The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-29 00:00:00

YIESIVIERIS3I IN EDINBURGEL SPIRIT or the ii-q./8!..1C -.I 4t.n..TRNA LS, 1
The most prominent topic of discussion at present FROM TIIC MORNING PAPERS 0F THIS DAY.
in the norther 1 ni, tropolis i, 1`.1.-stnerimn, demon-tra TIMES. —lt is now near three centuries since not
tion o: + hich s''-tulle 1 s-i.nce have. b.. n repeatedly the least illuszrious in a long and splendid line of
tier;
sovereigns bestowed the none and impress of ro-.7alty
attended by nearly all the University rufe,,,orw now
on the central seat of British commerce. To the
in the city, as well as by Professor Liebiz, Mr.
George Combe, and a considerable number of other opening vision and enterprise of that era it seemed a
, memorable day ; and, though the intervening period
distinguished in the world of science and
has not been barren of events, the day is memorable
letters. The following, which appears in the supple-
ment of the last North 3ritish Advertiser, is, we un-
still. that,, commerce, whose interests Elizabeth
derstand, from the pen of Bon Gaultier : so solemnly identified with the glory of her crown,
a
" The recentlectures and experiments of Mr. Spencer adds daily fresh lustre to the history of its early
Hall in this city have revived the interest in Mes-
struggles. Vast changes since have been; the great
of the earth have been laid low ; empires have de •
merism, which had been in a great measure shaken
by the somewhat suspicious demonstrations of the caged, fleets disappeared, and crowded ports gone c
lecturers on the same subject who bad previously back to desert strands. That ambitious power
which menaced the universal liberty of man, which
visited us. The facts of Mesmerism are of a nature
so startling, and many of the demonstrations so clearly claimed a new world as the smallest of its dowries,
of a kind which it is possible, though perhaps only and concentrated against this island the utmost
just possible, to imitate, that we must be satisfied not of its strength and fury, instantly and con-
merely of the integrity, but also of the sagacity of the tinually from that time has sunk to nothingness
operator, before we can yield them our belief. Both and shame, and now is scarcely told among
these qualities Mr. Hall obviously possesses in a re- the nations. Meanwhile the British merchant
markable degree. A mind that has from childhood has gradually and peacefully won the prize for which
taken nothing upon trust, that has always kept a free conquerors vainly contended. Small beginnings, ge-
open eye and heart to the impressions and impulses nerous ambition, steady perseverance, equal rights,
of nature, and accustomed' itself to build its know- and social duties, have raised him to be the head who
ledge, wherever it was possible to do so, upon facts was the tail ; and in the busy Exchange we now see
and individual experience, seems to render him pe- not merely the seat of a thriving trade, but the real
culiarly fitted for investigating the subject to which source and centre of the greatest and most beneficial
he has for some years devoted his whole energies, earthly dominion. The day will not be less memo-
while the combination of these qualities with a can- rable on which Victoria has renewed, with tenfold
dour, simplicity, and frankness, which at once inspire significance, her predecessor's auspicious act. In the
confidence in his sincerity, and a modest caution in comparative infancy of commerce, a wise polici or a
drawing his deductions, entitle him to a fair and full noble condescension might have induced the Tudor
hearing for whatever he may have to adduce. Queen to lend it her presence and her name. It is
"The phenomena which he elicits are of so singular no longer a prophetic sense, or a patronage of weak-
a kind—not only so unlike, but so contrary to, or- ness. Commerce is now but another name for British
dinary experience—that they must be seen to be strength and greatness. Merchants have grown to
believed. The story of the enchanter in the Arabian merchant Princes, and are the chief feoffees of
Nights, who held the Prince spellbound in a chair the Crown. To them it owes that a seventh of
for years, has ceased to be a fable. He did no more the human kind obeys and loves the British rule;
than we have seen Mr. Hall do, in a less degree, again to them and to their inexhaustible means it
and again. But had we not seen this with our own owes a power of peace and war beyond the
eyes we must have regarded both cases as equally faculty of armies; to them the respectful homage
fabulous. of every realm that ocean hives. The Queen of
"It will not do to maintain, as we have heard some merchants does but close intuitively and inevitably
w
do, that such phenomena are produced by collusion. with her high calling, when she holds her court in
Mr. Hall is above suspicion, and the inducements to the Merchants' Hall. In a palace worthy of the oc-
the parties operated upon to act contrary to his will casion, and worthy to be called her own,
yester-
were too powerful to leave a doubt that they would day presided, not merely the Sovereign of she
a powerful
have done so if they could. The strongest instance nation, but the head and governor of a social fabric
