The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-24 00:00:00

THE PRESS. 24, 1857. legitimate promotion. There is a tendency at Dublin to accept the opinion of a semi-Whig clique as authoritative in matters of ecclesias tical administration. The new Bishop of Cork is a Conservative, but like his distinguished brother, the eminent Chancery Barrister, (Mr. FRANCIS FITZGERALD, Q.C.,) he has never acted as a partisan. The diocese over which he will preside calls for more episcopal energy than has been displayed in it for many yoars. Its last three Bishops were invalids for a long time. Has the new Bishop the vigour and practical talent required for such a post ? The literary event of the present day is Mr. THACKERAY'S lectures on " The Four Georges." It is questionable how far this practice is beneficial to the interests of literature or the dignity of the literary man. But, to waive this question, we entertain little doubt of the in. jurious effects produced upon the public mind by teaching history after Mr. THACKERAY'S fashion. At the present time our reverence for past greatness is not so exaggerated as to require any of Mr. THACKERAY'S cold water, or our knowledge of past events so accurate as to suffer nothing from Mr. THACKERAY'S carelessness. It is a great misuse of genius, eloquence, and humour to employ them in defiling our father's ashes instead of adorning them, and, for the sake of short. lived fame, to sow sarcasms broadcast, which not more than half a dozen persons in every audience are able to take with their proper qualifications, and ishich, in the minds of those who do not, are cer tain to bring forth a harvest of monstrous error. This a man of Mr. THACKERAY'S sense nust know ; and if he will persist in bringing out a "Child's History of England" for grown-up children, he must do it with the full consciousness that he is deliberately poisoning the stream of knowledge. To our minds dead generations should be treated with something of the tenderness due to dead men. The living can defend themselves ; but it is more becoming a writer of Mr. Tuaexasay's antecedents to clew the nobleness of the eighteenth century from some of the dirt taut has been flung upon it than to add his own handful to the aanornulated heaps of those unreasonable patriots who seem to think the best way of proving themselves giants is to prove that their fathers were pigmies, and that fortes creantur fortibus was the delusion of a beoighted age. The death d the Duke of RUTLAND has robbed the aristocracy of one of its most amiable and popular members, and the agricultural and Conservatile interest of a firm and sincere friend. The late Duke entered politica life at a tine when Pirr was attracting towards him self all the youtiful enthusiasm of the country. Our institutions were threatened by propagandism, and even our independence imperilled by the enortnois military development of revolutionary France. At this crisis thedeeeased Duke acted with genuine patriotism, forgot the fetters of lis hereditary politics, and became the first Tory of his family. He aforded to Mr. PITT and to Mr. PITT'S successors the most unflinching upport during the whole of that long and desperate struggle, andis fairly entitled to a share in the glory of having raised England to tlat height of greatness on which she rested at the close of the fawns war. If the allegation that the late Duke belonged to a school of politicians which is now regardel much in the ame light as its opponents were in his own younger days, be intended n any respect as a sneer, it shows but sorry logic. The policy which)ecomes a turbulent period is widely different from that demanded b . an era of tranquillity. And when the times shall again deman. a vigorous, uncompromising, and national policy, may we have mat/ such noblemen as he who is recently deceased to rally round otheriuch statesmen as WILLIAM PITT. A gross ttack on the management of the Literary Fund has been made by theAforning Chronicle in consequence of the appeal to public benevolence,issued on behalf of Mrs. HAYDN, the widow of the indus trious comiler of the " Dictionary of Dates," and other works of similar charzter. It is assumed that the Literary Fund has been inactive who deserving literary merit was in distress, and that the present allepd destitution of Mrs. HAYDN is a proof that it neglects its duty, ad is useless for the purpose for which it pretends to exist. Before writes make charges of this serious