The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-11 00:00:00

COMPARATIVE STATE OF MORALS IN ENGLAND

AND IRELAND.

(From the Dublin Record.)

There can be no doubt but that an accurate acquaintance
with the state ofanorals in England and Ireland would enable
us to foim a due estimate of the comparative merits of the
opposite religious systems under which the two countries
live. The principle will ever hold good which is so frequent-
ly urged upon us in scripture". By their fruits ye shall know
them.'' Let it, however, be kept in mind that that is not
decisive which is obvious. The newspapers and other perio-
dical works afford us very insufficient data to go upon. Pri-
vate virtue, social and domestic worth, are not objects of no-
toriety. They rarely come before us in the prints. The
same observation holds good in some sort with respect to the
less glaring vices. It is crime alone which fixes public atten-
tion on the one hand and illustrious actions on the other.
We repeat that that which comes before the public through
the press. affords a very insufficient mean to enable us to de-
cide upon the question of the respective moral excellence of
nations or great communities The prints, as aforesaid.
scarce give us any thing else to judge by but the more fla-

grant crimes.
Now, there is again something to be found in the nature of
the opposing principles, calculated additionally to render the
judgment derived from publications a mere fallacious one.
The protestant system is a system of Light. It brings every
thing to the light. It tests the value of every thing by the
light. It looks for the effectuation of great good through the
operation of the light. It does not favour concealment. It
never throws its slieild over the guilty individual under the
notion that the notion that the notoriety of his crime might

induce men to become hostile to the principles which he held
or professed to hold. It never apprehends an injury to pro-
testantism from the flag►ant offence of a protestant, and
therefore it never dreams of sheltering the individual for
the sake of the system. On the contrary; its hope is, by
sacrificing the guilty individual at the shrine of public
opinion, thus to make him a warning to others and to
render his criminality subservient to the general good.
In fact, whatever is criminal in England, is poured into the
public ear, and becomes matter of extensive notoriety. On
the contrary, in Ireland there is a private tritninal, to which
all the vicious have access. They are never so likely to seek
it, as when the breast is torn with the pangs of remorse—
agitated by a guilty conscience, and by the fear of exposure.
The feeling created in the mind of the guilty by the existence
of this tribunal must be one of a strong inclination to have
recourse to it in their guilt, under the notion that thus in
many ways secrecy may be secured, and the annoyance of a
public exposure avoided. By having recourse to the confes-
sional, an influential friend is made sure of, and the cause
of the penitent is made something like the cause of the church.
The feeling of the priest will be against the scandal that
would arise from publicity. He will naturally be disposed to
desire that the fair fame of his church should not be tarnished
with the foul reputation of its erring child. Hence there is
a very great reason fo suppose that we never heaeof those of-
fences of a Roman Catholic country which are made to shock
the ear in the records of a Protestant mane. There is another

circumstance which also should be taken into account. Pro-
testantism gives no countenance
.to one class of sins more
than to another. There are no sins which it considers venial,
and therefore there are no vices which become in a manner
popular, and which will attain at length to such a degree of
prevalence, that they will become in some sort the fashion.
Such may be the case with intemperance, profane swearing,
Sabbath-breaking, rioting and revelry in general. There is,
comparatively speaking, a happy absence of these vices in
England; sobriety, gravity, sincerity are the national cha-
racteristics. Now, the prevalence of even lesser vices is ut-
terly inconsistent with the prosperity of the people amongst
whom they abound. A severe practice of virtue on the pact
of communities is essential to their progress in art, science,
and civilization. Those that are vicious, or the slaves of popu-
lar sins, will want that spring of action that is essential to
raise to eminence. They that are not elevated in point of
moral character, cannot become in the nature of things, dis-
tinguished with respect to mental attainments, or those which
are akin to them.

