The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-13 00:00:00

DUTCH MAIL.

THE HAGUE, Nov. 9.—General Border, in the ser-
vice of his Majesty the King of Prussia, has arrived
here from Berlin, to congratulate his Majesty on his

accession.
The section of the Second Chamber has continued
to-day, the examination of the Budget for 1841, and
also the project of law for providing the deficiency of
the revenue.
It is affirmed that a project of law will shortly be
laid before the Chamber for considerably increasing the
import, export, and transit duties on some articles in
the tariff of customs which are chiefly for the use of the
richer classes—porcelain, furniture, carriages, and
foreign cigars. Some advantage is to be given to the
shipping interest.
We learn from St. Petersburgh, that the Hessian
Regiment of the Prince of Orange is to be called the
Hessian Regiment of the King of the Netherlands.
The Regiment of Guards of the Hereditary Prince of
Orange to be called that of the Prince of Orange. It
appears also that the intended visit of the Imperial
Family to Moscow is deferred till the spring. Up to
the 39th of October, 1,385 ships had arrived at Cron-
stadt, and 1,260 had sailed. At Riga, till the 21st of
October, the arrivals were 1,126, and the departures
391. At Odessa, to 12th October, arrivals 545, de-
partures 548.—Dutch Papers, Oct. 11.
HANOVER, Nov. 4. We understand that the War
Department has received orders immediately to place
the whole army on the war establishment, and have it
in readiness to march. Dr. Spangenberg, chief phy-

sician on the staff, is said to have received orders to
examine the medical department of the army in such a
manner as if it were to have to march at a day's no-
tice. Another report, which is not so worthy of cre-
dit, is, that orders are already given for eight battalions
to march to the frontiers. It has already been said
that it was intended to borrow a million of dollars for
some military preparation. What truth there may be
in all these reports must soon appear. There seems to
he no doubt that the war department has been very
busily engaged for some days past ; however, the proba-
bility of war bocomes daily less and less, especially since
the formation of the new French Ministry.
HAMBURGII, Nov. 7.—The Emperor of Russia has
ordered as follows :—" The French subject, Auguste
de Crouy Chavel, who was implicated in the Bonapartist
intrigue in Paris, and who was ordered to quit Russia
on that account, is forbidden ever again to set his foot
within the empire."

POLITICAL PRINCIPLES OF M.

GUIZOT.

