The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-03 00:00:00

SHE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3. 1810

theories prostitute the name of Christianity to most
injurious and unsocial purposes.
CHRIST expressly said, "My kingdom is not of 1
this world ;" applying that, we apprehend, as much
to his moral kingdom as to that physical dominion
he was plainly not destined to enjoy. His disciples and
the teachers of his doctrines present Christianity to
us under a twofold aspect—first, a means of salva-
tion ; secondly, a code of morality. There is no-
thing that we know of to hinder the means by
which life everlasting may be obtained also becom-
ing the means of promoting morality and happiness
on earth ; but in no part of the Testament is
anything like a political code found, and in
no part of it are we taught to look on
CHRIST as the author of those improvements,
or as having any knowledge of them, which we call
civilization. When DARWIN foretold some of the
many uses to which steam is put, r.tien WATT in-
vented it, and STANHOPE pointed out how it
might be applied,—when BACON corrected our
modes of thought, and taught men how to investi-
gate,—or when PENN laid out his colony in Ame-
rica, they may in some sense be said to have
been the authors of the civilization which followed.
Christianity, totally foreign to most of our im-
provements, can scarcely be said, in any correct use
of language, to have contributed to promote them.
At any rate, all its effects in this way must have
been as a moral code, not as a scheme of salvation.
To look at its effects under this head is not there-
fore to question its dogmas, but to examine an
assertion of the Morning Herald.
Now, the first thing which must strike every one
on being told that Christianity, as a moral code, is
the source of civilization, is, that there is no resem-
blance between the doctrines of Christianity and
our civilization. They are, in many points, fol-
lowed by no man and nowhere. Those who teach
it never turn the second cheek to the smiter, never
give their coat to him who would have their cloak—
never court poverty—and rarely or never forgive
offences, but obtain all the redress in their power,
or inflict all the punishment they can devise.
Moreover, it is continually said, and we believe
proved, that the innate desire of man's heart to
rise in the world, or to better his condition, has
been the soul of improvement, and of all civiliza-
tion ; while one doctrine, whether contained in the
Testament or not, continually taught by the
clergy, is, that men should remain content in their
condition—content, therefore, in all the barbarism
and ignorance in which they are at any time placed.
The honest pursuit of wealth,stimulating the exertions
of the merchant and the farmer, exciting the hopes
of the inventor and strengthening the patience of
the investigator, has made the different countries of
the world known to each other, and has knitted
many of them together in the bonds of commerce,
has spread tillage over Europe, has spared toil
by multiplying our mechanical helps, and has given
to us most of the wonders of science. This great
spring and source of civilization is directly opposed
to the doctrines of Christianity, which are all in
favour of poverty and of repressing this desire, and
they cannot therefore have contributed to promote
civilization.

Moreover, it may be observed, that the doctrines
of. Christianity, as set down in the books, are un-
changeable. They were delivered and compiled
some eighteen hundred years ago, and have not
since been altered. But they have been differently
interpreted in different ages, as men have become
civilized, and at one time have been held to warrant
the most barbarous executions, while in modern
times they are made to plead for the
preservation of the lives of criminals. We
boast, and with some propriety, of the humanity
of the moderns as compared to the ancients ; we
boast of our greater justice, of our greater for-
bearance towards one another, of our greater respect
for mutual rights, of our hatred of cruelty and
arbitary authority ; but all these improvements
have grown up gradually from the increased know-
ledge of the people, and in the great majority of
cases have been opposed as long as possible by the
authorised teachers of Christianity. The Refor-
mation in the sixteenth century, the abolition of
the slave trade in our day, the extinction of san-
guinary laws, were all in turn opposed by the
teachers of Christianity. Instead of being the
heralds of coming improvement and the pioneers of
civilization, they have latterly laboured to keep
men where they were, and to remain in one

state of civilization. We know that the assertion

of the Morning Herald is very generally made,
but there are so many persons interested in deceiv-

ing the people on this point, that its generality does
not weigh with us against facts, and we decide
against the Herald's assertion.

with all the keenness which self-interest imparts to
investigation.

There are several circumstances, we understand,

which make the intelligence we have borrowed
from the Herald concerning Beyrout very doubt-
ful. It is said that nothing whatever was
to be gained by making such an attack
—that the place could not hold out an hour
against a single vessel, much less nine hours
against five line-of-battle ships, and therefore this
intelligence is not believed in well-informed
quarters.

