The Sun.
London, England, 1833-04-01 00:00:00

portrays the character of Dr. Priestley, and marks
the striking revolution in public opinion :
" A hundred years have passed away since this celebrated
philosopher and truly excellent man came into the world. The
progress of society within that period in the arts and sciences,
and in the diffusion of knowledge, in the establishment of the
rights of private judgment and freedom of discussion, and in
the extension of political liberty, has been greater than in the
17 centuries which preceded the revolution of 1688. These
extraordinary and rapid changes in the moral and intellectual
character of mankind, and in political institutions, must be
solely attributed to the influence of those ' spirits of an age'
who are termed `great men'—in which class Priestley is now
enrolled by the common consent of his admiring country-
men, in a place of the highest honour. It is the fate of
many gifted and illustrious men to be depreciated by
their own generation ; they live not for their own
times, but for future ages. Their opinions, in advance of
their contemporaries, too often inflict upon them unpopula-
rity and misrepresentation ; but the test of time never fails
to do ample justice to the patriot and philosopher—poste-
rity ever acknowledges and discharges the debt due to their
sacrifices and intellectual labours. The mist of preju-
dice and calumny, as it vanishes, displays in colours
more bright and vivid the character it has temporarily
obscured, as the sun, after an eclipse, appears more effulgent.
Dr. Priestley is now placed on his proper pedestal in the
Temple of Fame. His eminent contributions to every de-
partment of science—his promotion of general education—his
disinterestedness and singleness of mind in all his intellectual
pursuits—his unalloyed love of truth, and his constant advocacy
of the principles of civil freedom, are now universally ad rifted
in every civilized nation. The purity of his private character
was never maligned by his most prejudiced accusers; hispublic
services to mankind are now fully recognised even by those who
are opposed to his particular opinions in politics and religion. All
well-informed persons admit that his object was to promote good
government ; and those most inimical to his sectarian opinions
on points of doctrine and Protestant dissent, allow the great
value of many of his works in aid of the common cause
of revealed religion. But if we could suppose all the pub-
lications of Dr. Priestley extinct on the subject of reli.
gion—the source of the great prejudice entertained against
him—what would be the unqualified admiration of his coun.
trymen for the scientific and other valuable products of his su.
perior mind? We are highly gratified that the character of Dr.
Priestley is duly appreciated in the town honoured by his long
residence, and the place of some of his most brilliant philoso-
phical discoveries. Thegrowing spirit of the times is remark-
ably illustrated by this local celebration of his centenary birth-
day, and especially by his surviving personal friends and ad-
mirers meeting together without any unnecessary or illiberal
allusion to events over which the veil of oblivion has been gene-
rously and advisedly drawn."
The principle of tetribution applies equally in the
polinical as in the moral world. Crime begets its
punishment ; and those who, under the banner of
" Church in danger," awakened and called into ac-
tion the latent spirit of the people, would now
gladly (if they could) put down the power they
blindly excited. " Church robbery" will as little
avail them for a substitute watch-word; we read in
Revelations, " Reward her even as she rewarded
you, and double unto her double according to her
works; in the cup which she has filled fill to her
double." So it is remarkable that the descendants
of that population (Birmingham), which bigotry
led on to violate the sanctuaries of religion and the
laboratory of the philosopher, should now stand
foremost in public spirit against all abuses in
"Church and State." An ample atonement has
been thus made for the local persecution of the vir-
tuous and intellectual Priestley; and the seeds of
knowledge and popular education which he indus-
triously and fearlessly sowed have thus grown
up to adorn and protect his own reputation. We
have often observed that philosophical inquiry and
freedom of discussion in religion arid political science
have not flourished in England comparatively with
their growth in some parts of the continent. But
these enlightened and grateful public tributes of
reipect to the memory of the " illustrious dead"
are significant " signs of the times." The great
virtue of moral courage is every year more esteemed
In this country, and will be cultivated in proportion
to the diminution of political corruption. The pur-
suit of science and an ardent love of truth are now
rightly appreciated, notwithstanding the insignifi-
cant
differences of opinion in the members of the
republic of letters. The time, we hope, is now
arrived when calumnious abuse of a Protestant Dis-
sewer is no longer the ladder to a mitre, and when
party misrepresentation can no longer destroy the
influence of patriotic principles. What is now the
comparative reputation of Priestley and his departed
detractors? Time is the great and righteous judge
in the Temple of Fame.—Morning Chronicle.
