The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-22 00:00:00

THIS EVENING, Jura 22,

And dining the week, the National Spectacle of THE BATTLE
OF WATERLOO.

Mr. W. Cooke's Scenes in the "CIRCLE," by artistes of celebrity,
introducing Miss Emily Cooke, the Star of the Arena, who Leaps
Forwards and Backwards through 16 balloons. Also, the Twin
Perrots, whose Whimsical Feats must be seen to be appreciated.
To conclude with the successful Hippo Drama of THE CHASE ;
or. LIFE ON TILE TURF, in which a real Fox Chase will take
place.

Doors open at Half-past Slx. Box-office open daily from Eleven
to Four. Stage Manager, Mr. %Y. West.

ROYAL SURREY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.

Engagement of Mr. Distin and Sons (the original Sax-horn players)
and Mrs. Theodore Distin for One Week Only.
To-day, Panoramic View of CIIUSAN, Splendid and interesting
MENAGERIE, GODFREY'S unrivalled MILITARY BAND VOCSI
and Instrumental Concert. Two favourite Songs by Miss Cicely
Nott. A selection of c-ncerted pieces, Glees and Madrigals, by the
celebrated Distin Family. Various amusing novelties, concluding
with the extraordinary spcctacle of THE FEAST OF LANTERNS,
with grand display of Fireworks, and Explosion of Chinese Fire
Rafts. Admission Is.

HIGII WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tuts DAT —Morning 56 min. after 2 I Pivoting 20 min.aft. 3
To-Nloattow—Morning 42 min. after 3 / Evening 4 min.aft. 4

THE WEATHER.—Stm OFFICE, JULY 22.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
72—highest since noon yesterday.
58—lowest this morning and during the night.
67—this day at noon.

BAROMETER, 29'82.
WIND, S.—Light breeze, and dull weather.

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SUN"

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LATE OR THIRD EDITION,

CONTAINING THE

DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT THE SAME EVENING,
With all other News arriving up to the hour of Post,
AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.

EXPRESS EDITIONS
will be forwarded after the Post is closed by the
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tr- .
4 A'o

LONDON, FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1853.

Lord ABERDEEN'S explanation respecting the
Irish National Schools, so far from explaining any-
thing, has only increased the perplexity in which
the whole subject is involved. Whether the
Premier's ambiguity arise from habits of diploma-
tic reserve, or from simple inability to express
himself clearly in public, the result is the
same. We know less of the real state o.
affairs than we knew before the debate ; an:
we can only dimly conjecture that Lord
ABERDEEN has either misunderstood or mis-
represented the question at issue. In one
material point he is certainly wrong. Ile states
that by the present construction put on the regu-
lations of the Board, when a work intended to be
read in. school hours is objected to by the parents
of any child, that work will not be disused, but
the child will be exempted from .attendance on
the reading thereof. Now, the exact reverse is
the case. Such was the rule—such is the
rule no longer. We speak from the highest
authority when we say, that a proposition to this
effect was submitted to the assembled Commis-
sioners, and by them rejected. Had it been other-
wise, no cause of complaint could remain. But
the Minister
.has misread his brief, and the de-
fence which he makes is, in fact, a complete sur-
render of the case as indefensible. His contradic-
tion may hero put a momentary stop to discussion;
but it is impossible that the real truth should not
in time come out.
The position of the question may be very easily
explained. The National system, as most people
know, and as we have again and again repeated,
is essentially an unsectarian system. But it is
not literally, or to the full extent of the words,
a " secular " system. While all exclusively theo-
logical teacbingis given apart, and by the ministers
of various sects, care has been taken to supply
the schools with a variety of works, which, though
rather of a moral than theological character,
yet serve to supply a deficiency which, by many
persons, might otherwise have been felt to exist.
Every one of these works must have previously
received the sanction of the highest dignitaries in
both the Roman Catholic and Protestant Church.
Having received that sanction, they were allowed
to be read in school-houses, with this proviso, how-
ever, that they need not be used by any child
whose parents or guardians objected. The new law
goes to exclude them altogether, in every school
where the guardian of a single child are un-
derstood to disapprove their use. This is in fact
to exclude them everywhere, and to allow the
Priests to decide absolutely, and
seem, without appeal, whato, as it would
books shall or shall
not be employed •in the
of
the children, provided there n e
beral education
in
such books which can be construed asanything
bearinr,
s word
indirectly on morals or religion. In other t
it is an abdication by the Commissioners of their
u
functions, and a transfer of them without
reserve
on condition to Dr. CULLEN and his
coikao,ues.
Many words are not necessary to point out what
the inevitable effect of this step must be.
(1.) It is a breach of faith towards patrons,
Protestant or Catholic, who have founded and
endowed schools in connection with the National
Board, on the distinct understanding that these
schools were placed out of the power of either

clergyman or priest.
(2.) It is a breach of faith towards Parliament,
which has voted, by large majorities, the annua:

grant of 200,0001. for the support of the Nation&

__—
Board, on tho same understanding implied in the
language constantly held on this subject by Mi-
nisters in both Houses.
(3•) It is a flagrant injustice towards the Pro-
testant clergy, who see their applications for Go-
vernment aid in educational matters rejected, because
the system on which they propoae to educate is a
sectarian Cue, while the. nominally liberal teaching
of the Board is subject to be modified at will by
their opponents.

