The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-27 00:00:00

THE- EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVEM)IO-, JULY 27, 1860. "

election of BRIGHAM YOCNO as "Novelette
" and Seer of the church throughout the
" world ;" of JOIN HID' as " President of the
" quorum and the eleven somaining Apostles ;"
also of JoRN Yornvo as " President of the High
" Priest's quorum," were unanimously confirmed.
Whatever may be its religious pretensions,
Mormonism is certainly in its social aspects worse
even than Princeism. But it enjoys full toleration.
No one attempts legally to question the acts of the
Mormons on the plea that they are the victims of
a religious delusion. Nay, pretensions almost as
great as those of Mr. Paiscx himself are con-
tinually put forth from the pulpit and the religious
press. Preachers in addressing their hearers not
unfrequently claim to be under a Divine impulse,
to be moved by the Divine Spirit. No doubt there
is a certain protection from undue spiritual influ •
ens in the publicity of these addresses and the
claims founded upon them. But the principle is
the same whether the sum obtained in this way
is six pounds or six thousand. The only difference
is in the more general prevalence and greater pub-
licity of the plea.
The truth is that influences essentially supersti•
tious work far more widely than is generally sup-
posed. Common minds love authority and easily
become the victims of strong assertions and audacious
claims. Men are superstitious not only in their
religions but in their social and political opinions
as well. They are prone to believe anyone who
will undertake to decide for them in important
but at the same time doubtful and difficult ques-
tions. Hence they fall an easy prey to audacious
and plausible quacks. There is nothing, for
example, men are generally more superstitious
about than their health. If they are ready to
trust a noisy and positive spiritual guide as to
their soul's welfare, they are still more ready
to confide in a confident medical adviser as to
their bodily health. So, too, with regard to ,
the health of the body politic. They will listen
reverently to fluent talk if it be only sufficiently
dogmatic, and so become victims of the most arrant
political quack.. The law cannot touch an evil
so wide-spread either in its causes or effects.
We need not refer to the splendid allegory of our
great moral poet to learn that superstition is the
offspring of ignorance—the cruel but timorous
daughter of a blind mother. It is the result of
ignorance and mental inactivity—of minds
un-
enlightened, of faculties without cultivation.
Men can only be cured of superstition—the blind

following of others—by obtaining knowledge
that may enable them to form opinions of
their own. Light, knowledge can alone banish
those spectral forms of evil, religious and political,
which haunt and terrify so many minds. The
teacher, and not the judge, must supply an
effective antidote to these gloomy superstitions
that still pervade our social life, and weaken
moral power.

Vie Court.

OSBORNE, JOLT X

The Queen and Prince Consort drove and walked
yesterday. Princess Alice and the royal family also drove
in the grounds. Lord Clyde arrived horn London on a
visit to her Majesty, and rosins at Osborne.

Tbe Coneneeof burin sad the Hoe. Flora Maodonakl
have seiceseded the Coextess of Caledon and the Hon.
Fleenor etantryos Lady and Maid of Honour in Waiting.
Th. amorist widish reached her Majesty the morning
by telepaph from Potsdam is most satisfactory, both with
reprd to the Princess Royal and the infant Princes,. The
Pewees Royal had a very good night, and slept oontiunally,
and the young Prancer is described as doing very well.

Deepatches were received at the Colonial Moe yester•
day from the Governor of Malta. Despatches wen sent to
the Governors of the Australian colocie=lon, lions.
Koss, Lbws, Mauritius, Gibraltar, and

Their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand
Dothan of Meekleabe•gstrelits and the Princess Mary of
Cambridge hoaor-cd the performance at the Royal Indian
Opera with their presence last evening. Their royal WO-
mum who occupied the Omen's box, wereaecceapanied by
Lard Redouble and the 11. a. Min Ridged. The lady
Cardisse Cast was in attendance upon the Hereditary Grand
Dothan of Mecklenburg-Strehts.

His Excellency the Prussian Minister and the
Cousteau Mernstorrt entertained at dinner at Prussia House,
on Wednesday evening, his Excellency the Banon Minister,
the Durham of Inverness, the Baroness d'Usedom, the
Baroness Demon, Miss Coutta, Marquis de la Great, Mar-
quis Campo d'lsola, CountPustave Platte, Baron Meuse-
both, Count Blucher, Mr. Arthur Stepney Cowell, and Mr.
Graham Vivi►n.

His Excellency the!kustrian Minister and the
COWIN/ Al ployi will shortly keys Chaodos House for
Cmeany.

