The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-04-04 00:00:00

161011110N1531 A.ND ITS R.P.SULTS.

Such is Mormonism —" of the earth earthy," a religion
of sensuality and blasphemy. Its steps "go down to
death ; its feet take hold on hell." The rapid spread of
such a plague among our agricultural and commercial
population is a portentous occurrence. In this country
there has been, there will be, no persecution ; but the
surprising growth of the system shows that it is as unsafe
to ignore, as it would be unwise to persecute it. Let us,
depending upon God, use all the weapons that reason and
religion allow, to effect its suppression.

An able and interesting, although somewhat
abstruse article on " Meteorology" follows, in which 1
many singular facts are adduced in illustration of
the writer's views on various atmospheric phe-
nomena. " Recent Discoveries in Palestine
affoxd ample scope for a paper in which topo-
graphical information is blended with ingenious
speculation. The junction of the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans is another subject in which specu-
lation is aided by practical knowledge, and both
are happily combined in elucidating the relative
merits of the several schemes for effecting that
object which, are now before the public. This is
succeeded by an able essay on " Modern Poetry :
its Genius and Tendencies," in which the writer,
viewing the subject from an elevated position,
examines and dispels many of the gross fallacies
by which small men of the present day are made
to look like giants, by men much smaller than
themselves. The paper is ostensibly,founded on a
review of the poems of Alexander Smith—a noto-
riety of recent and, we fear, of fungous growth.
The question of the poetical mission is examined
by the reviewer with candour and discrimination ;
and he proves, what there was hardly room to doubt,
that a mistake in estimating that mission may
lead to consequences disastrous to the literature
and civilization of our age. Imbued with this con-
viction, he proceeds with seriousness, more, we
think, than the occasion called for, to show that
Mr. Smith's eulogists—they can scarcely, we fear,
be called his friends—have attempted to deify a
very ordinary son of earth. Speaking of" Walter,"
the hero of Mr. Smith's Life Drama—in which
there is great reason to believe the poet typifies
himself—the reviewer says of Mr. Smith and his
congeners—

Their heroes have not the prestige of acknowledged
genius; they have no grand associations to call up, nor
any fadeless laurels to display upon their brows. Of
course, then, they must approve their claims to the
character in the work where they appear, which must at
once establish the author and the hero. * * * But
we almost despair of conveying to the reader any adequate
idea of the great efforts, and greater sacrifices, they make
in order to obtain the character and praise of genius. It
is clear that they design to give us the quintessence of the
genuine article. Nothing that for a moment can be taken,
by those who hear it read, for simple prose, or recognised as
the thought and language of daily life, is suffered upon
their pages for a moment. It is one unmitigated stream
of genius—we suppose—that scorns all rule, as any river
of spirit will overflow its bounds.

The painful truth of the above remarks is unde-
niable. In ancient days the fabulist told us of
some miserable frogs who puffed and swelled
themselves until they burst in ridiculous efforts to
look as big as oxen. Such futile attempts at
expansion in our day are not left to the exertion's
of the ambitious reptile—his brother frogs assem-
ble round him, and with all their power of lungs
assist in the inflation. Of the efficiency of this
operation we had recent testimony in the case of
the young gentleman whose effusions have been
the theme of the reviewer's animadversions.
Having recently been entertained at some convivial
festivities, the encomiastic flow of his elated
friends induced the poet to shadow forth a time
when his health might be toasted not less fre-
quently than that of our beloved Sovereign ! Alas,
alas ! how intoxicating are the fumes of adulation !

Our Friend. A Monthly Miscellany designed for
all classes. London : J. F. Shaw.

We have now before us the three first numbers
of this periodical. It is obviously intended to aid
the movement for the suppression of intemperance ;
and furnishes to the reader a fund of miscellaneous
matter. -

Vital Statistics. By R. Thompson Joppling.

London : King.
This is the first part of a work devoted to the
means of computing a rate of mortality among
persons affected with various diseases. The author
goes into his subject in a methodical manner, and
displays no small amount of ingenuity in his
research.

PROVINCIAL "PUNK."—The Czar has "mustered" a
hundred thousand men.—Preston Gazette. The Sultan
will "pepper" them.—Berunek Guardian. And Eng-
land and France will " assault" them.—Worcester Times.

ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

PREFERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS.

Rer. A. T. Armstrong', M.A., to the Perpetual Curacy of
Ashton-on-Ribble. _ _

Rev. H. Beckwith, M.A., to the Rectory of St. Mary,
Bishop-hill, York.
Rev. W. D. I'. Belcher, 31. A., Vicar of Denford and King-
stead, to be Chaplain to the High Sheriff of Leicestershire.
Rev. W. H. Beevor, 8.A., Fellow of 'Jesus College, Oxford,
and Head Master of Cowbridge School, to the Vicarage of St.
Hilary.
Rev. T. W. D. Brooks, to the Curacy of Marston St. Law-
rence. cum Warkworth, North Hants.
Rev. F. Caudwell, to'tbe Curacy of St. Stephen's, Devonport.
Rev. J. Colborne, ILA., to the Incumbency of Holy Trinity
Church. Painswick, or Slad, near Stroud.
Rev. J. Darnell, M.A. to be Second Master of Archbishop
Tenison's Grammar School. St. Martin's in-the-Fields.

Rev. G. W. De Lisle, 8.A., to an Under-Mastership in
Marlborough College.
Rev. H. W. Egan, 8.A., late Curate of St. Andrew's Church,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, to be one of the Chaplains to her Ma-
jesty's forces in the East.
Rev. F. Elmer, to the Curacy of Doncaster.
Rev. J. B. Harrison, M.A., Incumbent of Walmer, to be
Chaplain to the High Sheriff of Kent.
Rev. W. Hey, M.A., Head Master of St. Peter's School,
York, to a Prebendal Stall in York Cathedral.
Rev. R. Hill, 8.A.; Vicar of Mansell Lacy, near Hereford,
to the Incumbency of the adjoining parish of Wormsley.
Rey. H. Deane Hilton. M.A., of St. John's College, Oxford,
to the Rectory of Orlingbury, Northamptonshire.
Rev. W. W. Johnston, M.A., to a Minor Canonry in Man-
chester Cathedral.

Rev. Mr. Lowe, to a Minor Canonry in Durham Cathedral.
Rev. J. S. Master, of Chorley, to an Honorary Canonry in
Manchester Cathedral.

Rev. H. Morgan, to the Rectory of St. Athan, Glamorgan-
shire.

Rev. G. Mockler, M.A., to be Chaplain to the troops pro-
ceeding to Malta.
Rev. F. D. Perkins, M.A., Vicar of Stoke, near Coventry, to
be a Surrogate.
Rev. J. Powell, BA., to the Curacy of St. Matthew's, Little
London, Leeds.
Rev. G. S. Robertson, to the Perpetual Curacy of Pitstone
(or Pightlesthot De), Bucks.
Rev. I'. Sikes, M.A., Vicar of Luton, to the Rural Deanery
of Dunstable. _ _

Rev. B. Simpson, M.A., Minor Canon of Durham, to the
Vicarage of Bossall, near York.
Rev. F. Stonehouse, M.A., to the Rectory of Honily, near
Warwick.

. - Ret•. F. Tripp, 8.A., to the Rectory of Trinity Church,
Wakefield.

Rev. W. H. White, NI.A., to the Vicarage of Kenton, Suffolk.
[We are requested to state that the Rev. A. Field's appoint-
ment to the Curacy of St. Saviour's, Leeds, announced in
our last, is incorrect.]