(4.) It is in direct contravention of the prin-
ciple of Lord GREY'S Government, which was to
educate notwithstanding the priests Lord Sr. GERMANS and Mr.oou whereas
to
educate through the priests—J e. n
, + •
propose
to give a
or
education which shall be worthless, worse than
none at all.

(5.) It tends to give the victory, within the

The general impression in favour of a pacific
solution of the Eastern difficulty still prevails.
Nay more, it has been materially strengthened by
the intelligence that has arrived within the last
few days, and the innumerable rumours that have
been circulated with more or less foundation of
fact. It is said that the Emperor NICHOLAS has
received the suggestions offered, and the proffered
intervention of Austria not only with courtesy,
but even with cordiality ; and that he has evinced
the greatest readiness to enter into negotiations
for the final settlement of the vex,ata questio—.
the satisfactory arrangement of all matters • in
dispute between himself and the SULTAN.
Hence, it is said, that there can be no longer
i any doubt or difficulty when Russia is
willing to accept that which the Turk is eager
to offer, and which he, was at all times willing to
concede without threat, menace, or invasion. The
argument is plausible, and acts as a powerful motive
to discredit it. The ursine fraternity in London
and Paris, in the Stock Exchange and on the
Bourse having played out their dirty game, it is
very generally accepted. When, however, the
rumours were most ominous, and the war panic
most prevalent we felt it to be our duty to allay
the undue apprehensions that had been excited, to
show that hostilities were by no means inevitable, and
we feel it now equally incumbent upon us to
caution our friends against being led away by too
sanguine anticipations, because the CZAR has
listened favourably to the overtures that have
been made, and has renewed his protestations of
moderation, and still protests that he has no de,
sire to overthrow the Ottoman Empire, or to
aggrandise himself at its expense. We must, in
order to arrive at a just conclusion, contrast his
sayings with his doings—his professions with his
deeds—and see that he offers the best guarantees
for his good faith by the speedy evacuation of the
Danubian Principalities—the withdrawal from the
offensive and (in case of war) highly advantageous
position he has already assumed.
We never supposed that the CZAR would refuse
to enter into negotiations, or that he would, with-
out further notice, plunge into a war, if not
against all Europe, at least against the Western
Powers, in support of, and alliance with, the
Porte. No, NICHOLAS is wise in his generation.
He knows with whom he has to deal, and how far
he can proceed with impunity. He has accu-
rately calculated the amount of insult and con-
tumely which he can inflict upon the "travelled
Thane," without exciting that " excellent" and
tranquil-minded man into anything like indigna-
tion. He knows also that the most successful
operations in the field could not prove
more advantageous to himself than a course
of vexatious procrastination that must prove
almost ruinous to his. opponent---that, as
we recently pointed out, a Fabian policy
is by far the wisest course, by which he has every-
thing to gain, and nothing to lose by delay. Why,
then, should he not enter into negotiations, even
though determined eventually to proceed to extre-
mities ? Why should he not receive any reason-
able propositions with courtesy and cordiality,
whatever may be his ultimate views ?
Let us, then, before we give implicit credence
to his pacific declarations, contrast them with his
doings. Let us consider what are the indica-
tions held out of an early restoration to the status
quo—of the return of the army under Prince
GORTSCHAKOFF across the Pruth into the Rus-
sian territory. The proceedings from the very
commencement of the difficulty—the insulting
terms in which Prince MENSCHIKOFF'S message
was couched, and the untenable demands then put
forward, prove that Russia was determined that
there should be a dispute. If she only required
a confirmation of what she "had long enjoyed,"
what could be the utility of a simple note—
ezlfleras she alone required—and which could not
entered any additional validity on engagements
C
If, as ou
in " a form far more obligatory."
nt in
asserted in his Circular,
"the actual dispute, and all the noisy distinction
which it has received front the Press outside
Cabinets, rested upon a mere misunderstandinoo-
or upon a want of sufficient )
political antecedentsattention to all the
," why
step
pottiriat Rmuusssitanhecaevse-
been so prompt to take a
sarily arravate the difficulty of the crisis, and increase the obstacles to a satisfactory settlement?
Either Russia required far more than she already
had enjoyed, in which case the RESSELRODE
Circular, from beginning to end, is based
upon a wilful and deliberate falsehood, or the
advisers of the EmPERor have been guilty of
acts of the greatest absurdity, plunging into ex-

pensive and dangerous proceedings, without

any adequate motive.

We confess that we

are disposed to ascribe the untoward occur-

rences that have taken place to the duplicity
rather than to the folly of the Russian Ministers.
No man in his senses could suppose that a mere