The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-28 00:00:00

P.7.-RIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

ream THE EVE!`r.b.'G PAPELtS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOB!.—The Irish cleegy, as a body, seem by
'•) means satisfied with Sir- Robert Peel's pretta -
- early express, d intentions respecting the Roman
_;.atholic seminary at Maynooth ' • and still less with
the increased grant for national education. On the
former question there have been some bitter personal
attacks on the Premier • in which his conduct on the
Catholic question has been referred to, as indicative
of his leaning toward Romanisni ; an I of which
. his present purpose of increasing the Parliamentary
grant to Maynooth, with a view to render-
ing that seminary more effic7ent for the purpose of
training youth for the Roman Catholic priesthood,
is a mere continuation. The contemplated change in
the Dublin University, by which its honours and emo-
luments would he rendered available to numbers who
are now excluded from both, has also provoked a Pro-
• testant demonstration against Sir Robert Peel ;
which will, deuhtless, be revived, and increased,
whenever the proposal is submitted in a tangible shape
to the University authorities. It is true that Sir IL
Peel has gained over sonic, and muzzled others
of the clergy, who were among the foremost in
denouncing the National system. Still there re-
main a large number, " whose tongues "—to use
the langusge of one of the " faithful among the
taithlees "—" have not lied unto Baal, and whose
lips have not kissed him." Among these are nearly
the whole of the clergy of one diocese (that of Derry).
• These have issued a declaration, couched in the
strongest terms, in which they protest against the
National system, as calculated to foster and encourage
erroneous and strange doctrines. They justify the
course they have taken in thus openly protesting
against the false policy of the Government ; " for,"
say they, "we have fallen on trying times, when
every other feeling ought to be merged in a sense of
the strong necessity which now exists, that the sound
and uncorrtapt portion of the clergy should take and
avow their side." The manifesto thus proceeds :
" We humbly hope that, by publishing our sentiments,
we may co-operate in encouraging our reverend brethren
in the other dioceses of Ireland, at the same time invit-
ing all our b:ethren of the laity to join heart and hand in
this good cause ; so that, as a Church of Christ, we may
be enabled, by the blessing of our Almighty Head, to
discharge our pledged and incumbent duty, of being wit-
nesses and keepers of God's holy word."
" This striking and admirable document," observes
the Dublin Mail, " may be taken as the una-
nimous opinion of the parochial clergy of the
diocese of Derry ; and it does them infinite honour,
as conscientious and disinterested servants of
their Heavenly Master, and faithful shepherds
of the flack committed to their care, that
they have, in a body, given such a response to the
Ministerial policy, which excludes all persons in the
Church holding their opinions from the due rewards
of professional service and eminent abilities." And
in a subsequent paragraph Sir Robert Peel is assured
that he " will find it utterly impossible to carry his
principle of preferment (the reward of subserviency)
into practical operation." The following quiet but
not the less bitter allusion to a vacant deanery, and to
the principle which will probably guide the Govern.
merit in filling up the vacancy, exhibits the feeling
which prevails among the -Irish Protestants on this
subject .
Our informant was incorrect in stating that Dr. Wil-
son was nemina'ed Dean of Limerick. No such appoint-
ment hat been made, nor is it likely. The impression is
that some one of the Her. Gentlemen who are advocating
the merits of education, as administered by the National
Board, in the columns of the newspapers, will be selected
for the dignity."
We have not alluded to the subject because we ap-
prove of the opposition to the Government in these
matters. We regard the resistance of these clerical
malcontents as an emanation of that narrow and exclu-
sive policy to which Ireland, in the interests of its in-
habitants, was long the victim. Bigotry was the
parent, and intolerance is the instrument of this policy.
Its adherents, instead of considering what is required
lay the condition of society and the circumstances of
.the great mass of the population, reason and act as
though the land were formed for them alone—to be
the theatre on which they should exhibit their ascen-
dancy, and where the people, body, soul, and spirit,
should be subjected to their rule. For this sove-
reignty they have striven, are striving, and will strire,
until they see and feel that the strife is vain. But though
on the the one hand we deplore the powerful opposi-
tion which is made to the Government, in its attempts
to adapt its policy to the spirit of the age, and
to the circumstances of the Irish people, we cannot
Wonder that the Government has met with resistance
from such quarters. The conduct of Sir Robert
Peel, in conjunction with the leading members of the
Government, when endeavouring to oust the Whig
Ministers, is the main cause of this resistance. They
encouraged expectations in those who now resist
their educational policy, which are now shown to
have been fallacious. Disappointment has engendered
distrust; and this has, in its natural results, led to
that embodied hostility which—though it may not be
successful in effecting the overthrow of the National
system of education, nor in defeating the other mea-
sures against which it is directed—will be a source of
embarrassment to the Goverament, and cannot fail to
estrange its adherents, and thus divide and weaken its
party in Ireland.
