The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 16, 18b9.

north-western corner of the Great African conti-
nent, if not " News of Battle," rumours indicative
of the approach of some sanguinary col-
lision between the Moorish horsemen of the
Sultan of MOROCCO, to the number of 12,000
troopers, under his Majesty's brother, MULAI
HASSAN, and the gathering forces of the Franco-
Spanish battalions. Certainly the military ardour of
France ought to be satisfied, one would think, with
her other wars immediately passed, immediately
present, or immediately possible, without turning
mendaciously in the direction of these shores with
a view to an insolent invasion of the land of liberty
trod by 26,000,000 Englishmen !
There is the Italian war, really and truly, not by
any means over yet—with GARIBALDI strong in
his own prowess and the love of the Italian multi-

tude, with VICTOR EMMANUEL xirtually king at
this moment of the chief part of the Roman Penin-
sula, with Venetia waiting but for the signal of
insurrection, with the dogs of war yet straining
eagerly, for their next run upon the strong fortresses,
like greyhounds in the slip.

There is the new war (in alliance with England)
to be waged now very speedily once more upon
the recreant Chinese ! The French armaments,
both military and maritime, preparing to take
their departure thither at somewhere about th©
date of the 15th of December.

There is, moreover, this threatening onslaught
(in conjunction with the Spanish soldiers under
O'DONNELL) upon the haunt and covert of the Riff
Pirates—the empire of the Sultan of MOROCCO.
Italy, and China, and Morocco, one might fancy,
would glut the maw of any war dog of them all,
even though he were three-headed like Cerberus.

But the Eagle of France has proverbially a very
keen, even, be it said, an insatiable appetite. Even
during the days when it was chained and tamed
in banishment, being supplanted for a comparatively
brief interval by the pugnacious Orleans bantam,—
even during the days of old King LOUIS PHILIPPE
absurdly dubbed by his sycophantic advisers the
NAPOLEON of PEACE—even then when the national
symbol of France was nothing more than a cock—
but a cock, remember, perched upon that " coign of
'vantage" Power—did not BERANGER, even BEE-
ANGER, sing in vain.

" Co-co-coquerico I
France remet tons chako I
Coquerico, coquerico I"

The symbol of our neighbours at this present junc-
ture, however,being neither the white cockade of the
Bourbons, nor the monarchial cock of the Orleans
dynasty, but the imperial eagle, and the conquering
and warlike tricolour of the Revolution—Eng-
land is bethinking herself betimes of her de-
fences by sea and by land. She has
already a noble fleet cruising in the Channel;
and she is fast mustering, drilling, and organising,
corps by corps, her new National Guard of what
may number up at last 300,000 skilled riflemen

SUSSEX HALL. - MECHANICS'

INSTITUTE.

Last night a lecture was delivered at the above
institution, in Leadenhall-street, by Mrs. Thomas,
on " The Writings and Genius of Eliza Cook." It

was, on the whole, despite the difficulty that
attends all such undertakings, a very successful
affair. Mrs. Thomas displayed great skill in the
arrangement of her discourse, and she appeared to
give much satisfaction to her numerous an d
highly-respectable audience. She was listened
to throughout with marked attention, and at
intervals, as she excited the interest and
awakened the enthusiasm of her hearers, she was
warmly applauded. There is always something
very attractive in the proceedings of a Mechanics'
Institute to those who are interested in the
improvement and elevation of the working-
classes. Among all the triumphs of literature

it is to be questioned if its brightest suc-
cess is not achieved when its reign is extended
over the toiling thousands of mill and faotory,
whose aspirations wore admirably alluded to by Mr.
Disraeli in his eloquent address at tho Manchester
Athenaeum. " Amidst the toils and triumphs of
your scientific pursuits, upon you there comes
the undefinable, the irresistible yearning for
intellectual refinement." The influence of poetry
is universally recognised. Its sphere is not neces-
sarily confined to the narrow limits of classic
schools. Highly prized and appreciated as it may
be there, it has other and not less fervent worship-
pers, who bend at the altar of Nature, if not at the
shrine of Art—

" Thanking God whose boundless wisdom made the flowers
of poesy bloom,
In the forges' dust and cinders, in the tissues of the
loom."