Public attention seen-is almost diverted from
the Earl of CARDIGAN, to fix itself on the
Horse Guards. About the Noble Earl the pub-

lie mind is completely made up, and it looks for
nothing to confirm, while nothing can unsettle,
its judgment. Whether Captain REYNOLDS be
cashiered, or have his sword returned with ho
nour, the Earl of CARDIGAN stands irre-
trievably condemned. The Horse Guards may
refuse one Captain REYNOLDS a court martial,
and may, to shield the Earl of CARDIGAN, order
another Captain REYNOLDS to be tried for writing
an improper letter, and refuse all 'investigation into
the undficer-like, ungentlemanly conduct which
provoked it ; but it cannot prevent the Noble Earl
from being tried by the public, and, by an irrever-
sible sentence, condemned for life. The more the
conduct of the Earl of CARDIGAN is made known,

the more justly the .public will appreciate it, and
the last act, to which Mr. FIELD, the gunsmith, has
borne witnes,,has removed all doubt as to the nature
and character of the man.

But the conduct of the Horse Guards is not yet
so clear and decided. People know not exactly
what to think of its listening to the practice of
backbiting, and its ordering a court-martial, which
is necessarily partial by being limited. They ate
curious :o know whether those who have interposed

to protect the Earl of CARDIGAN are not them-
selves wounded. They begin to doubt whether
such obviously partial conduct does not strike at
the root of all discipline. They ask themselves
what the privates can expect when the subalterns
are treated worse than menials. Men who submit
every clay to personal degradation they think
are not very fit to be entrusted with the ho-
nour and the defence of the country ; and seeing
that the Horse Guards is disgracefully partial, and
the bulk of the army disgracefully tolerant of in-

justice, they begin to be alarmed for the safety of
the State entrusted to an army so governed and so
disciplined.
As the Parliament is not assembled, there is no
chance of any immediate improvement or any re-
dress. In the mean time it will be the duty of the
Press to keep the subject alive, and use the present
opportunity to bring the misconduct of the Horse
Guards prominently forward. On the pending
court-martial we shall postpone our -remarks till it
be closed, but we cannot help at once saying that
we regard a court-martial• to inquire into a breach

of discipline on the part of Captain REYNOLDS,
growing out of an insinuation on the part of the
Earl of CARDIGAN, which was most calumnious
and injurious to Captain REYNOLDS, and which
court-martial is prohibited from inquiring into the
previous circumstances which provoked the letter, is
a gross injustice. What would be thought if a Ma-
gistrate were to commit a man for an assault, who
had slapped the face of another for calling him a

thief, and refused to inquire into the language which
provoked the assault ? But that sort of injustice is-
delir
b§rately committed at the Horse Guards. It
is consistent with the principles of discipline to
support Colonels acainst Captains, however wrong
they may be. The proceedings of the Earl of
CARDIGAN must, we think, lead to a public inves-
tigation of the conduct of the Horse Guards, and
of the discipline of the al my.

The Livery consists of 11,000, and including this
day, not 5,000 have polled. The election of Mr.
HARMER may yet, therefore, be secured by one
united, vigorous effort, and it becomes the Livery
to make it. Let them not be frightened by thr,
unchristian denunciations.of the hypocrites, calling
out blasphemy and impiety against Mr. HARMER.
CHRIST, in whose name the attack is made on him,
sat down in mercy and kindliness with publicans
and sinners, and expressly commanded his
Disciples, on such questions as a man's
belief, to " judge not lest ye be judged,ls
The arrogant, impious men who are now dealing
damnation on those they deem His foe, and are
attacking Mr. HARMER in His name, do it in di-
rect contradiction to His commands ; and having a
base object in view, to attain which they insult
and injure an honourable man, they are both
knaves and hypocrites. We hope that the six thou-
sand Liverymen who are yet unpolied, will, for th e
honour of this great metropolis, and for the honour
of human nature, teach this junta of rogues that they
are not to be duped into being the instruments of
their mischief.

They call out blasphemy, but no blasphemy
can equal that of declaring that the priests are ap-
pointed by GOD the coadjutors of the land-
owners in the work of depopulating our cities.
They call out sedition and immorality, but
what offence committed by the Dispatch
comes near the scoundrel law which dooms
the , people to starvation. Those who de-
mand the Livery to reject Mr. HARMER are the
allies of the authors and abettors of the Corn-law.
They. are all engaged in the same crusade against
freedom of trade and freedom of thought. Erewhile
the Livery and the apprentices of London taught
, and kept them
in a
the armed retainers and instruments of the great
landle. Surelyovwners g good
they will not now suffer them-
selves to be betrayed by a few canting hypo-
crites into the hands of their old enemies.
Erewhile the industrious classes of this country—
the struggling frugal classes—have put bounds on
the arrogance of both priests and landlords ; and it is
yet in their power, by a long pull and a strong pull,.
to teach them a great moral
moral lesson by placing Mr.
HARMER at the head
of the poll. On Monday
we hope that the Livery
will show their sense and
their power.

