Uwe lays. I ma& their acquaintance. In natural history they will do good. In geography I have my doubts— and I think some of their claims to the discovery of lands to the southward will be disputed. It appears to me to be a great error running over the gronnd in the way they do. Two days to this place week for the smith mast of Borneo! and the like. Monsieur DamoutlYUrville, their commodore, published & brief sAlcouut of his proceedio ga in the newspaper here, and I took the liberty on the fol lowing week to cut him up gently for what I considered au unwarrantable attack upon Weddell. The passage which follows has been cited, in our opinion unfairly, by some of our cou- temporaries, as indicating a love of small distinctions for their own sake. We see in it nothing except a natural wish naturally avowed . One thing I regret not having tried to effect whilst at home, and that is getting a knighthood, a civic knight. hood. You know me well enough to believe that such a distinction would never be sought by me except to an swer some purpose. I believe the mere name would be very useful to me with natives and Europeans in this country--at home I would not accept it, or wear the title, and though con vinced of its utility I will not beg or ask it : there are beggars enough in England. If they please to give it me on public grounds, as a barren reward, to facilitate a praise worthy object, I would accept it. There is interest, also, in the first announce ment by Sir James of his colonising projects ; which he has always avowed to be an after thought only, his first plan having been merely to cruise in unknown seas and snake dis coveries 1)o not start when I say that I am going to settle in Borneo, that I am about to endeavour to plant there a mixed colony, amid a wild but not unvirtuous race, and to become the pioneer of European knowledge and native improvement : all men of intelligence will look upon the undertaking with favourable eyes, for even its failure must advantage the trade of England, and give the poor natives a favourable impression of our countrymen. These are my intentions, and I have to tell you what led to all this. My kind feeling for the Rajah Muda Bassin' took me a second time to Sarawak, and I found him in great difficulty to suppress the rebellion which had been raging for four years. I proposed staying a week, but, on notifying my departure, he urged—he prayed me so strongly not to de sert him, that I could not do it. I stayed, and in three months accomplished what he had been unable to do in three years. I beat the rebels from their strongholds, and brought them to an unconditional surrender—subsequently I had a difficult task, but I did save the lives of all who did surrender, though they had most justly been forfeited, whether in Borneo or in England. That I accomplished this without some trouble and great exertion you will easily believe to be impossible, and to my mother I may own that nothing but talents and temper, and the greatest for bearance, could have done it at pll. Mudi Hassim during the war supported me, as he knew he must do few his own interest, and at the end of the war he frankly professed that my assistance had alone paved the country, and that my support was absolutely necessary to him. He con cluded by offering me the government of the country of Sarawak. After a month of negotiation I aeccepted the offer, on condition that he should give me hie sincere sup port and assistance in eating the lower classes from oppres• pion and pillage. If this eau be effeeted, there can be no doubt of ultimate success. Here is a useful hint as to the qualifications of a missionary : I must try to write to dear Margaret this time, though my time is cruelly taken up by public affairs. She will de light to bear of so fine a field for the spread of Christianity —a finer field cannot he imagined ; a people so ignorant and so Mused, with no religion of their own, and hardly soy prejtatlicee, offer tbe beet apportasity kr asaversies ifi itat4. hold bags a ma I pampso manias into communisation with coma intelligent missionary, and hiking his opinion on the best and most feasible means et establishing some of his brethren. I am inclined to be lieve the Ameriziin missionaries, in general, superior to the English, not in religions qualification, but in their ge neral systems. Tbey aim almost solely at the education of the young, and ingratiate themselves with the older people by the practice of physic —soave knowledge of which they almost all acquire. We aro not tempted either to extract or to condense the narrative of Sir James's Bornean exploits, the more so as these have been already in print twice, and are now a third time reproduced. There is au able though rather dry defence of his general policy in the third volume, which might help in the getting up of a debate, if the Peace Society chose to renew their attack. It is valuable as a record. but presupposes a considerable knowledge of the general facts, which most readers probably have not. We perceive with satisfaction that Sir James Brooke does justice to the courtesy and confidence which were shown him by Lord Derby's Government Itiev. RICHARD COME. Heigate, August 11, 1852. Iy dear Richard,—l have had several interviews with ministers, and crowned them all with one with Lurd ; but, as yet, there has been no result. They were all very polite, I may say kind, and appear to enter alto my views • bat tits groundereet of my position was, that they migh t avail themselves of my services if they choose, and if nut that I wouid be obliged to thew to make up their winds and let me take an independent course. If employed, I insisted on confidence and elliciency—reality and not pretenee—and a remedy for the anon - taloa* position in which I was placed by my being Consul-Lieuentl, with plenipotentiary powers, &c. They will soon give me au answer, and I will let you know what it is. At the time I offered, for the good of the public service, and to set the question et rest, to submit to a committee of the House of Commons : this ministers will likewise consider. Yesterday (10th) there was a long correspondence of Ruins with the judges of Singapore publisin d-411 very wrong and shameful in the opinion of the Daily News, because the shoe pinches on that quarter ; but I believe that you and every odter high-minded and honest man will coin• mend me for the principles I asserted at no small per sonal ineonvenienoe. Almost the last visit which Sir James paid to any person in England was to a member of the late Administration ; and he then re peated, with an energy enhanced by subse quent contrast, his gratitude for the kindness with which he had been treated both by Sir John Pakington and Lord Malmesbury. It remained for Lords Aberdeen and Clarendon to shuffle off the responsibility of decisive action by the appointment of a futile and offensive commission of inquiry, to be con ducted at Singapore, 10,1100 miles from home, and its proceedings ratified (if, indeed, they were not anticipated) in Downing-street. In that notable expedient we observe the same dilatory genius which, displayed on a larger scale, ha* since embroiled Europe in war. In conclusion, we have but one word to add. Let Sir James rely on his own acts, and on the reputation they have won for him as a stout-hearted and clearheaded man ; and let him not again commit his character to a champion so injudicious as the " dear Jack " of this conespondence. Casteltemente. An Autobiographical Sketch illustrative of Italian Life during the Insurrection of 1881. Loudon : Westertou. TwEirv-ruitEE years ago occurred one of those convulsive and spasmodic shocks which pass periodically through the still breathing frame of Italy. Events happened which are history ; and those evental form the ostensible subject or groundwork of the new narrative before us, " Castellamonte." But " Castellamonte "is not history, and it is not historical. It pro fesses, indeed, something considerably less ; and it is even less than it professes. What is it, then? Is it a romance? We all know that the sort of information to be derived from the exact narrative of memorable occurrences is not the same sort of information which may be derived from an able fiction based upon those occurrences, and giving, we will sup pose, a faithful aspect of them in one of their phases, but of course an aspect taken from the private-life " point of view." These two sorts of information are distinct ; but, if it be not true that their value is equal, it is equally true of both that valuable they are, and that they can often throw reciprocal light and a more vivid illustration on each other. As WI get instruction of one kind from a good