The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-20 00:00:00

lIELIGION IN GSRMANT.

A warm discussion on the state of religious belief in
Gqmany—prompted by the extraordinary incident in a
Berlin church which we related a day or two ago—is going
on in the columns of the 2'imes. Very high authorities
have given testimony to the effect that the mass of the
Germans are irreligious ; and evidence of scarcely less
weight has been called to shew that things are not so bad
as they seem. But the balance seems decidedly on the
side of the unpleasant theory. There is a "sprinkling of
faithful believers in every part of the country," following
the Lutheran and other creeds ; but, on the other hand,
the leaven of an extreme Rationalism has been widely
spread among the people, and only a small fraction of the
whole nation attend divine service.

Sin SAMUEL RAKER'S EXPEDITION.
The expedition under the command of Sir S. Baker for
the purpostof putting an end to the slave trade on the
White Nile is now nearly ready to start. Vast quantities
of material are being sent off beforehand ; and
it is expected that the magazines of stores at Khartoum,
the town on the confluence of the two Nile branches, will
be completed by the 30th of October. Every arrangement
has been wade under the supervision of the eminent
explorer, who has spared no pains to ensure success. The
Khedive has given Lia consent to a plan for " utilising"
the slaves who may be captured. A tract of fertile land
on the banks of the river below Khartoum will be set
apart for their reception, and to each a portion of the soil
will be allotted, free of all taxes. The freed slaves will
be registered and taue-ht the use of agricultural imple-
ments. Thus Sir Samuel seeks to establish a nucleus of
civilisation in the centre of Africa. In fact, the explorer
hopes to make Egypt a great •cotton country, for the
plant is indigenous in the fertile regions below Khartoum.
Ile is backed L•y an enterprising ruler, and it is not impos-
sible that these two may yet develop the great resources
Of Egypt.

SAD TALE FROM JAMAICA.
Mr. Teal], a missionary at Morant Bay, sends a strango
story to the Star touching the compensation paid to
the sufferers by the disturbances of 1865. This gentleman
complains that some of the worst rioters have bad their
claims met, whilst peaceable people who sustained great
injuries have been passed over without a penny. Tardily
as this compensation has come, it has been grievously
misapplied. The position is this : The Government ap-
pointed certain gentlemen to take into consideration
the losses of those who suffered from the riots.
At various times— the process being very slow—
these claims were reviewed, and during the last few weeks
-nn officer, -charged by the Government, has been distri-
buting the awards. lint many persons whose demands were
made in due form to the appointed persons, and at the
proper time, have found that their claims have been
dropped without reason assigned or one word of explana-
tion given. Mr. Teall wrote to the Governor, and received a
reply to the effect that only claimants for injury done by
the troops, and not by the insurgents, and, moreover,
only claimants who were not themselves implicated, would
be recompensed. The missionary, however, says it is
notorious that some of the worst rioter have been paid,
and some of the most deserving of the injured persons
have been neglected. The Governor is setting a premium
on disaffection,

MR. PEABODY AND TUE SOUTH.
A few days ago the wealthy planters and political
leaders of the Southern States—men who were formerly
the ruling class in the slave country—gave an enthu•
siastic ovation to Mr. Peabody, at White Sulphur Springs.
At their head was Ex-Governor Wise, who has been,
since the war, the most irreconcilable and impracticable
of all extremists. Omens favourable to the prospect of
complete reconciliation between the two divisions of the
Republic are drawn from this event. " When Southerners
of this stamp join with such ardour in rendering homage
to the man who has opened the way for universal educa•
tion throughout the South, we may accept it as an earnest
of a complete moral revolution in that country, a sure
pledge of not only civil reconstruction, but, what is
infinitely better yet, of moral regenerations."