The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-10-18 00:00:00

TAEATRE ROYAL.

On Friday and last evenings, Bishop's English version Qt
Bellici's opera " La Sonnambula" has been brought out,
Friday evening was chosen by Mr. Wood as his benefit night,
and the house was excessively crowded by a most fashionable
audience. Mrs. Wood was in excellent voice, and exerted her-
self greatly as Amine, frequently drawing down rapturous
plaudits Mr. Wood also sung one or two solos with much
sweetness; and his acting in this piece as Elvin°, is more natu-
ral than in many parts winch we have seen him personate.-
There is generally a want of finish and rawness about his act-
ing, (a fault too general amongst singing actors) which is ob-
trusive, and detracts from the interest of the piece by drawing
attention, and not a pleased attention. We have particularly
noticed Mr. Wood's monotonous high-pitched delivery. Mrs.
Wood has infinitely improved in acting during the last few
years, and now deserves to rank high as an actress, not taking
into account her unrivalled vocal talents. As the Somnambu-
list she strongly awakens the interest of the audience, on cross-
ing the flail bridge over the water wheel, a complete thrill per-
vaded the house, which was exciting almost to a painful degree.
Throughout she played with much energy, spirit, and truth to
nature, prepossessing her hearers in her favour, and charming
them with her unrivalled singing. 'The manager deserves cre
dit for the manner in which this piece has been got up; the ap-
pointments are excellent. The house last evening was full.
The romantic and beautiful drama called " Lucille," was re-
vived for the afterpiece, in which Mr. Stuart again, as he has so
often before, distinguished himself as St. Cyr.

THE SCHOOLMASTER AT HOME

SECON D LESSON.

" The schoolmaster is too often abroad' when he should be •at
home.' "

"M-The origin of evil is, first, the supposition that the in-
dividual by his'free will or choice, creates his convictions and
feelings. Second, that the individual deserves praise and -reward
for some Convictions and feelings ; and blame and punishment
for other convictions and feelings. Third, that the individual
by his Free will forms himself to be what he is, and, therefore,
that it is wise and just to make him responsible for his con vic-
.

tions, and feelings, and conduct.
" N—N ow, facts demonstrate that our convictions and feelings
are not acts of the will, but instincts of human nature, which
the individual is compelled to receive and experience; that the
physical, intellectual, and moral character of every individual
is formed for hint and never by him; that it is unwise, unjust,
immoral, and irrational, to make the individaal responsible
either for his convictions, feelings, or conduct—because by so
doing you compel him to become a hypocrite, to be uncharitable,
unkind, immoral, and irrational."

If aught may be termed the origin of evil, the above sentences
may surely be so, though not to those who are already scathed
by the fiery ordeal through which the temptations of this world
cause us to pass, for they must see their fallacy; but to the young
and unwary, just about to enter upon the limbs of passion and
folly, what evil might they not bring ? For a moment I will
address parents, and ask what does the individual deserve who
would teach their children, that if an evil passion or forbidden
hope lie working in their hearts, it is right to give free course to
it—to let it work its way without compunction, without fear,
for it came there " by nature," and cannot be helped—or that it
is impossible to be subdued, and is of little matter as they are
not responsible ? How harrowing—how abominable is such a
doctrine ! If we might believe in it, where would be our
glory in subduing evil, or the sweet conviction that it worked
within us, but that we 'might becUme the conquerors, which
feelings amount to a foretaste of Heaven. There surely cannot
be a wretch so vile as not on some occasion to have risen superior
to his own heart : and be the heart of Robert Owen ever so pule
—there must have been moments of temptation to sin ; or, if not,
he is not fitted to be the monitor of thousands, amongst whom,
perforce, will be found the vicious and the vile. It is indeed to
be hoped that his own mind has so little knowledge of sin as to
. .

reader it unconscious of the necessity of subduing it ; for if it be
not, and he is pandering to the wickedness of his fellow men, he
is more to be pitied than the wretch who begs his miserable
pittance from door to door. But, my dear friends. remember
the temptation•of our Saviour on the Mount, and reflect that,
whatever evil is offered to our hearts, (no matter if it be ever so
brilliantly baloed with excitements to our passions,) God giveth
us at that moment of trial the power to escape, and if we do
not, it will be written against us in the scroll of Him who formed
us.