kind, they are bound to institute sole inquiry into the facts of the cases they champion. Is it true that Mrs. HAYDN has been neglected by the Literary Fund? Is it true nat her husband received no relief from it ? These are question which the managers of the Literary Fund cannot answer, as from a paper feeling of delicacy they are bound not to reveal the relief they aford. If the charge is unjust, howithen can it be repelled ? We think Ms. HAYDN is the person to charge the managers of the Fund with indifferace to her claims, if the accusation is well founded, or to state the face if she has derived henefitfrom it. She ought not in either case to remin silent. There are other persons who might with pro priety spealif the Fund has done its duty by Mrs. HAYDN, those per sons, name'r, who have recommended her case as deserving of relief. From our kowledge of the general management of the Literary Fund, we cannot .elieve that Mrs. HAYDN would be refused aid ; and if she has received th full measure of relief which her case entitled her to claim, it is a mat cruel aspersion on the characters of the gentlemen managing to Fund to assert that she has been neglected. The posi tion of Mr.l.atret as a literary man was but a humble one ; and there must be lints to the bounty of every public charity. The Literary Fund may .ot have been able to place Mrs. HAYDN in a position of comfort, bt the literary men interested in this society, and the dis tinguiiliethersons who have so liberally supported it, are 'ntitled to a pain' sta:ment of the circumstances in connection with this ease, th at they ray determine how far the charge, urged with great maim. foace Ago* the aeoiety, ifs !supported by fltott LORD JOHN REDIVIVUS. There's a great man coming, boys, A great man coming; We may not stomach all his say, But if we don't, the toadies may Of the great man coming. The Peerage 'a an inducement strong, But place and power are stronger ! He'll put to rights whatever's wrong— Just wait a little longer! There's a great man coming, boys, A great man coming— In moral stature, understand ; For not in vulgar feet so grand Is the great man coining. Little John drew a strong bow, Great John can draw a stronger; Westminster's as good as green Sherwood For that !—wait a bit longer ! There's a great man coming, boys, A great man coming ; High Church, Broad Church, Low, he has been ; To England a friend, and to—Aberdeen ! ... ___. To Wiseman, and to—Cumming ! Abroad a timid counsellor, At home a wild war-monger ; He'll provo you black is white, good Sir, If you wait a little longer ! There's an old bird coming, boys, An old bird coming ; An ancient bird, alive to chaff, Who knows Big B— from a bull calf (Acute old bird that's coming!) For self-love the strawberry-leaf Is a strong cure ; but stronger Are Treasury-bags to bring relief: So the old bird waited longer ! And a great bill he's bringing, boys. A great bill he's bringing, To stir up Church and strengthen State, To set disjointed Nature straight, And all the Rads. a-singing. If after-time writes on the bill "Settled, J Bull," why really John Russell will be J. R. still— And that's the question—merely ! BEWARE! BY PROFESSOR TALLFEL I know a Premier rare to see, Take care ! He can both Whig and Tory be, - - Beware ! Trust him not, he is fooling thee ! He has two Peels amongst his mob, Take care! The squab called Fred, and. the squib called Bob, Beware ! Trust them not, they are fooling thee! He gives thee a deal of foolish chaff, Take care ! Common sense were a better thing by half, Beware ! Trust him not, he is fooling thee ! OUR FOREIGN AFFAIRS. LINES BY A BEWILDERED OLD GENTLEMAN. They say with Russia we're at peace ; Then why on earth against the Czar Don't Ministerial papers cease From waging such incessant war? They tell me that in open fight Our strength with Persia's we must try; But, though of course it's just and right, I wish to know the reason why. In vain to check each rising doubt O'er dullest articles I pore, And find that I make nothing out, And think—" Does Vernon Smith do more ? Then to persuade the Chinaman To better feelings, it appears We've tried a mild and simple plan, And blown his house about his ears. It may be proper at Canton To knock your neighbours' mansions down ; I shouldn't like to have it done, I frankly own, at Camden-town. 0 Scottish Mars, pugnacious Pan, In Protestant harangues delighting, I pity to a muddled man igt7 Witia W4O l fl4t4 log wO9 Oghtiug I. r I' • I.