The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-09 00:00:00

It is not desirable that the subject of the Volun-
teer movement should be allowed to pass away from
immediate discussion, as no festal days of triumph
and excitement will avail, unless beneath the sur-
face of the glittering exterior there exist some
solid and valid foundations. It is very saticfactory
to notice the unremitting attention given by the
press in general to this national question. It was
also most gratifying to find that the Duke of CAM-
BRIDgE made no merely complimentary address to
the assembled ranks of volunteers around him; but
spoke with a frank cordiality, and an earnest man-
ner that could not but have favourably as well
as forcibly impressed them. Another most
important consideration is that the proceedings of
Wednesday must have had an immense influence
on foreign nations. They must have learned,
whether willing or not, to admit that they did, the
all-important fact, that the " nation of shop-
keepers" can yet turn their attention to arms.
Also they must notice the unanimity that prevails
among divers classes and separate interests. There
is nothing in which foreigners make greater mis-
takes than in the temper of the English people. It
is very different to their code of laws to
hear of free discussion, and public meetings to
discuss political and social questions ; hence
they are apt to imagine that great discontent must
exist, and perhaps incipient revolution is engender-
ing. But let a commn cause arise and all
secondary ideas are banished. It has been so in
the present case, and the sons of the volunteers who
prepared themselves for the declared invasion of the
First NAPOLEON, did not forget the spirit of their
fathers when they made ready for a whispered
hint of another Imperial transit. It is not to
be supposed by the countries on the Continent,
however, that because we are about to set our house
in order that there is any wish for a contest, or
that the fact of such arrangements being made
necessitates any angry sentiments in our inter-
course ; above all, it must not be allowed to give
rise to the report that we are afraid. It is a strange
sign of fear to prepare for fighting, but those who
are the most determined on the dayof battle are always
the last to propose the unnecessary warfare, and the
slowest to give offence. It is therefore incumbent
on all who are connected with the movement that
on Wednesday was triumphantly celebrated in the
metropolis not to allow the present efficiency to
lapse into neglect. If the storms now threatening
in the political horizon pass away, and if the
unpropitious state of affairs should happily be
turned to one of security, there will still be no
need to relax in the efforts that have been so spon-
taneously made and so energetically persevered in
by the inhabitants of the country in all directions
and of all classes. " 'Tis not in mortals to com-
mand success, but we'll do more, we will deserve
it " is a fine sentiment, and one whieh can never
fail to animate and inspire. It is so with the
people of England. They cannot prevent the dis-
turbed nations of the Continent from making
war with their alternate revolutions and
despotisms, but they can prevent their
own country from being taken unawares
or at a disadvantage. Strong in the unanimity of
the various grades and separate classes of the
community, if the trumpet's voice should rouse the
land, it will call forth prepared and disci-
plined, defenders of their country. Should we
not be exposed to the horrors of war, one
of the chief causes that will have con-
tributed to preserve for us the blessings of
peace will have been the Volunteer Move-
ment, which has so powerfully declared to the
world that no spread of commerce, no manufactur-
ing interests, and no class and political rivalries
have prevented our banding together when danger
threatened ; and that the sound of an enemy's ap-
proach made all unite as brethren in arms, and
rivals only in renown.

The select committee appointed by the House
of Commons to inquire into the best means of throw-
ing open the public institutions of the metropolis
to the working classes met yesterday, the chair
being taken by Sir Jolly TRELAWNY, the well-
known advocate of Liberal principles. It is a
subject of very great interest and impor.iance,
which will at once address itself to the consi-
deration of all who concern themselves
in the social welfare of the lower chesses. Popular
education has long been admitted, to be the first
step towards social reform, an 'l information con-
veyed by means of lectures .4
n d museums is more
attractive to the uneducated man and more adapted
to his wants than any kind of book learning or
deep study. The object to be attained is
the enlargement of his mind, the cultivation
of his faculties. We do not expect to
make him so proficient in scientific learn-
ing or to enable him to compete successfully
with logicians and philosophers. There are, of
course, exceptional instances in which a small
amount of acquired knowledge has brought about
the most important practical results, but in most
cases the general culti,eation of the intelligence, and
the provision of healthy and rational objects
of interest, are all that is aimed at. Many
a treatise,
a man who wo'.lld soon weary of poring over
Popular wer,td be interested and absorbed in a
lect'are, and amused and occupied over
the cases o'l a
museum. Among the witnesses who
gave evi°Aenee yesterday before the committee was
Mr. 117* J i+ 3/Ec
ersislrlTB.llsopßoET,TlinslaNc,.ohoinDiEst.s,. andlie formerly
d
over Jeer at' Messrs,
ful:t confirmation of what the supporters of the pro-
asserted, and remarked that,
as a body, working men were
more open to educa-
tion by the eye than by the
ear, and that
consequently illustrated lectures Were the best
adapted to their comprehension. He had stated to
a body of fellow workmen that he had been sum_
/
moned to give evidence on this subject
1 before a committee of the House of Commons, and
asked them how lie should represent their feelings.
They were unanimous in expressing a wish to
have these institutions opened in the evening, so
that they might have sonic place of resort
without being required to spend money. Mr.
WHITMORE himself expressed his conviction that
should the National Gallery, British Museum
and similar places be thrown open to the working
man in the evening, they would attract many from
the beershop and gin palace. The South Kensing-
ton Museum, as he justly remarked, is compara-
tively useless to the vast numbers of workmen
residing in the east of London. It would be
absurd to suppose that when wearied by the
day's labour, . the artisan would walk so
many miles for the pleasures of scientific
instruction. Yet that they are not insensible to
these
pleasures is proved by the statistics given by
Sir Roderick MURCIIISSON and Professor lInx.LEY
of the attendance at the lectures of the Geological
Institution in J
himself are erznyn-street. Mr. "irili t 3mlOilltEr,
presentative entative of the class, an'ClfTaia
with their habits, expressed his opinion that popu-
lar lectures given at any of these institutions would
be the bet corrective that could be devised for in-