of this which we have seen occured at a demonstra- which has filled the earth with its blessings. She
tion, a few evenings ago, at a private house in the there was seen, as it were, in the most intimate pre-
New Town of Edinburgh, in presence of a party of sence of her own peculiar empire. And of all merely
gentlemen met for the purpose of testing some of Mr. human occasions what can compare with that when
Hall's experiments. The patients were four in num- a Sovereign is publicly invested with the most sub-
ber—three of them lads earning from 3s. 6d. to 53. stantial and abiding of earthly powers, and crowned
per week, and the fourth a person to whom with the truest and most innocent of human prosperi-
t srenty pounds must have been an important sum. ties? The extorted homage of conquered princes, the
Mr. Hall, first, by what appeared a mere effort of unwilling obedience of injured or of humbled realms,
will, made one of the lads unable to move from the are but a base triumph—the unreal advantage of one,
place where he stood ; another was rendered unable Purchased by the real calamity of many. In those
either to walk or to drop a walking-stick which was petty conflicts it is impossible but that one must lose
put into his hand ; the third found himself incapable what another gains, and one must fall for another to
of rising from the chair in which he sat; while the rise ; but in that field of honourable rivalry where our
fourth, who was told to rest his right knee upon Sovereign yesterday sat triumphant, the case is con-
a chair, could neither withdraw it nor move his spicuously otherwise. There to be great is to impart
other leg, While thus riveted, the operator offered greatness ; pre-eminence shows the greater benefactor;
twenty pounds to the boy who was then rooted to the the blessings of giving and receiving •,re indissolubly
ground, if he would abstain from sitting down in connected; honour is the invariable test of utility,
a chair which was placed at the distance of a few feet and no one rises upon his fellow-men, but only will
from him, and he likewise offered the same sum them. So it is with the Sovereign—with the whole
to each of the other parties who should not go out of empire—with every subject. Her Majesty appeared
the room. In a few seconds, the boy who was stand-
the foremost tenant of earthly thrones, because
ing threw himself into the chair—the lad who was
her rule is the greatest interchange of benefits—the
largest communication of Heaven's bounties. She was
sitting sprang up and darted out of the room—the
fingers of the boy who held the stick forced them-
surrounded by subjects who are prosperous because
selves open, and he shuffled, by working his heels
they have augmented the prosperity of their species,
and whose wealth is only their fair and modest
and toes alternately, out of the room also. He could
portion out of the public wealth which their pro-
notinge-
walk, his legs having been previously made rigid
nuity and enterprise have created and diffused.
by Mr. Hall. The fourth patient withdrew his
knee from the chair, and after resisting the influence Service in that system is the rule of rank. He
for three minutes and a half (the time fixed by Mr. stands highest who works most truly and indus-
Hall for accomplishing the experiment being five triously under the Author and Giver of all good
minutes), sprang forward into the adjoining room, things. Every benefit there denotes another. If all
to which Mr. Hall had withdrawn. Here collusion other climes and people toil for us, it is because we
was out of the question. The patients were strangers toil for them. If they pour in their tributes, it is
to Mr. Hall,—twenty pounds a-piece was a bribe too the equivalent return for our subsidies. Such is the
tempting to be slighted,—and to suppose that they reign of kindness, of mutual help and encouragement,
had either been promised, or had hopes of a larger of combined progress, and of common victory, in
which our Sovereign yesterday placed her throne, the
sum for co-operating with Mr. Hall, would have
most favoured, most loved, and most beneficent of
been simply ridiculous. It was plain, that the parties
earthly potentates. It is seldom that great acts can be
would have won the money if they could. Their
will was opposed to the operator's, but their limbs repeated with equal greatness. A singularity, a once
were entirely subservient to his control. Here, then, for all, stamps every higher occasion of history, de-
was an undeniable fact, directly at variance with all terring the boldest imitator, and humbling the most
our previous experience. How is scepticism to ex- rightful successor to its honours. Second foundations
plain it away ? Admit it, and what limits are to be are lost in the brightness of the first. Thus, the pre-
set to the operations of the mysterious influence by carious heroisms of a rude and barbarous age will
which it is produced ? often eclipse the greater, the wiser, the more impor-
" The power of producing a rigidity and intensified tent, and more deliberate achievements of maturer
muscular force, which shall make a delicate girl's
times. Probably, however,