S PAN DARD.—The late deplorable accident on
the Midland Counties Railway naturally calls atten-
tion to the possible dangers of the new means of
transit, and to the proper guards against such dan-
gers. In the first instance, however, we must he
careful not to exaggerate the hazards of railway
travelling, which, as experience has shown, are
leas than in any other mode of travelling. Even in
the infancy•of their use the casualities upon rail-
roads have averaged much less, in proportion
to the number of travellers, than coach travelling
used to average, even in the high state of per-
fection to which it was carried in this country. Still,
though railroad travelling is, we believe, the
safest manner of locomotion yet discovered, the late
acchlesit and other accidents, rare as they have
been, prove that it is not yet absolutely safe; but to
al solute safety t':e public are entitled if the thing
be attainable. And seeing how near to perfection
the system has been already carried, we do not
despair ef the object being attained to. Still, if we
would spare the lives of our fellow-creatures during
the stage of improvement, the public must exercise,
scene forbearance, must make allowance for the acci-
dents and inconveniences inseparable from the adoption
of every new art, must occasionally submit patiently,
and with:good-humour, to cautionary delays ne,cessary
for the safety of men's lives. Already, railroad tra-
velling, by daylight, awl in clear nights, seems to be
perfectly safe from collisions; the generally almost
rectilinear course of the trains gives to the eye suffi-
cient warning of the approach of a train by day.
or in a clear night, to allow time for a halt.
'The enemy to he dealt with is fog, which renders
'the eye comparatively useless ; and the ques-
tion to be solved is, the most certain, and
ettsiest, and (a consideration not to be over-
looked) the cliee.;est means of communicating
through the fog. The electrical telegraph first
..presents itselr, and this means of communication
.wW, we doubt not, be adopted sooner or later
upon every railway, on the score of economy
.as well ae from considerations of safety. Such
communication fi•oin station to station would
enable railway managers to save much expense in
their preparations, as well as to give immediate notice
'of the departure of every train, so as to reader colli
si ens impossible. The electrical telegraph has not
yet, however, as we believe, been carried to that
state of complete perfection to justify an implicit
reliance upon it, and its establishment demands an ex-
penditure of time and money that forbid the hope that it
can be very early adopted. The second means of
communication that occurs is addressed to the ear—
the bell, gong, or bugle. At sea the bell and gong
-are found useful means of warning, and on shore
'they, as well as the bugle, communicate sound to a
—very great distance—to a distance much greater than
would serve as ample warning to a railway train to
;:avoid a collision. In thick weather one of these noisy
;earitinels might be easily attached to the engine of
every train, and if the trouble of giving it voice
were a consideration, it might be self-sounded by
communication with the machinery of the en-
gibe. • Our opinion is, however, that a communica-
tion independent of. and separated from, the train
would be desirable, whether the train were or were
• not provided with a warning instrument. A series
of bells, gongs, or bugles, beside the railway line,
'and at a distance of about half a mile apart, to be
Manned in thick weather either by the railway
:police or by labourers specially employed for the
...oecasion, would render impossible such frightful acci-
;clent3 as that at Bee-ton, while the expense would
be very trifling. The outlay in the first instance
would be probably not more than 40/. or 50/. the
•faile, and besides that it would save Many lives, it
- -would well repay railway proprietors, by render-
ing this mode of travelling perfectly safe, and ob-
viating all the expense caused by accidents. The
'damege to engines and carriages at Beeston is very
.properly lost sight of, in our estimate of a misfor-
tune that has proved fatal to our fellcree-creatures ;
last the pecuniary loss must be considerable,
.probably several thousand pounds, all of which
NVOUId have been saved had there been a proper
means of communication established. It may be
-said that fogs occur but seldom, and that the collision
at Benton was the effect of neglect or stupidity ; but
'143, neglect, and stupidity, are accidents that wise
men will anticipate
will
smof inevitable occurrence,
'and that good men w
ly'
''threaten to endanger life.
}negs provideu are
e a
V , if they
gaearinst
our reach ; and before w
:the lives of oar fellow-creatures dependantrilYbeyond
. leave
upon
~vigilance and correct judgment of others,
we ougt
to be quite sure that we are never negligent or stupid
ourselves. Frederick the Great used to say, that" the
general who did not make a large allowance for the
neglects and blunders of his subordinates, did not
know half his business." In what we have