The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-16 00:00:00

[NEW TIMES.]

The Funds yesterday morning experienced a
continuation of that decline which has affected
them for these two or three days, and, in the ab-
sence of any real political reason which could
have caused such a depreciation, the most absurd
rumours have been industriously circulated, with
the view to force them still further down. Not-
withstanding the energy of the specalators in pro-
pagating these reports, they were not given any
credence to. Consols for the Account 24th inst.
opened at 854,2,-,fell to 8524,but again recovered,
and after several fluctuations, closed at Monday's
quotation,viz.BsB,and 854 i for Money. Exchequer
Bills for 1,0001. varied from Is. to 2s. pm. to par.
Bills of 5001. from par to 2s. premium, and small
ditto from 6s. to 4s. premium. On these Securi-
ties, it was reported yesterday, that Government
mean to raise the rate of interest upon Exche-
quer Bills from 12d. to 2d. per day for 1001.—In
the Foreign Market it was an extremely busy
day, most of the brokers and jobbers being ac-
tively engaged in arranging their accounts, it be-
ing Settling Day. We have only heard of one
individual who has been publicly declared
a defaulter, and his differences, we are in-
formed, are not to any very great extent.
—The settling the different accounts usually
constitutes the chief business, but this was
not the case yesterday ; a great many bar-
gains were entered into for time, and the quan-
tity of the different Stock sold very consider-
able. The heaviness of the various Securities
has been increased. Mexican Scrip, which left
off on Monday at 12+ dis., was yesterday so low
as 144, and closed at 131 dis. ; Brazil Scrip 12
dis.; Colombian Bonds were done at 66, but left
off at 66i- ; Chaim' Bonds from 55 to 54 ; Greek
Bonds 22-!.,. to 23 ; Spanish Bonds have attracted
more attention than for some days past ; they
were at one period of the day done at 141, but
left off 15+ ; French Itentes 98f.; Exchange
25f. 15c.—There was not much doing in the
Share Market, the public not evincing any dis-
position to avail themselves of any offers made
to them of these variable Securities. Three or

four of the Steam Companies have determined
upon returning the deposits, after making a de-
duction of about ss. per share. Brazilian Min-
ing Shares were 1 to if pm. ; Castilian, 1 pm. ;
Chilian, 3 pm. ; English, 1 dis. ; Haytian,
dis. ; Pasco Peruvian, 21 pm. ; Potosi, 1 dis.;
Real del Monte, 120 pm.; United Mexican, 91
to 10 pm. ; New ditto, 947 to 104 ; British Iron,
74 dis.; British, Irish, and Colonial Silk,l dis.;
Provincial Bank of Ireland, 2. dis.—The Fo-
reign Exchanges were yesterday rather upon the
advance.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
It is impossible for Spain ever to regain pos-
session of her quondam Colonies of America, and
indeed the whole force of Europe would proba-
bly fail in an attempt to replace the South Ame-
ricans in their old state of servitude. But when
we consider how feeble authority must long be
in countries in which civilization is yet in its in-
fancy, we are not without our apprehensions that
the intrigues of Europe may be but too success-
ful in fomenting jealousies into insurrections, and
in creating anarchy and confusion. Several States
have wisely refused to allow the natives of Old
Spain to enter their country ; but the Catholic
Priesthood is ever ready to supply Euro-
pean despotism with as devoted instruments
as any that can be found in Old Spain.—
Irish and even Scotch Jesuits are regu-
larly dispatched to South America, perhaps for
purely religious purposes, but most probably to
further the view of the Holy Alliance. Against
natives of these Islands, the South Americans will
naturally be less on their guard than against Old
Spaniards ; and as their motions will be less
watched, we consider them only the more dan-
gerous. The circulation of Priests which is per-
petually taking place in Catholic countries, fur-
nishes an easy and generally secure mode of scat-
tering emissaries through a country. The Priests,
we fear, are not over and above well affected to
the new Government, and we are sure that they
most cordially hate whatever tends to emancipate
and enlighten the population. We know but too
well in what manner, and to what purpose,
the Priests have used their influence in Europe.
" The Confessional and the Pulpit," says the
Author of that admirable work, Don Esteban,
‘C those two great auxiliaries of despotism, igno-
rance and Monkish oppression, were employed
(after the return of Ferdinand to Spain) to the
utmost. The secrets obtained by means of the
former were revealed to the agents of the Civil
Power, or worse still to those of the Inquisition;
who, in their turn, caAd for the assist-
ance of the Public Authorities against the
Iphantom of infidelity and impiety, as if their
iron arm was not sufficient of itself to sa-
tiate their thirst for blood, while in the pulpit
discord was seen waving its lighted torch over the
heads of the whole people, and laying down as a
sacred duty, that the son should denounce the
father, the wife her husband, the sister her
brother, the servant his master, time poor man
his benefactor, and the mistress her lover—if
they professed liberal opinions, or, in other
words, if they uttered any complaints against
such a dreadful state of anarchy." Possess-
ing then, as the Priesthood does, such powerful
means of influencing the people, through the con-
fessional and the pulpit, the different Govern-
ments cannot be too vigilant with respect to the
Monkish emissaries who may be dispatched from
Europe to influence the Priesthood. The degree
Of Prostration of the human mind, in most parts
of South America, is much greater than in the
worst parts of Europe. Superstition ,and
priestly artifice are the enemies from which the
South Americans will, for some time, have most
to dread.