arm oppose an easy resistance to a power that would who witnessed the scene of it occurred to no one
yesterday, that it was
bend a strong man's like a reed,—of twisting limbs liable to such a disparagement, any more than the
acts of the child can detract from the originality of
into unnatural contortions without discomfort to the
patient,—of producing entire insensibility to pain in the man. The royalty of Britain has not merely been
mooted, it has become something new, since the
days the most sensitive parts of the body, are all facts auugs
of Elizabeth. So, also, its commerce. In their,
demonstrated by Mr. Hall beyond the shadow of y
doubt. There is no sagacity in the scepticism
hich glorious and most necessary union they now consti-
looks profound, and shakes its unbelieving head, and tute a work of the perfecting of this earth's strength
asks for explanation, of why and wherefore, when and beauty, and the improvement of universal man,
these phenomena are exhibited. The results are for which, excepting only what is heavenly, the all-
there,—there as unquestionable facts,—and it is superior economy of Grace, we shall find no earthly
nothing against their reality that no unequivocal Parallel. No empire, or alliance, or mutual under-
rationale why they are so can be given. Principles standing of empires, can pretend either equal or like.
may he guessed at, but they can be proved only by This has slowly dawned upon us, but is now manifest
and uncontradicted. We saw yesterday then olemn
an aggregate of facts ; and a vast variety of observe-
recognition of this awful trust. 'Whatever Elizabeth
tion and experience is required before a science can be
framed out of phenomena so new and so fluctuating as did for commerce was but a beginning of begin-
those of Mesmerism. But surely enough has already nings. It belonged to a different era from ours.s
But little community had her ere
cus-
' been demonstrated to make it the duty of all lovers
toms, her bought and sold monopolies, with that
of truth, of all students of physiology, of all medical
frees pirit which since her day has created another
men worthy of their profession, to inquire earnestly
into the subject. If there be no truth in this thing London on the mud-banks of the Mersey. There
let it be put down as a troublesome lie •, but if there is nothing effete or decayed, no lingering ghost
be truth in it, then its results should be, without of prosperity, no senility either of power or of mo-
rals, no obduracy of prejudice, no invincible barriers
loss of time, converted, as they appear most capable
of private i in British commerce, as we have
of being, to the benefit of mankind. The apathy of
lived to see Meresto us it is young aga glowing
the medical profession on this subject is not very
creditable to them. We rarely meet one of its mem- with hope, full of bursting energies, rejoicing in
bers who does not admit the existence of some such strength unmeasured, prospect unlimited, contented
influence or agency as that contended for by the mes- with nothing short of the earth for its field, and sub-
merists ; and yet, admitting this much, they are con- mitting to nothing lower than Heaven for its law.
tented to let their inquiries stop here. They will let Nor will it ever be content so long as aught remains
such men as Mr. Hall go on investigating the science to be done. To us British commerce is as full of
through abuse, insult, and calumny, and the diffi- mysterious anticipations as if it were new born, never
culty arising from imperfect scientific knowledge ; seen or told before. In the successive fabrics which
and when the science is established, if established it have arisen at Cornhill in fresh and increasing splen•
shall be, and there is nothing to be feared in reputa- dour on the site and ruins of their predecessors, we
tion or in purse from giving countenance to it, they see an image of the elastic and bounding growth of
will embrace it and convert it to their profit. Is it a the system. Its best friends are its enemies, its ruin
fact, or is it not, that persons are cured by Mes- its restoration, its difficulties its triumphs. Through
losses, through spoliations, through fire and sword, it
merism of' catalepsy, epilepsy, and all that monstrous
train of nervous disorders which create much more lives and prospers. Driven into the ocean it emerges
than half the ailments of civilised life ? Is it a fact, grander still. Exiled, it finds a foreign home.
that by it even organic disease of the most fearful Whether menaced by an armada, or encompassed
kind, as in the case of Miss
with iron-closed ports and shores, it has bounded over
Martineau, is alleviated,
cif its enemies. The
and p-ssibly removed? If these be facts—and they
thongtttt ity crushedrcumvallationsunder their feet, and saw it overy
seem to be demonstrated by evidence as powerful as
their heads. Surrounding, they found it had mean-
that upon which any other facts are admitted—then
while surrounded them. Beleaguered by a continent,
is it indeed time, to say the very least, that the
it occupied the world. There is much to make men
medical faculty should devote the whole energy of
scrupulous even beyond the suggestions of common
their intellect and knowledge to this important subject.