Lectures like that of last night afford an unmis•
takeable evidence of the great progress that has
taken place in the cultivation and intelligence of
the community at large. In order to appreciate in
any degree such a discourse there must have been
previous study to refine the taste and mould the
understanding. The illustrations that Mrs. Thomas
presented were well calculated to impress her
meaning on the minds of her auditory, and sh e
may be congratulated on the success of her attempt
to evidence the remarkable powers of the
authoress whose works she selected for criticism.
She could hardly have chosen a more fitting theme
on which to descant before. the members of a
Mechanics' Institute than when she analysed the
writings and paid tribute to the genius of one
whose sympathies have ever been warmly expressed
on behalf of the classes who form its votaries, and
who has averred it to be the highest object of her
ambition, as it is the crowning triumph of her fame,
that she should be called the Poetess of the People.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge had a
select party at dinner on Sunday evening at his apartments
in St. James's Palace.

• Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam-
bridge and the Princess Mary have left Canibridge Cottage,
Kew, for Windsor Castle, on a visit to her Majesty and the
Prince Consort.

His Highness the Prince Leopold Hohenzollern-
Sigmaringen, accompanied by Baron de Muyernfisch, has
left Maurigy's Hotel on a visit to her Majesty,at Windsor
Castle.

Their Serene Highnesses the Prince and Princess
Edward of Saxe-Weimar have arrived at their mansion in
Portland•place from Scotland.

Emily; Duchess of Beaufort and the Ladies
Somerset have arrived at their residence in Hill-street from
Badminton.

The Countess of Derby and Lady Emma Stanley
have arrived in St. James's-square from Know*ley Hall.
His lordship remains at Knowsley.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs. Glad-
stone returned to London yesterday from the Deanery at
Windsor.

GLASGOW UNIVIiRSITY.—The election of Lord
Rector of the University of Glasgow took place yesterday,
when Lord Elgin was chosen by a majority of all the Na-
tions—the total nur:dbers being, Elgin, 553 ; Disraeli, 411.
The arran4ornents connected with the approach-
ing Liberol banquet at Rochester are completed. It is
expected. that 1,000 persons will be present. In addition to
Mr. k. W. Martin and Mr. Sergeant Kinglake, the two
mr,mbers for the city, it is understood that Mr. A. J. Otway,
tae Secretary tf the Admiralty, Mr. Bernal Osborne, and
other influential gentlemen con.necttd with the Liberal
party will be present.

. , - •
' THE HON. HENRY STANLEY.--It will be re-
.
membered that some weeks ago several paragraphs appeared
in the London and provincial newspaper, stating that- the
Hon. Henry Stanley, son of Lord Stanley of Alderley, had
during his travels deserted the religious faith of his ances-
tors, embraced the doctrines of Mab.ommedanism, and, in
fact, identified himself with the manners and superstitions
of the East. However absurd and incredable the state-
ments might easily have been supposed to be, yet there was
nn air of particularity and circumstantiality about them
that made them pass current as truth. But though no au-
thoritative contradiction has previously beengiven to them,
we are enabled positively to state that the calumnious ru -
pleura are utterly void of foundation. Mr. Stanley, like many
other intelli4ent English gentlemen, has mixed with the in-
habitants of th 3 countries thrOugh which he pasd, with a
desire to become thoroughly acquainted with
their manners,
burguag,e,habits,.and religion ; and in his intercours With the
natives, may have assimilated his costume somewhat to
their habits. But that he had become in anyway imbued with
their religious ideas, is wholly a calumny, at which Mr.
Stanley must necessarily feel hurt and indignant.: We un-
derstand that that gentlemen, who is or was recently at
Siam, is about to return home shortly, and with unabated
regard for the creed and institutions of his native land.— j
Macclesfield Omni'. . .