The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-07 00:00:00

THE NIGHTINGALE TESTIMONIAL.

A meeting of the promoters of the Nightingale fund
was held in Edinburgh on Monday, under the presidency
of Sir John M‘Neill, surrounded by a number of emi-
nent citizens of Edinburgh. On taking the chair, Sir
John M‘Xcill took occasion to advert to the fanciful
notions that had been circulated in order to check public
sympathy in behalf of the contemplated testimonial.
The following were among the remarks which he made
upon this subject :—" Statements have gone forth attri-
buting or describing Miss Nightingale as belonging to
almost every imaginable denomination of Christians.
The truth I believe to be, that Protestant in her opi-
nions, firm in her Protestant belief, she is yet of
too large and catholic a mind to regard mere sec-
tarian differences, or to attach much importance to
forms. I believe that she is capable of acting with
persons of every denomination who are influenced
by pious and Christian motives. And she has
proved it. The task which she undertook was one of ex-
treme difficulty ; the persons who were placed under her
directions belonged to different countries and to differ-
ent faiths—sonic were Episcopalians, some were Pres-
byterians, and some were Roman Catholics. By the
force of her genius, and the liberal and catholic stamp
of her views, she has been able to fuse that heteroge-
neous mass into ono common body, acting cordially
together for the accomplishment of one good work. Her
own opinions are not recently formed ; long before this
war was thought of while it was yet doubtful whether
any such institution as we are now proposing to insti-
tute should be formed in E 'gland, Miss Nightingale
bad prepared herself, by careful study in Germany, for
the task which she had proposed to herself, even in
her youth—a life of usefulness, following at a humble
distance, an far as human frailty would permit, the
example of Him whi went about doing go td, and
bea'ing the sick. (Applause.) At an , early age she
institu-
proceeded to Germany, and in the Protestanttions of Pfussia acquired the instruction in attendance
on the sick which at that time then) were no means of
acquiring in England. On her return a pamphlet was
anonymously published, but well understood to have
ancoogly
been written by her, from which I will quote a single
passage. It is the conclusion :—' Shall the Roman Ca-
who accepted the services not only of
tholic Church do all the work ? Has not the Protestant
Lord,
do 'W
,f
women ? The harvest is ripe. hcre
ar
e thee t also
sick and the poor wanting Let those women
England, who sit in busy idleness, look at Germany.
omthfr neeets:
There ate your sisters all at work, Christ in their midst.
Let Him not say, I have called my English hand;
maidens, but they would not answer. I stood a
their doors and knocked, but they would not open.
These were the sentiments which she had enter.
tamed for years before the call of her country car
lied her to the East. I feel satisfied of this, that Miss
Nightingale is herself too settled in herreligious opinions,
too firm and too earnest in her purpose, to permit her
efforts, which are intended for the welfare of her species
and the service of her God, to be narrowed and degraded
to any sectarian or party purpose whatever. I may say
that, in all the conversations I have had with Miss
Nightingale—and they have been many—l have never
yet
practicable,h ea r d herwa proposesno t
des
desirable
lef suggestandh
anythingave never which, if
heard
a vain or thoughtless proposal from her, but, on the
contrary, her mind appears to me to he distinguished
by a strong practical sense, which regulates all the does."
Among those who afterwards addressed the meeting
was Bishop Terrot, who said that, even if he considered
M.ss Nightingale as schismatical or heretical in her opi-
nions, he should not allow that to be a reason why the
country should not express its gratitude for the good
she has done.

NARROW ESCArE OF THE RECORDER.—In the New
Court yesterday, a man, named George Tillon, was
convicted cf burglary and sentenced by the Recorder to
six year penal servitude. The fellow, on hearing the
sentence, drew from his pocket a large lump of coal, and
threw it, with the greatest force and precision, at the
head of the learned gentleman. Fortunately the Re-
corder escaped the intended injury. The prisoners are
for the future to be searched before being placed in the
dock.