" The straw begins to move," as the Member for
Oldham says, and the immediate abolitionists have
announced their meeting for the 2d of April (it
should have been the first) at Exeter-hall. It will
be in the recollection of at least a portion of our
readers that this great assemblage of self-styled phi-
lanthropists was to have taken place some time
since, but they considered the cause of plunder and
massacre in the West Indies so prosperous that
there was no occasion for any further excitement
upon the subject. But, now that a man of more
vigorous and manly understanding has replaced a
driveller in the Colonial Department, a movement
is necessary, in the hope that dust may he thrown
into the eyes of the community, as it can no longer
he applied to the Colonial Secretary. Let English-
men only be left to the influence of calm and dis-
passionate inquiry, and they will soon cast aside
cant and quackery. Of this the question of imme-
diate emancipation to the slaves presents a striking
example. The hypocritical faction that advocates
this stupid and dangerous doctrine is losing ground
every day.—Morning Post.

FARRINGDON MARKET.—An attempt is
being made by the city to render this allowedly unfortu-
nate speculation a little more comfortable to the dealers
and attractive to the public, so far as the fish and ve2e-
table markets, which are carried on in the open area of
the market, are concerned. A shed has been erected,
along the centre of the open space, of about. 260 feet in
length, by 30 in width. It is open at the sides, and the
reuf, which is slated, is supported by light cast iron
pilhrs. The finish was given to it on Saturday, and it
has altogether a very neat and commodious appearance.
A similar range of covered building is in the course of
erection along the western wall of the market.
AFFLICTION FROM CONFINEMENT IN A
FACTORY.—A striking instance of the cruelty of con•
fining. children too many hours in a factory may be seen
in our Infirmary, on the person of a girl who, from stand-
ing fourteen hours a day, in one of these places of unna-
tural confin- meat, is now in the last stage of dropsy, and
probably will aeon die a victim to the prevailing system.
Being an orphan, she repaired to this employment for
support, where she laboured till attacked by disease, when
she quilt.d Leeds, and made an effort to return to her
native place in Kent, but exhausted nature failed her in
this town, where she lies an affecting argument in favour
of Mr. SADLFR'S Factory Bill.—Leicester Advertiser.
MURDER OF MR. LEONARD.—On Thurs-
day the following persons were transmitted to the gaol of
the county Kilkenny, charged with being concerned in
the murder of JOSEPH ANTHONY LEONARD, Esq.: ••••
CATHERINE FORRESTALL, alias MALONE, and her son
PHILIP MALONE, JOHN and EDWARD HoGAN, and
JAMES and RICHARD CA SHIN. The prisoners were
escorted from Waterford by a Captain, subaltern, and 30
rank and file of the 70th regim-nt, and a party of our
city police, who were relieved subsequently by some of the
county Kilkenny police. A boy of nine years of age, and
a girl of 14, children of one of the above CASHINS, have
been conveyed to Dublin, under charge of Mr. G. WRIGHT,
high constable of Waterford.— Waterford Mirror.
On Tuesday night an inquest was held by
Mr. PAYNE, at the Sun and Anchor, St. Dunstan's-bill,
Tower Ward, on the body of SA RAH CLARE, who died in
the watcbhouse of that ward. The deceased, it appeared,
was found by the watchman in Thames-street, about
1 o'clock on Saturday morning, in a state, as he supposed,
of drunkenness. She was very thinly clad, and wet to
the skin by the heavy snow which still continued to fall.
He conveyed her to the watchhouse, where she was placed
by the keeper of the watchhouse in a comfortable position,
close to a good fire, but on her complaining of the heat, he
moved her to the further end of the room, and there left
her. She continued, as be thought, in a s'eep till
3 o'clock, when on attempting to wake her, that she
might go home, he found that she was dead. On her
person was found is. in halfpence. Mr. LIMRIRD, of the
King's Head, Tower-street, said be saw her on the pre-
ceding night for the first time. She eame to his house
about 12 o'clock, and had a glass of gin ; she complained
of cold. He observed that her eye was dim and fixed,
and that she had a deathlike appearance. She was per-
fectly sober. She bad been the wife of a soldier, whom
she had accompanied in his campaigns' and since leis death
had led a roving life, and baying a good voice, picked up
a precarious living by singing at public-houses. Vet dirt,
" That she died in consequence of exposure to the cold
and wet of the night."