feeling, and the calculations of ordinary prudence,
" That Mr. hall has established a great variety of
how they depreciate or check so strange and mighty
facts in Phreno-Mesmerism we think there can be no
doubt. We have seen as little reason to suspect col- a growth of time as the present commercial position
of this empire. Are there not the tokens of Heaven
lusion in his demonstrations of this class of phenomena
in it ? Look at the majesty of these realms ; turn
as in those to which we have already alluded. In
from her who sat yesterday as its visible representa-
fact, it would tax our belief more to conclude that
tive, and expand the ken of space and time to the
the parties operated upon were able to feign the mani-
circumstance
festations which they exhibited than to suppose whole natural and providential story of
England. Nursed in the lap of ancient Europe,a mar-
that they were influenced by some agency to which
venous child,—for a time the jealousy of nations, but
we were strangers. Actors, with a natural capability
now superior to envy,—enforcing the admiration of
,for expressing emotion, and who have made grace
all by the manifest transcendency of her achievements
and fitness of gesture and expression the study of
for the universal good, she stands upon the very point
a lifetime, have not been able to do what we have seen
of power and enterprise, at the very mid line be-
illiterate boys do. Nothing in sculpture surpasses the
beauty of their attitudes, nothing in features irradiated tween land and ocean, old and new, the things that
by the habitual emotions of a noble and cultivated have been, and the things men hope for. On a sacred
nature, is more exquisite than the expression which we soil, open to every friend, inviolable by any foe, at
once a f
have seen light up their features, when the organs of ortress and a refuge, she maintains a terrible
et racious state. Here she guards a neutrality
the higher moral faculties have beny excited. They g
speak, and their stumbling grammar, halting sense, amid petty dissensions, a liberty for great designs.
Safe on her charmed rock, she despises the threats or
and vulgar dialect become fluent and forcible lan-
guage, delivered in the tones and with the manner intrigues of nations, and allies herself with the
of a superior class. How comes it, if all this be wondrous powers of nature and the merciful dispen-
acting, that this marvellous faculty is not turned to sations of Providence,—faithful to tread the waters at
account, when it would be the certain source of the heavenly call. And who can mistake her errand?
wealth ? People who ask us to believe it to be acting What has the Ocean Queen before her but to pacify
forget that they are taxing our credulity quite as much .
universal sea and land, to conciliate divided realms,
as Mr. Hall. ' and lead all men to their own best interests ? It is
" Much more will require to be known and esta- hers to draw from every coast its own contributions to
blished in regard to Mesmerism in all its branches, the general weal, to elicit the virtues of nature and
before its uses, both as regards mental and physical the virtues of men, to make the wilderness smile with
science, can be ascertained. But in the meantime, abundance,and savage men with gratitude. It is hers
t
enough has been established in our opinion to entitle to people every shore with the friends of human kind,
it to the thoughtful and patient scrutiny of all lovers an d teach them to pile at every port, and interchange
with every fellow-man, the manifold gifts of Heaven.
of truth." For every message of love, for the communication of
every blessing, she is singularly provided, and sin-
gularly ready. Who can foretell the end of such a
destiny ? It is evident that we only see the be"in-
ning. Hence the solemn import of yesterday's in-
auguration.
CHRONICLE.— The magnificent scene pre-
sented by the metropolis yesterday, claims more at-
tention and suggests more matter for refl ction than
courtly or civic celebrations usually do. The peace-
ful and decorous assemblage of such vast multitudes,
preserving order, as it seemed, from a kind of in-
stinct, and giving way to no excitement but that of
enthusiastic gratulation towards a beloved Sovereign,
was a spectacle which might well excite wonder and
admiration in a stranger; but it was one by no means
new in the reign of Queen Victoria. Her Majesty is
familiar with the sight of congregated masses. The
imposing aspect of a collected people, and the shout
of loyal welcome bursting from the lips and the hearts
of all, have met her eye and ear too often to excite in
her own or in any other mind emotions not experi-
enced before, The solemnities of yesterday, grand,