" o—That the physical, intellectual, and moral character of
each individual is formed for him, in the first part, by the Power
which has created human nature; and in the second part, by
society ' or the external circumstances in which the individual is
placed from birth."
The above is no less dangerous in its intent, but somewhat
inferior in its power over either mind or heart, bearing, as it
does, such falsehood on its front; for if we were created moral

or immoral by that Power which, created human nature, how
could the wicked man turn from' the evil which he bath followed
and become a blessing to himself and others, which, we may
thank that " Power," is frequently the case. To bring an in-
instance, from the many, daily occurring in this town and others,
we will say, if a man were really and truly created a drunkard,
of what avail would be the temperance lectures of Mr. Finch ?
Yet that he succeeds in turning many from that evil is certain ,•
but, according to the doctrine of Mr. Owen, if an individual
felt a desire to constant intoxication, it would be folly to strive
against it, the propensity being implanted by " nature" in his
heart; or, that having subdued it, he must become a hypocrite!
Does Mr. Owen then mean to say that they who pretend to be
reformed drunkards wear only the cloke of deception ?
" P—That, with this knowledge, society possesses the power
to insure any one of many thousand characters for each lull
organized child that comes into existence."
What a palpable contradiction is the above sentence to that
preceded by the letter 0. In the latter he tells us that each
individual is formed good or bad by nature, and in the former
we read that a parent may form the character of a child to any
model. That the latter, may be partly true none will deny, as
with the assistance of God a great difference may be made in the
after dispositions of their children; but if Mr. Owen's previous
doctrine of good and evil being formed by nature is true, what
he above states must be as certainly untrue.
" Q—That this knowledge, rightly applied, will enable and
induce society to adopt efficient measures to insure a useful and
superior character for all children.
" it —That this knowledge, rightly applied, wilt form a new
character for the human race, such as no one has yet seen."
That the reasoning is false which tells us the human heart is
to be rendered faultless by the power of human aid only, needs
scarcely be stated; neither will any deny that if such knowledge
could be obtained, "a new character would be formed, such as
no one has yet seen," but which exists only in the disturbed
brain of Robert Owen.
"S
—That this new created character, t h rough this knowledge,
must receive convictions, which will &impel it to have charity,
without exception, for the whole family of man ; to have kind
feelings for them, and to have its highest gratification in pro-
moting their improvement and happiness."
That Mr. Owen may wish to improve his fellow man I will
not deny, but that it is to be done by the means he wishes to
adopt is evidently impossible, for his every sentence would ren-
der the vicious but still more baneful, by inducing a belief that
the Power which created, and they who superintend his first
dawuings of intellect, are alone to blame ; while from the heart
of the morally good he would shut out religion, thereby render-
ing it void of that which would have made it the home of peace
and blessed hope.
"'T
—'That this new created character, through this know-
ledge, will be formed to he efficient fur all the objects which
society, composed of such characters, will require, and to insure
its own happiness.
" u—That this new created character will be made to expe-
rience the greatest pleasure in performing its duty to society ;
or in producing more for society than it will desire to take from
society: that thus the wealth of the world may be always upon
the increase."
Had Mr. Owen rendered the above sentences, " this new
created character" would be, instead of "will be," it might have
been passed without comment, as assuredly a character so formed
as he pretends in the former sentence might and would be all
this; but to say that it will be, is an assertion of too touch as-
sumption, and proves, according tohis own doctrine, that his mind
was not altogether properly tended in its growth. Ido not mean
to say it is so, for I respect the powers of mind which Mr. Owen
possesses, but only according to his own superficial reasoning