His tiosilency the Swedish and Norwegian
YYfAtr sad the Countess Platen received at dinner, last
maim the Duchess of Inverness, the Marquis of Win-
ester, Boron and Bareness d'Usairan, Count Gustave
Meese, Sir Thomas mid Indy Fremantle, Mr. and Mrs.
Jews (of Pantinsts), Mies Coatis, Mr. Henry Milhanke,
General Malcolm, Mr. Boileau, &c.

The Countess Franoes i'ablegrave and Mr. Har-
court, M.P., have Wee entertaining a large party at Mincham
during the pad week. The company has included their
Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess d'Aurnale. the
Riudfand Countess of Clarendon and the Ladies Cambium
and Alice Villiers, the Ferl of Sefton, Viscount and lirn-
countess Strewed. de Rolcliffe and the Hon. Mimes OW
ring, Viscount Cielseo, Viscount ifinchingbroke, Viscount
Gilfool, Lord Skelmersdale, Lord Honeys, Le ly Theresa
Lewis and Miss Listar, Lady Mary Wood and Miss Wood
and Mr. Wood, Dormer Lady Truro, Mr. and LaZy Reline
Tenon, Lidy Hislop. Hon. E. Ashley, Mr. Fortescue,
Captain Hampton, Mr. Doyle, Miss Money, and Miss Ida
Mosey, kc.
The Earl and Countess of Harewood have left
tow.) for Harewc rd House, Leath.

Viscountess Palmerston will have an assembly
this evening at ^ abridge House. Her ladyship has also
issued cards for an ageembly on Wedoesday,the lit August.
Viscount and Viscountess Barrington have left
Cavesulish-equare for their seat, Beckett House, Farring-
deo, Brats,

Lord and lAly Stuart de Deciea and the Hon.
Yin heart, sad the Enrollees Prod= Pia, hare left Mau-
rice. Hotel for Hamburg.

On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the
Grenadier Guards, on Wednesday, at the Crystal Palace,
the car of Mr. Coxwell's balloon was occupied by Lord
Deegan, Sir Charles Russell, and Captain White. The
voyagers, after a eplemlid trip descended on the property
of Mr. Smith, banker, at Croydon Crook.
The National Gazette states that the Princess
Frederic Williams intends to reside at Putties, near Stral-
sund, in the Baltic, for some weeks in the autumn, and will
inhabit the official residence there in which the King of
Prussia lived for some time. A wet-nurse, who had been
engaged for the expected royal infant, arrived at Potsdam a
few days since, accompanied by her children and her
sister. She came from a village called Levern, about four
mile* from Minden.

Mr. Gowen, the gentleman engaged in raising
the sunken fleet at Selmatopol, writes on the 10th:—
"Yesterday I raised and brought alongside the wharf the
60-gen frigate Koolelchi, the frigate the large masts of
which stood upright in the centre of the harbour. She
was very heavy, weighing, I think, 4,500 tons. This is, I
believe, the end frigate that was ever raised whole, and
she is in good condition. Since you left I have raised some
12 vexes* among them four wooden and one iron war
steamers, of 910-horse power each. The steamer Vladimir,
400.1sovse power, will be the neat one ; and after her
wane line-of•battle ships."
The ClinJwigbler fie Fribourg says :—" Count de
Mamboed and the Dubow of Parma have arrived at
aLfutecvemti7eirl'irnimialagtghthet.dy waLthoen Scanhax"ciuraitreron4fina. a Thesteam (ileyr
Pr .41 the h lake of the Poor Cashew, acoompanied by several
eac peewee."

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.
THSVASSACSS AT DAMASCUS. '
It &pimps that the massacre at Dipkeebue ego-
mewed in the afternoon of the 9th, and that before
night 500 Christians had been killed. The first con-
sulate attacked was that of Swede. The Russian and
Greek consuls took refuge with Abd-el-Kadsr. All
the Catholic and Greek churches and convents, as
well as the consulates, are burnt. The American
vies-consul was wounded, and the Dutch vice-
consul said to be killed.

Drum atrocities in the neighbourhood of Sidon
continue unabated. Christian priests and villagers
near Sidon, and near Damascus, have been forced
at the point of the sword to embrace Moslemism by
hundreds.

"Between May 29 and June 30," writes our
correspondent at Beyrout, " the Drupes have mur-
dered in cold blood upwards of four thousand
Christians, including more than a hundred Catholic
and Greek priests and monks. They have burnt
down upwards of 150 Christian villages, including
more than 100 churches and 16 convents."