[TILE TIMES.
The Irish Catholics, with that strange contra-
diction of the means to the end, which seems- to
be entailed as an indefeasible curse upon the na-
tion, are labouring with all their might to make
themselves ridiculous and their cause odious. The
acknowledged leaders, instead of co-operating
in the great object which they pretend to have at
heart, are quarrelling and exercising all their
logical skill to convince the world that no trust
is to be put in each other : in the heat of
controversy each party is so anxious to prove
the antagonist party to be in the wrong,
that they do not • see the natural result—that
the world will be apt to take them both at
their word, and pronounce them both in the
wrong. We are sometimes almost inclined to be-
lieve that the Catholics have no serious wish to
be relieved from their disabilities—that, to use
the words of a fanatical portion of the Method•
ists, " they love to be despised." It is certainly
difficult on any other supposition to account for
the constant bickerings, for the perpetual abuse
of each other, which characterizes all their
speeches and all their writings. It was said by
Cromwell of the notorious John Lilburn that if he
had nobody else to attack,John would quarrel with
Lilburn, and Lilburn with John. The Catholics
are even more litigious than John Lilburn : they
have people to quarrel with ; they have numerous
adversaries ready to dispute with them every
point of their claims : yet, in the ardour of their
combativeness, they are not content with this
host of opponents, but in the mere wantonness of
Irish quarrelsomeness they must fight with each
other. Paper after paper from Ireland is filled
with lettersand speeches of one Irish leader against
another ; where, with characteristic shortsighted-
ness and vanity, each combatant, in his zeal to
destroy his antagonist, is content to destroy the
common cause for which they both profess
the utmost devotion. What would we infer from
this conduct of the Catholics ? Certainly no
argument against emancipation. We should
rather say that such imbecility, such indis-
cretion, such discord of opinion are in them-
selves • sufficient guarantees against the dan-
ger which some apprehend from giving them
an increase of power, even if we had not the
greater, and as to us appears, the impregnable
guarantees of the enlightened mode of thinking,
and the ardent love of liberty, which all rational
minds believe to be essential ingredients of Pro-
testantism, and totally incompatible with the
Catholic faith.

DIGNITY OF MAN.

FOR THE SUN.