Lord PALNIERsToN
's note of the 31st of August,
communicated by Mr.
HENRY LYTTON BULWER,
to M. 'Nulls, in the absence of Lord GRAN•
VILLE, from Paris, is the most luminous clocu-
ment that has yet appeared on the Eastern ques-
tion. It will be found in
another part of The Sun,
and will well repay th©
trouble of an 'attentive
perusal. Of course it will shortly be followed by
the publication of the answer of the French
Premier.

The rumoured decision of the British Cabinet,
theirplc3, to
and the ridicule which a Ministerial Morning Con-
temporary affects to throw upon the supposition
that wouldsuit what are called the
have greatly increased the
" caprices" of France, modify any part of
theori Fourental Powersui
ill-humour of the Paris Journals. Those of
Thursday contain some bitter observations upon
these topics. Now, though we think the conduct
of the French Government very culpable in aban-
doning propositions which it was the first to sanc-
tion, and in making such an abandonment of its
views the groundwork of a quarrel with a friendly
State, we are very far from maintaining that the

Four Powers ought to make no concession to the
feelings of wounded pride under which the French

nation is now suffering so acutely. The Eastern

QueStion, so far as regards the Four Powers and
Fiance, is no longer one of abstract politics. Na-
tional feelings have become mixed up with national
interests. France labours under an impression that

an insult has been offered her, and to make it the

more stinging, that a Power professing the liveliest
friendship for her concurred in it. Now .the er-
roneousness of such an impression is no justifica-
tion of a refusal to make any sacrifice to remove it.
On the contrary, good feeling dictates as prompt
and as earnest a solicitude in healing the suscep-

tibilities wounded by a fancied as by a real injury.
France has unquestionably herself to blame for the

state of isolation in which she now stands with

regard to the Great Powers of Europe. Never-

theless, on a calm review of all the circumstances

and documents made public respecting the Eastern
question, we admit that the British Government
does not a..)pear in our eyes undeserving of re-
preh7nsion. On more than one occasion, during
the negotiations, there was a want of courtesy to-
wards Fiance on .the part of the English Cabinet,
which use are not surprised to learn engendered
suspicions of Lord PA LNIERSTON'S arnica-

blc initnitions in the mind of the French
Prem►er. It was natural that the omission► of all

reference to F►ance, in her MAJESTY'S Speech
from the Throne, both at the opening and the
closing of the last Session of Parlia.riient, should
excite the jealousy of the French publiC ; the more
especially as the affairs of Portugal, Spain, Bel-
gium, and Holland, were thought of sufficient rnag-
►.itude to occupy the longest paragraphs in these
Regal enunciations. We noticed these omissions
at the time only to express our deep regret that so
little regard was paid to the feelings of the French
people. Nor does it appear to us from all that has
yet transpired, that when M. THIERS assured the
Four Powers of his intention to abandon the Ori-
ental policy of his predecessor, Marshal SOULT,
much solicitation was employed to ascertain the
line of policy which the French Premier wished to
substitute for that which he was about to discard.

On the contrary, it would seem that three of the
Powers received the announcement with an indif-
ference which could hardly fail to mortify and en-

rage the French Government. To the represents.
tives of Russia, Austria, and Prussia, the secession
of Fra.,ce was an occurrence of no moment; and
we half suspect that Lord PALMERSTON, (his
note of the 31st of August notwithstanding), for a
moment forgot what was due to the susceptibility of
the French nation, on a point which so nearly con-
cerned her honour and dignity. At all events, we
must confess that no proofs to the contrary have yet
been published, save those of a date too late to be
productive of beneficial results.
If, then, we are right in assuming that enough
was not done to afford France opportunities for cor-
recting her first grave error, we can discover no
reason why the Four Powers should now refuse to
make some concessions, with a view to soothe
her wounded feelings. We are for paying the
the utmost regard to the faith of treaties ; but
the spirit of a treaty is not violated by any change
in it, to which all the parties who sign it cry, con-
tent. The Treaty of London contemplates two
objects—the maintenance
.of the integrity of the
Turkish empire, and the peace of Europe. - Now,
both can be only secured with the concurrence of
France; and therefore it is essential to obtain it
The Powers who made the Treaty are competent to
revise it ; and such, after all, is‘our confidence in the
good sense of the French Government, when not un-
der the influence of wounded self-love, that we think
an offer to make such a revision, to include France,
woad not involve the sacrifice of a single article
which would impede its execution. We feel as-
sured that the French nation, so far from misinter-
preting such a concession in the bombastic arid
ridiculous way represented by the Chronicle, would
fully appreciate the magnanimity of such an act
on the part of the Great Powers. To take for
granted that France would attribute, as the Chro-
nicle would have us believe, any concession of the
Four Powers to poltroonery, is to offer an insult to
the common sense ,of the French Government and
people. When not smarting under a fancied insult,
France is too capable of just and generous senti-
ments, to give way to such delusions.
As we know that our Government has nothing
more at heart than the maintenance of amicable re-
lations with France, we trust that the Journals on
both sides of the 'Channel will forbear to indulge in
taunting expressions, which only serve to inflame
the evil passions of the uneducated multitude. The
article to which we have alluded in the Chronicle,
was penned in a. *bad spirit, and in the worst taste—
in a spirit and in a taste as disagreeable to Lord
PALMERSTON as they can be to M. TRIERS.
Let our Paris Contemporaries not be deceived by
outward appearances. The Chronicle has spoken
on this oc2anion in tones which find no echo in the
British Cabinet. What demonstrates, too, the
absolute absurdity of t',he strain so positively offen-
sive in which it indulged, is the fact noticed with
characteristic sagacity I,y the Journal des Debats
of Thursday, that the Cabinet Council was ad-
journed from Monday till'. that day, in order that
the whole Cabinet might be present. No final
measure was therefore adopted on Monday.
BOURSE—PARIS, THURSDAY, OCT. I.