Three thousand Turkish regular troops arrived
at Beyrout on the 11th in one line-of-battle ship
and two frigates, under Khalid Pacha. Two
thousand leave for Damascus. As yet, " the
Turkish government has not punished a single
Druse. In every case of outrage upon Christians,
the Drones and Moslems act in concert."

The plunder of church plate and other valuable%
and the damage done to crops, houses, and to the
oonntry in general, is said to amount to upwards
of six millions sterling.

The Lewitt! Herald of the 18th observes that the
receipt of the intelligence from Damascus has ex-
cited the gravest anxieties of the Porte.
"On Monday, after interviews with Sir
Henry Bawer and hi de Lavalette, his
Highness Aali Paola had an audience of the
Sultan, and was closeted with his Majesty till •
late hour—on what business it is easy to imagine.
Yesterday, again, Sir Henry and Mr. William.,
the American minister, had long conferences with
the Caimacan on the same subject. As the result
of the ambassadorial counsel, it is said that the
Porte, besides despatching an additional battalion
from Themaly and one from Batoum, purposes to
ask the Viceroy of Egypt to send an auxiliary
contingent of 10,000 men into Syria, to aid in
accomplishing the prompt and complete pacification
of the province."

The Consfihdionne/ of to-day, in an article signed
by M. Grandguffiot, announces that Lord John
Russell has authorised Lord Cowley to come to
some understanding with France respecting the
expedition to Syria. The same paper says, "As
all the powers agree upon that question, the
assent of Turkey will necessarily follow.
It only remains to determine the basis
of the general understanding between the powers
in order to carry out the end which all have in
in view. This teak is not without difficulties, but
we must hope that the good faith of the powers
will be able to resolve them. France, who in this
affair has assumed the energetic attitude most
proper to raise the courage of the oppressed tribes,
will also show a moderation which cannot fail to
inspire the European governments with confidence,
and which is the invariable rule of her policy."

NAPLES AND PIEDMONT.

TURIN, JULY N.

From the commencement of the negotiations be-
tween the Neapolitan envoys and Count Cavell?,
the latter demanded that the future destiny of
Sicily should be considered as a distinct and reserved
question, and that to this effect the Neapolitan
troops should be withdrawn from Sicily.
It was on the acceptance of that condition by the
King of Naples that King Victor Emmanuel con-
sented to address a letter to Garibaldi, requesting
him not to effect a landing on the main land of the
kingdom of Naples.

,/
VIENNA. JAI 27.
Count Reehberg has addressed a cikeular to the
Austrian Ambassadors accredited at the courts at
the great powers, containing information rbspect
lag the ohject of the interview between the Em.
peror of Austria and the Prince Regent of Prussia.
It appears from this circular that the Emperor of
Almada had expressed a wish to confer with the
Prince Regent of Prussia not only on the general
state of Europe, but especially on the German
question. Hopes are entertained that a cordial
_ _

understanding upon the Syrian and Italian ques-
tions will result from this conference between the
two great German powers.

very brisk reaction in consequence of the news that
the Porte had withdrawn all opposition to the
French expedition to Syria, and that the great
powers were entirely agreed respecting it. The
closing prices were 68f r. 25c. for cash, and 68f r. 20c.
for account, being a rise of 20c. and 15c. The
extreme prices of the day were 67fr. 85c., and 68fr.
25c., showing an oscillation of 40c. Mobilier rose
6fr. 25c. The movement in the Rents arrived too
late to produce much effect upon the railway
market; Northern and Lyons rose 6fr. each, but in
the other lines there was little change.

The Pattie, for shout the twentieth time, re-
iterates the assertion that General de Goyon will
not leave Rome ; it, however, impliedly accredits
the news which it formerly denied by stating that
be remains there "in consequence of the actual
situation of southern Italy." _ .

It is given out by the Prase that foreigners
coming to Paris to see the fête of August lb will
not be required to have passports ; and on this
occasion it alludes to a rumour that the govern-
ment thinks of doing away with passports altoge-
ther, and substituting for them mere "cards of
identity," such as are used in Germany and " Eng-
land." It is curious to see how the French mind,
from long habit, clings to the idea of some sort of
annoyance on the part of the police being a mete-
sary concomitant of locomotion. The Paris jour-
nals cannot be made to believe that a man may
really travel all over the United Kingdom, without
being liable to show any paper or " card " what-
soever.

M. Horace Say, the brother of J. B. Say, and
one of the most eminent writers on political oco-
nomy in France, has just died, and will be buried
to-morrow.