The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-28 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE Three o'Clock.

It is delightful to turn from the angry war of
political parties that too generally pervades the
Parisian journals, to the genereus, the eloquent,
and the harmonising discourses delivered by the
great men of France in their halls of science and
literature. On occasions like these, to their
great honour, they forget all party- strife; all
national antipathies; and, in general, do justice
to the discoveries and social improvements of
other States. There are, it is true, exceptions,
but fortunately rare, fbr their great object seems
to be the advancement of intelligence, the union
of men of science and genius in every
part of the earth, and the diffusion of
those blessings which are conferred on mankind
by the arts of peace. We have been
led to these remarks by a brief account of the
proceedings which took place in the Academy
of Macon, on the 12th inst., when M. LAMAR-
TINE delivered an address distinguished for its
surpassing eloquence,liberal views of the present
state of society, and a glowing description of the
vast changes which have taken place within a
fewyears, and arestill in active progress, through
every part of the habitable globe. A brother
philosopher, we believe the son of the historian
LACRATELLE, had denounced the effects of mo-
d em discoVeries, and among others the invention
cf steam power, railroads, and machinery, and
contended that mankind would be much more
happy, if all these were swept from the earth,.
and the population of different countries were,
brought back to the, simplicity, and, conse-
quently, ignorance of the primitive inhabitants
in,bygone ages: This strange argument roused
the indignation of the orator, and he broke fbrth
in a strain of fervid eloquence, adduced facts and
witnesses to refute the charges,' and shored that
even steam, one of the powers which had caused
such mischief, in the view of his antagonist,
was one of the greatest ~blessings ever
conferred on mankind. < Wbat," said be
" has steam done ? It has formed a new
geographical, political, morati: and commercial
world—it has brought the very ends of the earth
together—it is blending different languages, dif-
ferent races, and different religions, and giving
to the whole human race a power and a unity
which can be seen and known only by the
GREAT CREATOR." Never were words of
greater truth uttered, and seldom ever with
such effect. By means of the steam-engine
nations, formerly as much separated as if
they lived in another world, have been
brought into contact, mutual wants are sup-
plied, commerce is increased ito an unknown
extent, prejudices and antipathies are effaced;
and even the very bigotry of religion assumes a
less forbidding aspect. The speech, however,
not more remarkable for its eloquence and sound
views, than for the humanity and Christian cha-
rity displayed throughout. Whilst the speaker
describes the wealth raised by these great dis 4.
coveries, and the additional employment created
for the working classes, he. denounces the cruelty
of those who enrich themselves at the expense
of the poor, and then leave them to pass their
old age in want and suffering. We recommend
the entire speech to the attention of our readers,
who will join in conferring their tribute of praise,
and honour on a foreigner so well entitled to the
approbation of the wise and good.

ArchdeaCon WILBERFORCE has recently issued
an Address to the laity of the East Riding of
Yorkshire, which is nu otherwise worthy of

notice than as it embodies a High Churchman's
views of a sound national education. The Rev.
Gentleman, as might be expected from his cloth,
is exclusively in favour of a system of religious
instruction , which he seems to think is a panacea
for all present and future evils, and which he
designates as " the fulcrum that must move the
whole community." Certainly the great truths
of Christianity cannot be too generally diffused
among the people, or too forcibly pressed on
their attention; but we apprehend that this is
not exactly what the Archdeacon means. We
suspect that, in accordance with the tenets of
Puseyism, he has an eye to the temporal as Ivell
as spiritual ascendancy of his Church; and when
he talks of " religious instruction," means
nothing more. than that the
peoWe should be
brought up in a spirit of unqualified subordina-
tion to the Establishment ; that they should be
taught: to regard Dissent—in whatever form' it
may show itself—as an evil to be eschewed by
all good men; and should accept, without consi-
deration; and with unfeigned thankfulness, what-
ever doctrines their spiritual pastors may be
pleased to propound to them. In a word, we
fear that the " religious instruction" which the
Archdeacon so strenuously advocates, involres
a scheme for perpetuating priestcraft ; and
as such, it is infinitely more likely to be
injurious than beneficial to the community.
We are confirmed in this suspicion by the
circumstance that, throughout his address, the
Rev. Gentleman takes every opportunity of
sneering at '' reading and writing," just as
though he felt that the progress of knowledge
must of necessity be detriment* to the in-
terests of priestcraft. That the is more
reading and writing,'? :;says, Hi• than for-
ttillentOlitgeducation ;
merly,l admit, and Moe'
but'P --;greatly doubt svhetk4y,o eiVide ring all
the opportunities we ltosscYs
.crmv. Yer was a
time. in Which were to Le - tonna more per-
01s, in the
,true sense of-OW-MOW,: unedu-
' tweed than at present." The utter
,fallacy of this
remark is proved by recent remarkable events.
To what, but to the progress of knowledge among
them, and its consequent softening effect on
their minds, arc to be attributed the forbearance
and moderation so generally shown by the
starving operatives, during the late turn-out