The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-22 00:00:00

correct estimate of Prince Nletternicli's talents as a

statesman :
" Prince Metternich is eminently a diplomatist, as
well as a very eminent oae, but is he not placed in an
era and position where ill! statesman is requited ? Has
he not retarded where he should have progressed? has
he not fettered energies where he should have developed
them ? Has he not mistaken the spirit of the age fur a
spectre monster, and allowed it to weigh him down like
a night-mare, instead of making himself its incarnation
Lock at facts. He has uniformly exerted and is exert.
ing his great talents and influence solely to maintain the
status quo everywhere, especially in Austria ; wilfully
turning a blind eye to the indices of the storm gathering
round him, and a deaf ear to the claims of right and
reason. And truly it must be said, he has managed
most adroitly to keep the elements entrusted to his
care within the limits prescribed by him. But how much
more might he have effected by a contrary proceeding !
In how imposing an attitude might he have claced Aus-
tria, foremost in power and influence, as in rank. As,
however, Prince Metternich found her, so will he leave
her, unconnected and disjointed, with dilapidated finances
and undeveloped resources, with no bulwark to restrain
ambition on one side, and n•. channel prepared for the
safe introduction of liberalism on the other. He mght
have rendered her heterogeneous parts homogeneous,
have raised a barrier against Russia, and have we-leirtied
liberalism without fear. A statesman, in his place,
would have done all this."

RELIGION AM) EDUCATION IN
AMERICA. Ward, London, 1840
Dr. Lang, to whom we are indebted f thi
work, observes, when speaking of the results of the
voluntary system in America, that the Christian
Ministry in the Voluntary Churches of the United
States is decidedly of a higher character on the one
hand, and incomparably more efficient on the other,
than the Clergy of the Established Churches of
Great Britain and Ireland ; and then proceeds to
show that religion, so far from being comparatively
neglected in America, as Captain Marryat insi-
nuated that it was in many parts of the Union, ex-
ercises a general benign influence over the commu-
nity, to afar great extent than is anywhere the case
in Europe. That there is much sincere religious
feeling in America, we know ; but we know also
that there is an i.nmense amount of fanaticism, and
that canting quacks of all degrees abound there, and
drive a flourishing trade, if we may judge by the
account,,, which we have read from time to time, of
their famous love-feasts, where such extravagances
are acted, as might have shocked even that arch-
fanatic Simeon Stylites. Notwithstanding our
author's verdict in favour of Jonathan's piety, we
should think the better of it, did he pay a greater
deference to the counsels of his best spiritual in-
structor Dr. Channing ; but so long as, in opposi-
tion to the frequent and impass'oned remonstrances
of that great and good man, he not only avows, but
glories in, the Slave Trade, we shall take leave to
doubt whether he be so eminently religious as Dr.
Lang represents him to be.