Star.
London, England, 1830-06-14 00:00:00

DR. CHALMERS AND MR. ROBERTSON.

About two weeks ago the editor of the Mechanics' Magazine au
Incidentally informed that in the course of a sermon recently
preached by 1)r. Chalmers, in the Caledonian church, that emi-
nent divine had taken occasion to stigmatize by name the magazine
as a work which hus for its object to cunupt the public mind by the
dissemination of atheistical and anarchical principles ! It seemed
to him so utterly incredible that Dr. Chalmers could not have said
anything so void of truth, that ho did not at first give much ere.
Bence to the report of his informant ; but having subsequently
;nude it his business to see several other respectable individuals who
heard Dr. Chalmers on the occasion alluded to, he was compelled
by their concurring testimony to come to the painful conclusion,
that Dr. C. had actually made use of the calumnious expressions
ascribed to him. He therefore instructed a friend (Mr. Leant.) to
sea an interview with Dr. C. and to represent to hen that in what
he had said he had been guilty of the greatest possible
injustice to the " Mechanics' Magazine" and its editor; that
io far from meriting the character of disseminating culpable
opinions in religion and politics, the " \lechanics' Maga.
,ine" has never, through the course of a long and prosperous
career meddled with either the one or the other ; that it is a work
entirely devoted to the diffusion of information on scientific and
mechanical subjects, and has pursued its peculiar course so free
from every taint of religious or political impurity, as to be honoured
with the approbation of some of the most responsible members of
his Majesty's government, and with the active support of menu dis-
tinguished as Dr. Chalmers himself for their advocacy of Christian
principles, and for a rational attachment to the existing institutions of
their country; that it was evident Dr. C. could not himself have
read the work which he denounced, but must have derived his no-
tions of it from the false representations of others ; and that, no
doubt was entertained that Dr. C. when made sensible of the
error into which he had been betrayed, would be anxious to make, in.
scantly, every reparation in his power. Mr. Evans did not succeed
in obtaining; a personal interview with Dr. Chalmers, but having
left for him, with a member of his family, a statement in writing
to the above effect, along with copies of the two last parts of the
Magazine, that the reverend gentleman might have an opportunity
if judging for himself of the real character of the publication, he
was next day favoured with the following letter. It will be seen
that though Dr. Chalmers did not, in truth, say that of the " Me.
chanics' Magazine" which has been ascribed to him, he made use of
the words Mechanics' Magazine" in a way which accounts very
naturally for the erroneous impression which has gone abroad on
the subject. It is scarcely possible indeed that any person who
heard Dr. Chalmers on the occasion in question could have come
away with a different impression ; and much we doubt, whether
even the strong disclamation which we have now the pleasure of
subjoining, will ever counteract all the injury which that natua
rally erroneous impression is calculated to produce.