HE PRESS-RELIGIOUS PERIODICALS AND

FRASER'S MAGAZINE

(From the Dublin Statesman and Record.)
There is an article in Fraser for this month which it may
be supposed we are under some very cogent obligation to
make mention of, seeing that our paper is noticed in it in so
very flattering a manner. It does so happen, however, that
we are under no obligation save that which the courtesy of
literary interchange, or the intrinsic value of the article it-
self might create. We are wholly unacquainted with the
author, aad we must take leave therefore to inform an even-
ing contemporary (the Packet) that he was under a mistake
in supposing or insinuating that there was any private un-
derstanding whatever between the parties. As several other
journals as well as our own have been descanted upon in the

paper in question, we feel quite at liberty in speaking of it.
We say then that the article is a very able one, and laying
aside what has been said of ourselves, a very just and useful
one. Its commendations of our contemporaries the Watch-
man, Scottish Guardian, and other journals, so far as we are
acquainted with them, are, we believe, welt merited, and its
criticisms otherwise fair; but that which we look upon as
infinitely more important, is, that we have here so interesting,
so lively, so talented, and so politically sound a periodical as
Fraser's Magazine bearing testimony to the vast political
value of those principle's which we have so long contended
for. We have it amongst others, in the following just and

beautiful passage
" But it must also be conceded, that other (journals), placed
on sacred principles, and conducted with consistency and
vigour, are at this moment leavening the population with the
elements of sound political views. In fact, Christianity, ac-
cording to our constitution, must be the basis of all politics,
if these are to have stamina and worth. Its great truths
must communicate their colouring to all the crystallization
of social existance ; and the man or the periodical, that
strikes into the national mind an inspired truth, as a nucleus
around which personal and social consistency margather,
confers a benefit greater, than if he had endowed an hospital,
or gained a battle. The 'cement of our English constitution
is, in the main Protestantism ; and those writers who teach
•

this are surrounding it with hulWarks better than armies
There is another passage which proves that the subject has
engaged the serious attention of the writer. It is this :
" In winding up our observations we must make a very
important remark—a remark that demands the serious notice
of the M inisterialists and Radicals of the country it is this—
RELIGION IS ONI THE SIDE of CoN-SEEVATISM. With the
exception of one solitary DISSENTING paper,. the Patriot-
and, it may be, another hole-and-corner print—the religious
newspapers of the country are the open and uncompromising
advocates of Conservative principles. This is a most striking
and impressive consideration. It is the habit, generally,. of
Conservative statesmen, to base their views on the funda-
mental and glorious principles of the English constitution—
to advocate certain measures, because they are calculated to
lead to certain valuable results—and to resist the encroach-
ments of the fierce democracy, on the strong grounds of an
enlightened philosophy and ripe experience; and these are
tribunals never to be lost sight of in the adjudication of poli-
tical measures. But it certainly must strengthen the hands
of the powerful opposition, that now covets the assaulted
liberties and menaced institutions of their native hind, to be
assured that signal piety, as well as great talent, is enlisted on
their side; that the faith of millions, as well as the pi escrip-
tio»: of the Magna Chart; sustain and.side with them; that
the prayers of Christian men, as well as the resources of gifted
minds, are lifted up in averting the catastrophes, that are
knowingly courted, or in ignorance hurried on, by reckless
and unprincipled statesmen."
This is a large amount of concession from a literary periodi.:
cal, though obviously short of the great principle which we
hold to be inseparable from Christian statesmauship. It is
the "almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian;" but not
the "altogether." Now why should this be so? Why
should the writer of this article, wbo we are persuaded is a
Christian, prefer "our enlightened philosophy and ripe ex-
perience" as grounds to rule upOn, rather than the princi-
ples of the Bible, and the direct and express commands of
God? Here is. iu fact, the difference, perhaps the only, but
certainly an important difference between a merely Conser-
vative, and what the world calls a Religious Periodical. It
is, in fact, the weak point of our Conservative statesmen—
would that it may not be more ! for is it not being "ashamed'
of our Lord and his word? And does not every Protestant
know what the consequence of such shame will be? The
writer in Fraser rejoices that Christian principle and Chris-
tian piety are, inter alia, on the side of the Conserve ye
opposition : we look upon this as something too, but as
something very far short of the mark—as something which
will not do, till these alone be taken and put forward as the
basis of their policy. This is what we want—this is what a
religious press will demand—and this is what we hope be-
fore long, every Conservative and Protestant journal in the
kingdom will look for.
Fraser remarks that that there is no religious press on the:
side of radicalism. Of course there is not; radicalism is not
to be found in Scripture; how then could it be assisted by a
scripturally-founded press? The voluntaries strive to keep
religion from the state. When they come abroad: into the
world, they leave their religion at home, like Dr. Pye Smith,
when he went to vote for the infideltHurne at the Middlesex
election. Religion, in short, would be the ruin of radicalism,
and radicals very wisely keep clear of it. It is not so with
Popery. It has a press—a press that talks incessantly of
principle—a press that works out the principle of Popety,
and demands a concession to the4rights of conscience, or
rather to the pretended cravings. of an erroneous Popish
conscience, that everything Christian in the land should be
cast down, in order that free scope should be given to the
abomination which maketh desolate—to Popery, and the
chariot-wheels of its idols. There i 3 just as much religion
in any journal which supports Popery,.as there is in Popery
itself; and thus in one sense of the term, every pro-Popery
paper is a sort of religious periodical on the side of Popery.
In this respect every journal which is not for us—which is
not for Protestantism in Church and State, is unquestionably
against us, and a supporter of Popery. This is aiviroportant
consideration, and one that ought to stimulate every Pro-
testant and conservative periodical to give our cause not a
sort of half support, founded on the principles merely of an
" enlightened philosophy and ripe experience," but an entire
and full support founded on the Word of God and the Gospel
of Christ. But the leaven is working. We copy a good
article to-day from the Times, on the National Education
Society for England, and on infidel periodicals and teachers,
which shows a great improvement in the tone of that journal.
We are happy to say that this is only one of several which
we have lately noticed in it of the same decided and Christian
tendency. Let this plain, uncompromising way of speaking
be taken tip and universally adopted by, the Protestant press.
Let no quarter be given to either Infidelity or Popery, and
we shall soon, see an end to the O'Connell domination—to
say the least.