I irst Highest Lowest Last
Prioz Price. Price. Price
Freoch 5 per Cents lO4 50 ... 101 73 ... 104 ... 104 10
41,4 per Cents ......
3 per Cants 7l 50 71 60 ... 7i) 60 ... 71
8 ink of trance 2775 ... 2750
Laintte•Bank 1,0001. Sh , 1005 • —lOO5 ... 1003 —.1005
5,000 f. Sh
delgisin Bank
5 per Cents
31 cr Cents 6l 75 ... 61 75 ... 61 75 ... 61 75
,paniish Active '.::B% ... 28% ... 23 ... ~,.81/9
Passive SIA ... *4 ... 54 ... 514
Porte Rite, 3 per Cents 2OY, ... 20% ... 20 ... 2, N
Don Miguel . 3 ... 3 ... a ... 3
Neaps titan ....... . ....... I:6 `.:5 ... 9'l 25 ... 96 25 ... 96 25
ttUl /aa

RAILWf►V SHARES,
.155 355 ... 355 ... 355
... . ..... :52 50 v 52 50 ... 210 ... 250
Orleans . 430 430 430 430

v,rsai;les,

L.L. -- - ;

ALDERMAN HARMER.---About toienty years ago Mr.
H armer prosecuted a yoking man of the name of Mat-
thews for a capital offence, and a conviction was ob-
tained. Having afterwards, however, some reason to
doubt larts of the evideace, he instituted a rigid in-
quiry, and finding that thvre were strong proofs of the
convict's innocence, he laid all the documents before
the propor authorities, and the result was a free pardon.

ELECT lON FOR LORD MAYOR.--On the second day
of the ele ca ion Messrs. Grote and Pat tison voted for
Mr. Alderman Harmer, and were loudly cheered. Mr.
Smith, M.P ~ also voted for Alderman Harmer, and no
doub-. some of the most respectable members of the
Corporation ,have heen eager to give their votes in favour
of free discussion, and in opposition to the Lynchers of
Exeter .and the City of London.

A new I 'arkle is in rehearsal at the Adelphi
Theatre, found ed upon one of Washington Irving's popular
talcs. Mrs. y, %tes is to be the heroine of it.
THE SAVI, VGS' BANK MURDER.—We un-
derstand the Gov, trnstient reward for the discovery of the
murderer of Millie is about to be distributed. It is 100/ ,
and the reward c freed by the Directors of the Sayings'
Bank, which is t, ) be distributed, is another 1001--
lA'or/hem Liberator..

TIIE LATE SiR !toss DONNELLY, K.C.B.
—This Gallant CflEcer, whose death we announced
yesterday, was in the seven ty-seventh year of his age.
It will be in the recollection t4f our readers that a Coin-
mission of Lunacy wa; issued at the instance of his family
in June last, the Gall ant Admiral ii,Qving been for some
time previously incap. Able of manag.ing his affairs. The
deceased's Admiral's rcommission was ..iated as follows ;
Lieutenant, Sept., 2:i, 1781; Comma:oer, July 6, 1794 ;
Captain, June 2.C. 1 795 ; Rear-Admit;l, June 4, 1814;
Vice-Admiral, May. :27, 1825 ; and Adoiral, June 28,
1838. For his dist'itvuished services he was nominated a
K:,i;;lit Commands r of the Bath in February, 1837.
When Senior Lieu' rnant he was in Howe's action, and
succeeded to the co; nitlic.nd on the death of the Captain of
the Montague in the to victory. lie commanded the Nar-
ci,:sus at the red's tion of the Cape and the capture of
Buenos Ayres, and vl,o the se;,tnen and marines at the
landing at Monte Vi