The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-04 00:00:00

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMM
SlR,—Probably there will be few that can understand
why war, religious excitement, and increase of crime are
concomitant, and invariably go hand in hand to the
dismay of the philanthropist] and patriot. Alas, %yr
can deny their existence at the present moment ? Woo
can tell where they will end ? If peace be established in
Europe it may be well for England, and well for her if the
war-cry subsides, without 'further embroilment of her
armies in greater battles than they have yet been engage,
in. But whence this religious excitement ? Whence hag
sprung the Concordat in the Papal dominions, and the
religious zeal for tightening the observance of the Sabbath
in Protestant England? Whence, again, has arisen the
morbid appetite for crime? Have they not all one
origin ? the excitement of the passions of the human
mind. beyond their logitbnate sway ? The-pnior.it tho"F",
again occurs, where will it end ? We are already told ilia'
the judges are to put down crime by severer punishments ;
the ministers :of the gospel tell us that people are to be
made religious by Act of Parliament. And the war party
tell us that we have not yet wasted enough of blood and
treasurer in humbling our enemies. And yet, of
avail would it be to tell these fanatics that crime in'
creases in proportion to the severity of the punishret•nts,
that wickedness and vice increase with the increase of
perstition ; and the more you humble your enemy, tie
„
greater will be the increase of his friends, until lie o,"
strong enough to turn and rend you. Shall' we follow out the analogy a little further, and trace, in the excitement
for war, the feelings that lead to crime ? The stimulus
given to the organ of destruction, and the love of
revenge, are sufficient to account for the increase 0`
murdE r. Add to these, the dearness of provisions, the
stagnation of trade, and the knowledge that the recrui ink
sergeant is using every allurement to Entrap the yoult
man from his parents and home, the labourer from b';
employment, the husband from his youthful wife, and
you will have a catalogue of incitements to evil, sufficiens,
to disturb the tranquility of the soundest mind ; and et.
you will consult your physician, he will tell you that there
are at all times a number of individuals of a weak or
morbid sensibility, who, in times of excitement, are
carried off the balance of their faculties, and either
become inmates of a lunatic asylum or victims t°
crime. It is on this account that ministers of religion
should avoid adding fury to the flames by the exhibition
of enthusiasm on religious topics, which at other 01
have called forth no very remarkable fervour. But, alas
they are subject to the same influences as others, and can
no more control their extravagance or fanaticism than the
poor wretch who gives vent to his feelings of hunger of
revenge, by some unwarrantable act of physical demon
stration. Their rabid anxiety to draw tighter the cords
of religious control is nothing more than the same pas-
sions breaking out in another form. And yet they have
no more right to rob me of my liberty, to spend my tigiv
in the manner I consider most conducive to my wellbeing'
so long as I do not touch upon the social rights, than, the,.
hungry man has to rob me of a piece of bacon. 11%;
hungry man conceives it right, in his mind, that he shoot
not be allowed to starve, he therefore resolves to talc;
what he requires by force.; The enthusiastic conceivesi
right that any one'should believe as he does, and there-
fore resolves to force others to conform to his conviction!,''
nolens volens. It matters not that you tell the one he
doing wrong, and the other that he is mistaken ; the tell;
porary exigencies of their physical nature precludes 03"
appeal to their faculties of reason, and the predominant:
passion prevails over the sound judgment. The fa'
brought to light by your correspondent, that only 70,W"
to 80,000 persons, out of a population of 300,000; attencli
the places of religious worship on a Sunday, are sufficient
to beyond cavil, that there are other motives,
causes, instincts, besides those ;of religion, that operate
to keep in check and to guide aright the human min'.
otherwise we should be•poorly off indeed. These are the
social laws—the love of justice, regard for our neighbour:
and the refining influence of intellectual culture. Apart
from religious dogmas and belief which cause endless
strife, the God of nature has planted around the path
human life, a variety of incitements to virtue and happine;
which it is well for man to appreciate and enjoy. Le
those, who like, go and spend their two hours in the sane
tuary, amidst the declamation of the pulpits and the adc-
ration of saints; but let others spend the same hours, If
they please, in contemplating the works of nature and
art, and show their gratitude to the author of their being!,
by a placid and grateful demeanour, which is the hotiVV_A:
most acceptable to the Deity. And if we would call bae7
recreant humanity to its accustomed serenity,
depend upon it, it will not be accomplished by exhi.'oitions tea
violence and anger, whether in the pulpit or on the beau:.
but by the exercise of mildness ;and‘diKretion by tho9`"
placed in authority over us. C. 31.

RAILWAY REFORM.—The adjourned meeting of the 10,
way Shareholders' Protection Association was held at o',
London Tavern, Mr. Matins in the chair. The meet
was very well attended. The report of the committee s'/9'„
submitted to the meeting, detailing, amongst other matter"
the success which had attended 11r. Malin's visit to Livers
pool on the preceding Monday. A resolution to the
ef`„
that the council consist of not less than 25, with power
e'';
extend the number to 100, and that the executive comwitt
be not less than 12, with power to increase the number to
ioi
2D, was adopted, and it was agreed that the followi
gentlemen should form the council:—namely; Mr.
Matins, Mr. liodgson, Mr. E. Wright, Dr.Cowan, ' ' ;J. B. Griffith, Mr. Goetz, Mr. Nach, Mr. Tate, Mr
Mr. Addison, C.E., Mr. J. E. Nance, Mr. L. Iler wortitlit
M.P., Liverpool ; Mr. Maxwell, ditto; Mr.j bfi.tett:
ditto ; Mr. A. 11Iacgregor, ditto ; Mr. Hislop, ditto;
Moon, dill(); Mr. R. Mather, ditt, ; Mr. C.
ne,vio.
fir'
E. Frewin, Admiral Prescott, Mr. Goldentid xtr. G
Mr. N. Reed, Mr. Taprell, Mr. T. Gilboa-,
'an d Mr. Eli tr,ited
with power to add to their number. Ti
,e Chairrnatt 'l`
that some members of the council held -
stock in railway companies. lie ww.gratulated the Tye', oi
on having formed their associati, ,n in the short, space
he
eight days. It was agreed thu' the subscription t`) beto
association sho ild be IN. GI.
.r annum. Several inen,', to
then paid their sub3criptions, and, after a vote of thank
the chairman, the meeting separated. upwards of ,tloo,tti,

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