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

THE PRESS.

" kits on the crowns of the palms which pro
"duce this wonderful life. I call it the breath
"of God," &c. Tho air of the States was not
less favourable to her exaltation. At New
York she sits at a window, " drinking in the
" balsamic air, and allowing the breath of a
"now life to penetrate my ery being.- And
again : " I drink iu this air as I would drink
" nectar. and feel it almost like a pleasant in
" toxication." _

Thu people, particularly the gentlemen of
America, excite in her as much enthusiasm as
the climate. "If I were younger. and if my
"life's purpose were less decided than it now
" is, I confess that there is here and there one
"of these American gentlemen with their
" energy, their cordiality, and chivalric spirit
" who might bo dangerous to my heart." The
portrait of the gentleman at whose house she
was first entertained is sketched so very
fancifully as hardly to escape burlesque. His
taste is exquisite. " Within the house there
" prevails a certain darkness of tone; and all
" the woodwork of the furniture is brown ; the
" daylight even is dusk, yet nevertheless clear,
" or, more properly, full of light—a 'tort of im-
" ',rimmed sunshine something warm and deep;
•• it seemed to me like a reflection of the taan's
"ow•n brows eyes.- lie was of tacit urn disposition,
hut his silence was as expressive as Lord
Ilurleigh's celebrated shake of the head :
—" Ho is silent, but one of those silent
" persons from whom one seems to hear• pro-
" found wisdom though not a word is said. I
sate beside my silent friend, but the music of
" whose soul I Jun always conscious of, though
"he speaks nut a word." In the face of the
negro servant who waited at table she " read
" a whole volume of the inner life of the
" family." Divination is among the gifts of
genius, but we doubt whether any ono ever
understood so much from silence, or read so
much in a face before.

We notice these passages only as they afford
a key to the spirit m which the whole work is
written. Essential peculiarities of mind or
style may be characterised. but hardly come
further within the pale of criticism. Smooth-
ness is not two be expected in originality. Some
kind of fault or irregularity is to be looked for
in every mind with decided bias. We must
take the gold with its inevitable alloy. Each
character, or class of character, looks at the
world through its own medium. While the
poet's eye, in - a tine frenzy rolling," heightens
every colour of creation, the Quaker regards
all nature as dressed in drab. It is because
Miss Bremer views the society and institu-
tions of the States under the same aspect as
its climate and homes, that we direct atten
tion to her susceptible optimism. Her
descriptions, penned under this influence, are
vivid and amusing ; but her reflections, as
they are chiefly emotional, are entitled to
little regard.
In her sketches of American life all the
elements of intellectual and moral being are
curiously jumbled together. "Chaos is come
again." Such social fabrics as these seem
built on sand which is perpetually shifting.
Every sect which for its abstuslity or vice has
been driven out of the Old World finds refuge
in the New. It can boast congregations of
every shape of Tfunscendeutalism, Phalans-
teriam, Oweuism, Pantheism, and Deism ; of
Quakers and Shakers ; of Swedenborgiaus anti
Methodists ; of Millenuiumists and Clay-eaters ;
but from her book one might imagine that the
Christian faith, as exhibited in the Scriptures,
and embodied in our Church. was unknown in
the States.

We must follow her pin to show this iu
detail. The first • great spirit of the age" to
whom she W AZ& introduced was Wakio Emer-
son :

He seCJIIS to we an knierirtio Thorala, a h.. It, his own
strong, powerful 111101 M. would trilltshirie Cite mirid. mek•
ing for law and itasittrutson &wryly withal lets bream.
Strong anti pure, svlf-eolleeted moil calm. Jut at the mule
t into &utast oval. he t.itt s fort It thou his traiisve• n. lents' pniut of
%iris aphoristus ou Maitre 31A history. on tiod (whom he
4104'11mA n•gar.l Ns :1 personal tlod. kit Hs a sitperitir soul
In harmony with laws and on inn. ertneising hien or
their works horn th.• of 11..• hit:hest truths awl the
hight-.t Issurt ...obi. NAV% 1:1111.'1,,,/1. • lit. not
stall a Man: NMI It. h.nk.. t nwnnl lath loot:rig to that
maw. the man 01 the wra world. whose tavern h. he.
haves. He P•Ap4 tlin'We'll to the 'mina world: lit tramples
firm the givittimse. ot Rom anti m,AWAY' an this 'nth. rural
WWII; hc 1M Om: taco tali sot Livtl. • • • Ewa.