in these sentences; for that they are his own there is no doubt-
ing, and at any rate he becomes responsible for their tenets by
their distribution in his own person, disingenuous as they are.
" V—That this new created character willkuow, that by union
men may accomplish many thousand times more for their happi-
ness than can be effected by divided and opposing efforts.
" NV—That this new created character will be enabled,
through its charitable and kind feelings, to unite with all those
trained to acquire the same knowledge of human nature and of
society.
" X—That this new created character will perceive the ne-
cessity for improving all human external circumstances, and
know how to improve them."
It requires not " a new created character" to know that union
is strength. Probably Mr. Owen is so exclusively read in his
own " Social Bible" that he knows little of the Bible of God, or
he might know .that nothing is more firmly inculcated in its
pages than the beauty of perfect union, from which must neces-
sarily spring, mutual confidence, love, with the absence Of strife,.
and every other distracting influence. For the remaindero
the above sentences, it only needs us to look back a few centu-
riesta and see the improvement made in all external circuinn-sn,ei
ces, to feel convinced that it requires nothing particularly
in the human mind to continue such beneficial progress.
" Y—That as man ever has been, now is, and ever must
he
the creature of the circumstances by which he is surrounded,thrs
new created character will be formed to take especial carethat
noou vicious,e
vidiunafle r; iaonr,dotrhduesg;aildl ituhge
inferia circumstancerctrcin shall
nstautta
created
rout
i
theby tphhey.ssui e
na
atid ndividumals
au
rgah, ought
et or
which
iv:ha
optonne'sri ble fopowersr
and beings have compelled them tohae,be foreveroti
ly whi abandoned,havech
a
and will be replaced by those circumstances
superior influence upon every child of nav n. h
" Z—But above,all things remember these three great truths.
"Ist. That our convictions and feelings are instincts of human
nature, and not acts of the will.
" 2d. That the whole character of every individual is formed
for and not by him.
" 3d. That the creating Vowel• of the universe and society
forms this character; that it is, however, chiefly formed by the
inferior or superior—the vicious or virtuous circumstances which
society prepares for the indidtial froni its birth.
" Remember these three great truths, because, whenever they
shall be fully understood and wisely applied to practice, all men
will be compelled to become charitable, kind, intelligent, healthy,
and happy."
To cenunent uprin these latter sentences would be but to re-
peat what has fieen already said, as they are but a summary of
the whole, and bear their contradictions, palpable to the mean-
est capacity. In conclusion, I must remark that it is not Ripon
the moral mipd which these doctrines of Mr. Owen can take
effect, to do any material injury, though even such a one may
for a moment hesitate by their sophistry; but on the hearts of
those krone to work their own will, and possessing passionate
desires and longings after that which is forbidden by the dictates
of prudefice or virtue, how blasting may be their influence ?
That out of those to whom lie delivered those papers on Friday
night lie may not find one proselyte is the greatest good I can
wish both him and them—and roost sincerely I do so, not
bheaavrininggahniym no
orsonal knowledge of Mr. Owen, and therefore
personal enmity. E. A. C.
To.ttetli Park, Octdber, 1836.

THEATRICALS.—The Keeleys have appeared at the Park
theatre, New York, and appear to have Made -a
hit. The Star
s".YB,—" A more successful debit was never made in this coun-
try than by then, in the Loan of a Lover and My Master's Ri-
val. Keeley's comic little figure, about as large as Sir Geoffrey
Hudson's was enough of itself to keep the house in a constant
roar. Mrs. Keeley is an excellent singer, and in the Loanof a
Lover, her naivete charmed every body.
The same journal, speaking of the play of Lucille, says,—
"The inimitable acting of Mrs. Keeley, certainly unsurpassed
by any thing we have seen in this counttY, gave great interest
to the whole performance. She is a neat little figure, Certainly
not handsome, but with a face of wonderful expression, in which
all (lie passions are powerfully displayed, and vrhe'd lighted up
with a smile, is full of sweetness and intelligence; She is also
a very agreeable singer."