The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-10 00:00:00

stances like these, would it be rational, we ask,
to entertain for one instant the notion of a com-
promise, however tempting or apparently conve-
nient ? Would it be reasonable, would it be in
any way justifiable, to think, for one moment, of
conceding to the wishes of the ACITOQRAT so as to
ward off the necessity of bringing matters, for
once and for all, to a definitive issue between
himself and the rest of Christendom ? Every-

thing indicates that we have him clearly at an
advantage. It were madness, therefore, for
the great Powers of Europe not to avail them-
selves of the opportunity. The principles at stake
must be decided for good or for evil by no partial
arrangement. They must be established, in fact,
upon broad and solid foundations—upon founda-
tions that shall assure the lasting stability of the
peace of the world and the continuous develop-
ment of its civilisation.

Nothing less than this, as the result of the late
warlike agitation, can be compatible with the
maintenance of the honour of France and
England. Nothing less than this can redound
to the credit of the allies of Turkey, can guarantee
the integrity of the Ottoman empire, can assure
the future safety or tranquillity of Christendom.
For this, and for nothing less than this, the
ABERDEEN Cabinet will be held accountable. The
people of England will expect this, and nothing
less than this, from her Britannic 'MAJESTY'S
Government.

Saturday evening brought with it, in due
course, in the large banqueting hall of the Free-
masons' Tavern, the thirty-ninth anniversary fes-
tival of the Artists' General Benevolent Institu-
tion. The occasion was one which we cannot but
regard as eminently propitious at once for the
cause of Art, and for the interests of philanthropy.
Whereas, on the majority of previous annual din-
ners commemorative of the foundation of this
Benevolent Institution, the guests have scarcely
numbered, on the average, more than 150 alto-
gether, on Saturday upwards of 170 were gathered
around the three long tables extending down the
hall, and the cross table on the dais, at which sat
the Right Hon. BENJAMIN DISRAELI as Chairman,
supported by several distinguished sympathisers
with the Charity. Besides, as another indication
of the success attendant upon the institution at
this banquet commemorative of its thirty-ninth
anniversary—while the contributions of the year
have usually amounted of late to something under
1,1001. sterling, those for 1854, the fortieth
year since the date of its establishment, are stated
to have exceeded a total of 2,000/., according to
the Treasurer's very gratifying catalogue of mis-
cellaneous contributions. Remembering, more-
over, that no less than 65 cases (each one a case
of peculiar distress) were relieved during the past
twelve months, it must be obvious that the funds
are disposed of with every desirable regard to
their judicious and economical distribution.
Especially must this be understood when it is
borne in mind that almost every one of those G 5
cases had reference to the sorrows of some poor
artist's widow or orphan daughter. Judging of
the beneficial influence exercised by the Charity, as
an encouragement to those who might otherwise
be depressed by an intolerable despondency, through
a dread that in the event of their demise those nearest
and dearest to them on earth, their wives and their
children, would be left without the probability of
having their almost inevitable privations assuaged
tmay be readily understood how many inestim-
able blessings and consolations have resulted from
the scattering, during the last forty years, amon g
the objects of the Charity, of from 14,0001. to
15,000/., the amount which it is calculated has
been collected in the aggregate by the officers ofl
the institution since the period of its original
foundation.
It was observed with startling effect on Satur-
day evening by the Right Hon. Chairman, that
the Literary Fund, the national charity for men of
letters, was not established until as recently as the
close of the war with America, and that it was not
until even a much later period than that, not in
fact until the close of the great wars waged by
Europe against NA POLEON, that the national cha-
rity for men of art was established through the
foundation of the Artists' General Benevolent In-
stitution. So that within a century from the pre-
sent period have been made whatever organised
efforts have yet been made in behalf of the
more unfortunate cultivators of literature as a
profession. While it is only within half a cen-
tury from this time that similar attempts have
been made with a view to alleviate the sufferings
known to be rife among those children of art who
have failed in one sense during their search after
the beautiful, to win " golden" opinions during
their lifetime from the busy crowd of their contem-
poraries. A remarkable circumstance, surely, this
neglect, until so very recent a period, of all ener-
getic, and practical, and comprehensive endeavours
amongst us to soothe the anguish of that want which
is so widely, and has been time out of mind so pro-
verbially attendant upon the professional students
of art and literature. An oversight, or a token of
indifference, which must be considered as incom-
prehensible in a country like ours—a country al-
most at the head of modern civilisation, and one
among whose distinguishing characteristics have,
for a long time, been the variety and splendour
of its eleemosynary establishments. Happily some
effort was at length, as has been observed, adven-
tured upon by the people at large, for the pur-
pose of relieving unfortunate men of letters by a
Literary Fund, and subsequently, in 1814, for
relieving unfortunate men of art through the vo-
luntarily subscriptions contributed to the revenue
of the Artists' General BeneVolent Institu-
tion. Both charities still admit, of course, of
a very considerable development. But while
each has been marked by the evidences of its
utility, each has been distinguished also by its
steady advance and extension since the dateof their
respective commencement. The vitality and sta-
bilitation of the latter of these interesting chari-
ties have been now fortunately signalised by the
auspicious circumstances attendant upon the festi-
vities on Saturday evening at Freemasons'-hall,
when, with Mr. DISRAELI in the chair, the sup-
porters of the Artists' General Benevolent Insti-
tution celebrated the event of its thirty-ninth
anniversary. Let us hope that the predictions
ventured upon by the chairman at the close of his
eloquent address, on proposing the chief toast of
the night, that of success to the institution, may
be indeed (and that before long) realised. The
prediction that the day will come when a sympa-
thy with English artists will be expressed by the
whole of the diversified masses of the population.
Formerly the supporters of art and artists were
the more refined and more highly educated
members of the aristocracy. Latterly, the most

munificent patrons of art and of artists have been

found, as Mr. DISRAELI justly and earnestly main-
tained, among the middle classes of the community.

Ultimately, let us believe with him, the time will

arrive when the people at large, without any dis-
tinction of class whatever, will sympathise with
that peculiarly intellectual body of men whose
existence is one systematic endeavour to elevate
the minds and hearts of their fellow-beings by a
visible union of the true and the beautiful.
This extension of a sympathy for English artists
from the aristocracy and the middle classes to the
general bulk of the population, can only be the re-
sult, of course, of—a system of National Education !
These " Hard Times" of ours must be softened
for the working classes. The labouring commu-
nity must have their intellects supplied with some-
thing beyond dry details and arid statistics—
the Fact, Fact, Fact crammed into their heads,
dinned into their ears, thrust perpetually upon
their attention by such "eminently practical
men" as Mr. THOMAS GRADGRIND [4‘ peremptorily
THOMAS 1, by such " Bullies of Humility" as Mr.
BOUNDERBY, or by such model pedagogues as the
horrid and abominable M Tnoexumcnno. Until

our Coketowns have a trifle of their smoke

cleared away, so that an occasional glimpse

may be had of the blue heavens be-

yond—until our acrobatic JUPES can be occa-

sionally tolerated—until allowances can be made