SATURDAY,

eon was the minister of a Unitarian congregation in
Boston. and had the courage openly to reoign his ministra•
t ion. his church. and the Christian 'faith, when he bad colle-
t') donbt of its principal doctrines.
- - -

bliss Bremer has the highest admiration fur
this gentleman, who from believing little went
on, as was natural, to believing nothing. She
thinks it will revive the slumbering Chris.
tianity of the Old World to be mused up by
" such fresh winds from the Himalaya of
heathenism."
This " light of the age" was so highly es-
teemed that one of his female disciples de.
clared " If he merely mentions my name I feel
" myself ennobled." It is one of his maxims
that whoso " would be a man must he a Non-
" conformist."
Of the Transcendentalists we have several
notiees. One of their most distinguished lee-
turers refused to take a glass of milk fur
nourishment, as it approached too nearly to
animal food.
Some " remarkable men " have started a
newspaper at New York under the alluring
title of the Spirit 4 the Aye. One of its editors
delivered a lecture at New York—of course on
Sunday—tat Christian Socialism :
-

His iiictrine was that which recognises no right but
that of involuntarx attraction ; no law of duty but that of
the artist's worship of beauty ; no i kid but that of the
Pantheist, everywhere, and yet nowhere.
- - -

• •
Miss Bremer duly admired the wonderful
eloquence of these spirits of the age, but
naively confesses that during their discussions
she had a - feeling of wandering among the
" clouds, or of being lost in a great wood.
She visited the Phalanstery at New Jersey.
and found another of America's remarkable
men, Charming. setting a good example to the
community by sewing hominy-bags :

- -
I sewed on* hag ; Churning also made another. and
maintained that he sewed quieker than I dial. My opinion,
however, is, that ray sawing WM* the best.
- -

At this institution the lady of the president
wore a bhOrt tiretol bind pantaloons, which were very
becoming tu her tine and pietnresque figure. Two hand-
some young girls, also, in short dresses or blouses, OA
with leathern lianas, and with jaunty little caps elk their
heads, which were remarkably becoming, went, ur rather
danced, along the footpath before us.
lint in spite of these pretty pantalooned
ladies. and of Charring, with his " beautiful
speaking head," sewing hominy-bags, Miss
Bremer is compelled to speak of " the cloudy
" state in which the intellect here is at present. •'
She was present at a dinner at the Phalan-
stery, where the waiters consisted of handsome
youths and young girls, all with artistically-
formed wreaths of leaves round their heads.
At a ball in the evening the ladies appeared
in full bloomer costume. Miss Breiner's
friend Marcus was a great admirer of the
institution. "He was a self made man," she
writes, as we must think very irreverently,
" but 1 rather limey our Lord *himself was of
"his kind, both in head and heart."

The "Shakers" seem a thriving community.
Miss Bremer visited one of their settlements,
and saw them go through their shaking evolu-
tions. When she asked the meaning of their
Glance, she was told—" Our dance is 80 az-
- ranged that it may represent to us our duty
"and our faith, and thus become to us a vital-
ising sermon both to soul and body." As in
opposition to the Socialists they will admit of
only spiritual union between men and women,
our curious traveller pressed them with the
question, what would become of the world it'
their principles prevailed universally, as then
the human race would die out ?—to which
" Elder Evans replied, that if the world wade
" a holy end it could not die too soon.' _ _

In tieorgia she met with a sect which we
do not remember to have heard of before :
One day I went to see, in the forest. some of the poor
people called Clay-eaters these are a kind of wretched
white people. found in considerable numbers both in
Carolina and Georgia, who live in the woods, without
churches. without schools, without hearths. and unu
times also without homes, but vet independent and proud
in their own way, and who are atkinevd Ly a disrabe.d
appetite to eat a ion of unctuous earth. which is found
here, until this taste hecomea a passion with them, equally
strong with the love of intoxicating liquors; although. by
!.low de .et, it consumes its victim, causes the com-
plexion to become grey. and the isoct,. soon to mingle with
the earth ou which it has nourished its Clay•eaters is
the WON giyeiu to these miserable people. No oriv know a
whetter they come. and scarcely how they exist. but they
and the people called Sandhill people,- psor whites alto
live in the barren. sandy tracts of the South= Stales, nuo
Intuit ta great amine, hen.