MR. EDITOR—When it pleased the Almighty
to bestow upon man the inestimable gift of rea-
son) when he vouchsafed to shed on his soul a
ray of divine light, h• raised this favoured being
high above the rest of sublunary creation, and esta-
blished him lord over the rest of created beings.
In this point of view, man may be justly consi-
dered as the completion of a work, which, with-
out him, must have remained imperfect. True
it is, that in the stupendous and magnificent fa-
bric, planned by Divine Wisdom, and executed
by Divine Omnipotence, there are many and
evident traces of the mind by which the plan was
conceived, and of the hand by which it was ex-
ecuted. True it is, that wherever we turn our
eyes, whatever becomes the object of our en-
quiries; whether we examine the surface of the
earth, or penetrate into its inmost recesses, or
dive into the 46 unfathomed caves of ocean," or
soar into the boundless regions of air, or wing
our daring flight to the countless systems of
systems, which fill the immensity of space
we every where discover that all is as it should
be, and the whole of the wondrous fabric bears
the stamp of perfection ; but would this stupend-
ous work have been really perfect, had no one
being existed capable of perceiving and of en-
joying this perfection ? Throughout every por-
tion of it, there is seen a regular gradation among
the several parts, an obvious chain, which con-
nects one species with another, and would this
chain have been perfect had there existed no
link to unite the material with the spiritual
world, the heavens with the earth, the work with
the artificer ? Man formed of the clay upon
which he treads, destined one day to inhabit
that heaven towards which his eyes are directed,
filled with the breath of divine wisdom, and thus
connecting the world of which he forms a part,
with the God who framed the whole ; may be
therefore justly considered as the noblest of sub-
lunary beings, and as the completion of sublu-
nary creation. He does, indeed, vegetate and
perish like the plants of the field : he is, no
doubt, subject to the same wants, exposed to the
same casualties as the rest of animated beings,
but he dies to live again; he quits a corruptible
body to assume one that will never perish more.
This world is not his country, time is not his por-
tion ; he is the destined citizen of heaven, and
his inheritance is eternity.
Man, thus dignified in his nature on earth, and ,
destined to enjoy the purest bliss in heaven, may
be justified in feeling some pride at the noble-1
ness of his being. Whenever he casts a glance
around him he feels conscious that he is Lord of
all he sees. He may be inferior to many other
animals in dimensions, in strength, or in swiftness;
but he is capable of turning these very qualitiee
to his own advantage. The whole of nature
labours only to minister to his pleasure or to his
comforts. Animals are born to be his passive
slaves ; and they, as well as plants, are intended
to afford him both food and raiment ; whilst the
vast bosom of the earth yields him the most
precious or the most useful of its mineral produc-
tions. It seems as if the sole purpose of his
existence were, that he should live and enjoy the
varied productions which nature so abundantly
brings forth. God did, without doubt, give him
life that he might enjoy it. Infinite goodness,
when it created man, most undoubtedly created
him to be happy. It was for this that he received
a soul, for this that the germ of the best affections
were implanted in his heart, for this that lie had
given him the capability of loving and of making
himself beloved. That. his sensibility as fre-
quently proves a source of pain as one of pleasure,
is a melancholy truth, which no one will deny,
because there are few who have not known it
from sad experience. But what inference
may be drawn from this ? That sensibility is
the bane of our existence ? that it would have
been bettPr for man had his heart been cold and
insensible ? 0 no ! If the best feelings of his soul
are too often wounded by the rough and chilling
blasts he may encounter during his journey through
life, they still more frequently prove the abun-
dant and never-failing Source of his best enjoy-
ments upon earth. To them he stands indebted
for the flowers that are strewed along his path.
They alone cast a glow upon a scene, which with-
out them, must he cheerless and desolate. And,
as they fail not to prompt him to noble and virtu-
ous deeds, as they inspire him with the desire of
avoiding the alluring paths of vice, and of pur-
suing real happiness along the rougher road that
leads to virtue, the possession of them affords
another proof of his vast superiority over the rest
of existing animals.

But whilst man feels thus conscious of the sin-
gular dignity of his nature, shall this consciousness
awaken in his soul no other sentiments but those
of vanity and of pride ? Whilst he enjoys the in-
estimable gifts so lavishly bestowed upon him,
shall he turn away his thoughts from Him by whom
they were given, and silence the voice of grati-
tude ? Though great and dignified he certainly
is, yet neither this greatness nor this dignity ne-
cessarily appertain to his nature. In himself, he
is a mere nothing when compared with infinity,
and but great indeed, when compared with
nothingness. He is equally distant from either
extreme ; and his being is as far removed from
the nothingness out of which he was drawn,as from
the infinity into which it will be engulphed.—
To reason, and to reason alone, he stands in-
debted for his pre-eminence over the rest of cre-
ated beings. When deprived of this, he sinks
even below the level of the brute creation. This
reason he received from his God. To his God,
therefore, he stands indebted for the dignified
station which he holds in animated nature. And,
therefore,does he owe to his God the thanks which
are due to a benefactor, and the trihute.of ho-
mage and of adoration which an inferior owes to
a superior Being, which the creature owes to it,
Creator. Hence it follows, that as man is a ra-
tional being, he must necessarily be also a reli-
gious being. That same reason which enables
him to discover his own dignity ; the nobleness
of his origin ; the grandeur of his destiny ; points
out to him, at the same time, his Maker, his Be-
nefactor, and his God, and bids himiall down
and adore the Author of his being, the Omni-
potent, the Eternal. A. P.