ALL IN THE FAMILY.—A few miles from Derby, and but a
short time ago, two brothers of a respectable family married
two sisters; a third brother, feelint, disappointed that there
was not another sister, determined not to marry out of the
family, and took the mother to wife.—Derby Reporter.
o

RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—On Saturday last, as a party of
labourers on the new line of railway to Preston, were engaged
in removing some sleepers, by means of a crane, the carriage
on which it was gave way, and a large stone, about seven
hundred weight, being suspended to the crane, caused the
handles to turn round at a very rapid rate, one of which
struck a man named J aims Flynn on the head, and fractured
his skull so severely that he died on Monday morning. The
men who had hold of the crane at the time were obliged to
let go their hold in order to save their lives. An inquest was
held on the deceased the same evenirw, at the Saracen's
Head, and a verdict of" accidental death" returned.—lVigan
Gazette.

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT AT THE DEAF AND DUMB
INSTITUTION, MANCHESTER.—On Thursday last, a young
gill named Maria Brunt, an inmate of the above institntion,
came by her death under the following circumstances :—.She
waS-arnifSinfeherself about eight o'clock in the morning, just
after the school had broken up for breakfast, by swinging on
the rail of the stairs; and having overbalanced herself, she
fell over and rolled to the bottom, her head striking the stairs
in her descent. Two little girls who were descending anot her
flight of stairs saw the accident, and immediately ran and
gave the alarm to one of the female assistants, who, on pro-
ceeding to the spot, found her lying on her face, and quite
speechless. She was conveyed into the adjoining room, and
Mr. Turner, surgeon to the establishment, was sent for, who
afforded all the aid in his power, but without effect. She
lingered in a state of insensibility until half-past one in the
afternoon, when death put an end to her sufferings. An
inquest was held on the body the same day, before W. S.
Rutter, Esq., coroner, when the two little deaf arid dumb
girls, who had seen her fall, were examined, Mr. Bingham,
the master of the school, acting as interpreter, when the
above facts were elicited. The deceased was a very interest-
ing girl, about fourteen years of age, and was a native of
Macclesfield. She had only been about six weeks in the
institution.—Manchester Guardian.