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 Miss
liremer's ►ages 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 Meads.
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 tuouueutous 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. and 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 the
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 yelirS 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 movement,
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'iolrnt &Mien`
1511011 :said Thid. tht.U.will 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
114•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 tairlialuentary 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 wheal 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 mtitie
nature it was obviously 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 Dialing on th.!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 match. 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 maps espial In I I
or I hi 11ig...4111s Illi• 1,191411111,11 ilf
al/etlllNllee In 0.1.11141.1t* ill theleil4lkl4 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• NrinN.la Of the 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
'wing soml.• 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
'21:01110 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 • tots',
stl4l' ••7 N-4top, 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. :$ ; Lagged
Poelllmll4, 271) to4NI. I 9,P4:4 1111.111111. of 1111.111. NO•11.10,1‘
ass iM47 staiod :--4111141reli 49. KI 7.10411 ;
11rilisit HuJ Foortio sod 14, 1111,%::491. ; Weld. %Nils
1,7,3171. ; olasiregatio moil, 4,9411 /. ; Loomis's 1 •1441h01500,
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

498

welcomed his genius, and drew such bright I
auguries of his future fame. But
"AU that's bright
wart furs—
The brightest still the fleetest "
and the writ -r of the " Red Fisherman" is
numbered with the many other men of glow
ing promise, whose threads have been rudely •
snapped by the Weird Sisters. We may be
excus:4l fur some emotion, as we think over
the strange variety of fates that have attended
the careers of the Cambridge contemporaries
of Praeil. Some, like Sir Bulwer Lytton and Mr.
Macaulay, have splendidly realised the expec-
tations formed of them ; others, thriving and
eminently " respeetable," have lost their old
inspiration, and mock at their youthful yearn
ing for fame ; nut a few have been smothered
miller what a great orator has called "the
sordid occurrences of life:" and some, like
fried and Charles Buller, have heels shrouded
from our sight by an untimely death.
The " Cambridge Union" was certainly one
of the most brilliant debating clubs that ever
existed. Other societies of a similar nature
may boast of having educated more illus-
trious orators and greater statesmen, but, joined
to brilliant attainments and various literary
talents, there was a well-bred tone and sound
taste its the members of " the U nion "
not always found amongst juvenile orators.
The success Of several of the speakers was
talked of throughout the University, and was
a matter of general allusion at the dining-
tables in the Innis of Court. K Right'• Quarterly
Maya:ate, also, was accepted as a favourable
NpCeilllCll of the brilliant versatility of that
band of "young men down at Cambridge" who
were then beginning to arrest the ear of Lon-
don. The ballads of " Tristnun Merton,"
the songs, epigrams, and charades of " Vyvyan
.10yeuse," were midterm for literary table-
talk ; and " Haselfoot" and "Gerard Mont-
gomery," and " Paterson Aymer," and " Dan-
vers I leaviside," and " Davenant Cecil,"
would also be criticised, and the characters of
" Knight's contributor' discussed ; and law
students would boast of an intimacy with them,
and then in discursive strain the conversation
would flow on, out without LIMB' an allusion to
Macaulay and Praed, stud •Thirlwall and
Malden, and Itulwer and Moultrie, and Charles
Buller and Davenport Hill, and other names
that are now honourably known in the Church,
the Senate, and the Law.
Sitting in the Cambridge Union thirty years
ago, how difficult it would have been for a
thoughtful observer to have foretold who of
its gifted members would be most successful
iu the race for glory ! If the question had
gone to a division it is certain, however, that
upon three illt`llllierti of the society, who figured
prominently between Ist: and 1430, would
have rested the greatest number of votes. A
majority of voices would have been raised for
" Miteaulay and Prated," classed together as
rivals, but a considentble number would have
been ready to back the pretensions of Charles
Buller for the highest parliamentary success.
We can fancy the ankl' with which the stub-
jeet might have been discussed. Macaulay's
imposing 11101111er, his unbroken flow of sono-
rous diction, his command of literary allusions.
and the apparent solidity of his matter might
have mode him the favourite amongst critical
observers. Then it would be said by others
that he wits more calculated for sham battles
in polities than for real fighting. Some would
try to damn him with the praise of being an
excellent essayist, but no orator, and hint that
he had not so much of personal faseination as
the versatile hued, whose vivacity of fancy,
playful humour, and sparkling readiness of
reply, would have been duly recorded along
with his numerous iteademical distinctions
pined with such facility. In Praed'm ease,
however, there would have been opposition.
Ilad he the requisite steadiness of purpose for
taking the highest line in political life? Was
not his genius east in too frail a mould for sus-
taining the athletic toils of a leading English
atatesman ? Was not there something of a
fanciful kind of foppery about his mind that
detntoted from his effect ? The objectors
would then perhaps have lauded young Charles
Buller, with his off hand, easy manner, the
neat, sharp stile with which he analysed an ar-
gument. the Noltitirian lightness of his raillery.
the quickness with which be saw a logical