(Extract of a letter to the Post).
Tho most authentic declaration of Guizot's political
views, is his own words, has recently been published by
Ridgway, under the title of " Guizot's Theory of Syncre-
tism and Coalition," translated from his celebrated article
on " Catholicism, Protestantism, and Philosophy."
This work seems to confirm what the Quarterly Review
lately remarked in an article on the Alexandrian Greeks.
As syncretism (says the Quarterly) was the prevailing sys-
tem among the Electic Platonists, so is it likely to become
a very popular theory among the moderns.
Perhaps it may be necessary to observe that the word
" syncretism" is supposed to be derived from cuyxEpaw,
to conjoin, and signified conjunction or coalition. Plutarch
tell us, in his essay " Do Fraterno Amore," that this was
the favourite policy among the Cretans, whose name im-
plied junction, and who, by the laws of Minos, were in-
structed to remember that union was the source of strength,
" Thus," says Plutarch, " whenever the Cretans are at-
tacked they join together against the enemy, and this co.
alition they call syncretism."
Coleridge seems to have preferred the principle of di-
vine unity, or that prothetic unity which precedes all sects,
to that syncretic union or coalition which endeavours to
combine what is good and true is each.
In the works of J"remy Taylor and Richard Baxter, and
Sir Matthew Hale, a good deal is said about syncretism
in a eulogistic strain. Others, however, have severely cen-
sured it, as if it produced a confusion betwixt truth and
error. Blachwood's Magazine, in a recent review of
" Guizot's Theory of Syncretism," falls into this mistake,
owing to misunderstanding the force of terms. The syn-
cretist, who knows that all sects contain some portion of
truth, wishes to join together those portions of truth, be-
cause he knows that all truths, being homogeneous, are ca-
pable of conjunction, But syncretists are not such fools as
to attempt to join truth and error, because they know them
to be incompatible substances, like oil and water. This is
exactly the distinction which Mosheim has drawn between
the syncretists, properly so called, who desire to get the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and
the iniifferentists, who confound truth and falsehood to-
gether.
1 should not have stated this so strongly if several
writers, who ought to have known better, had not fallen
into this mistake respecting the precise meaning and force
of the word " syncretism ;" and thus by a blunder of
ignorance rather than malice, slandered the names of Cas-
sander, Erasmus, Grotius, Leibnitz, Selden, and other
first-rate men.
Having said thus much respecting the terms of the pre-
mises, I proceed to observe that there is throughout Eu-
rope—nay, throughout the world—a tremendous struggle
at the present moment between the syncretic or coalition-
ary policy which labours to produce coalitionary adminis-
trations in the inclusive or representative principle, and
the sectionary policy, which endeavours to produce party
administrations on the exclusive and non-representative
principle.
It is notorious that the syncretic, coalitionary, and pacific
policy of Guizot and the Doctrinaires has for the present
triumphed in France, and saved Europe from a most pes-
tilent war.
The British press has generally possessed good sense
and good feeling enough to congratulate the public on this
event, and to support, by every fair means, the 'French
Monarch and his present Ministry.
I imagine that this important event is a true symbol of
the general current of opinion, a true sign of the times.
While contemplating it I perceive the probability of syn-
cretic and coalitionary modifications of our own Govern-
ment still more extensive than those that have of late years
developed themselves.
I foresee that the British empire will never regain its
proper concentration and harmony but by a right applica_
cation of the science of coalition. The representative
principle must be raised from the Parliament to the
Cabinet, and the representatives of all the leading sects and
parties must find place and significance therein. No one
exclusive party can any longer hope for exclusive adminis-
tration. Neither Catholics nor Protestants, neither Tories,
Whigs, nor Radicals, will ever again be that which they
have been. Our present Ministry is strong in proportion
as it has coalesced ; if it had coalesced more it would have
been stronger. The grinding and horrible system of re-
morseless exclusion on the one hand, a-d remorseless op-
position on the other, cannot endure. In this sense the
days of party are numbered, and cannot be restored with-
out revolutions too dreadful to be described. Men of all
orders are beginning to apprehend the truth of Sydney
" Parties (says the Dean)
mSmusitth'eosaelexseceel.lent\N witticismrellin :
Wellington will learn haw to agree with
Melbourne, and the Lion lie down with the Lamb."
I remain, Sir, your very obedient servant.
FRANCIS BARHAM.

BRAWLING IN A CHAPEL.—At the Petty
Sessions at Dulverton, held before J. Becca, Esq., and
the Rev. B. Mitchel, the Rev. George Austry, an epis-
copalian clergyman, was charged with wilfully disturbing
public worship in a dissenting chapel. T. R. Densham,
Esq., solicitor, detailed the circumstances of the offence,
from which it appeared that on Sunday evening, October
4, the Rev. Gentleman entered the Independent chapel in
Dulverton, and while the minister, the Rev. J. Poole, was
in prayer, called him a "hypocrite," and his prayer a
" humbug," and used other approbrious language towards
bim, thereby creating confusion in the place. The busi-
ness was arranged in the following manner :—The Rev.
Gentleman made a public apology, wbich was read before
the meeting, paid all expenses incurred, and also paid 5/.
to be given away in bread to the poor.
A true peal of 729 changes was rung at Thames
Ditton Church, on the bth of November, the production
of Mr. Joseph Clark of Kingston, on an intricate me-
thod, with eighteen bobs and two singles, performed
complete, without a dodge by the Thames Ditton change-
rir This peal was never before attempted or com-
pleTl2.l by any party to the knowledge of the arranger or
the ringers. Conducted by Mr. Richard Potter.
FLOOD IN THE DEE.—In consequence of the
torrents of rain which fell during the night of Thursday
last and the early part of Friday, the Dee rose rapidly
about eight feet above its usual level. An immense quan-
tity of timber was borne along the current, and being ar-
rested in its progress by the bridge, serious apprehensions
were at one time entertained of the safety of that ancient
structure. The master of bridge works, however, pro-
ceeded promptly to the spot, and, under his direction, a
body of about 100 labourers ultimately succeeded in clear
ing away the accumulation of timber, and allowing free
transit to the stream through the arches of the bridge,
which, we are happy to find, have sustained no material
damage. We understand that the number of trees floated
down was supposed to be about 3,000. This accumulation
was the consequence of parties who float timber delaying
its transmission in expectation of a flood—a practice at-
tended with manifest risk to the bridges along the river,
and which is punishable by the statute, and ought not to
be repeated...—riberdcen Journal.