The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-31 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

CORRESPONDENCE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR, —Notwithstanding our boasted civilization and
moral improvement, there are amongst us persons who,
it appears, bid defiance to the laws of morality, and scru-
ple not to practice the most daring profaneness with im-
punity—totally regardless of the requirements of religion.
For the last week there has been placarded about the
town a note announcing the arrival of " a young devil—
to be seen alive, &c. ;" and another bearing a nonsensical
device intended to represent the object which is thus so
injudiciously made the occasion of sport and presumption.
From whatever source this imprudence has emanated,
it deserves the severest reprehension, and is an error
which ought not to escape without observation. To those
persons who have their country's good and the welfare of
their fellow-creatures at heart, and who possess some
regard for their own conduct, it is disgraceful in the
extreme; and to those who are reckless of the future, and
who are ever on the alert to suck in what advantage they
can against our established religion, it will afford ample
reason for scorn and derision, it will, indeed, cause the
" enemies of God to blaspheme !"

I am no despiser of amusements so long as they tend
to recreate the mind without corrupting it; but when
serious subjects are construed into ridicule—vi hen the
limits of decency and good sense are over-reached--it is
time to withdraw from places of amusement where " sin
lieth at the door."—l am, sir, your obedient servant,

AN OBSERVER

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,
" And some are blessed with store of wit,
" Yet want much more to manage it."

SIR,—It is a notorious fact that the greatest scolds are
the most irritable, when only gently chided for their folly
or their inconsistencies : just so with the Mercury. From
its commencement to the present era abounding with spleen
and vituperation against all who doubted its prescience, or
refused to swallow its dogmas,—let any one dare to place
its merits and demerits in the scales. and the vials of its
wrath are instantly poured forth with the ireful volubility
of a petulant and spoiled schoolboy ! During a long ca-
reer, (and much too long without a proper check,) of more
than 32 years, this joarnal hath played the vicar of Bray
with admirable tact and ingenuity ;from the days of Henry
Hunt to those of Daniel O'Connell, the Liverpool Mer-
cury was, and is still, the same,—the pander to discon-
tent, irreligion, and disorganization, whatever fitful shape,
or form, or dangerous attitude such feverish symptoms in
the state might assume ; and, like the camelion Daniel,
bath displayed equal powers of self-preservation in the
hour of peril. However, more of this historical sketch
at a future period. I shall, in this letter. endeavour to
confine myself to its moral turpitude of Friday last.
In speaking of what he calls " the political movements
of the Church," he slyly strives to convince his readers
that his sole motive for continually attacking the esta-
blished clergy is for their politics alone. I will, briefly as
possible, analyse this futile position of the church's enemy.
He speaks of the " rancour breathing of some of her cler-
gymen against better men than themselves, who belong to
other Christian churches." In this tirade, it must be as-
sumed he means the public appeals made by the fai'hful
sons of the church against the spread of Popery and Uni-
tarianism, as exemplified by their union with sedition, the
ever-consequent follower in the wake of intolerance and
semi-infidelity. But, (for argument's sake, only, and
waiving religious disputation,) granting that the sons of
the church were so far acting erroneously,—whoever wit-
nessed the Mercury condemning, or impartially denounc-
ing, the wild and fierce and fanatical attacks of the Roman
Catholic priesthood upon the constitution and the church ?
None : their political " rancour breathing against better
men than themselves" was lauded as philanthropic ; as
" breathing" only for the welfare of the poor of Ireland !
No condemnation ever issued from the Mercury against
rent-gatherings, or repeal-gatherings of money by anathe-
ma, threats, or excommunicating terrors ! Oh no : all this
passed by without much notice, beyond continual side-
winded approvals of their dastardly course, put forth to
secure that " wide" circulation for his harlequin organ
which it so pre-eminently enjoys. Again, whoever read
in the Mercury, any comments on, or signs of disappro-
bation of, the immoral conduct of some dissenting clergy-
men I have "in my mind's eye ?" "Oh ! let them pass,
they are our political friends, advocates for civil and reli-
gious liberty," forsooth ! But, in direct contradiction of
the hardy assertion that they have " never maligned the
clergy, or attacked the church,—we have no disposition to
do so," what will an honest public think of the continual
attacks and sneers of the Mercury against that portion of
the established church to whom he has repeatedly applied
the " low" designation of " the Irish brigade?" Is not
this scurrillous and put forth to bring them into disrepute
and contempt? Most undoubtedly ;it is done for that
purpose. All the flowers of the wormwood and verjtice
vocabulary, in which the emissaries of the Mercury are
such admirable adepts, have been out in requisition to cry
down the efforts of that zealous and ever-active portion of
the church clergy, at the head of which stands the Rev.
H. M'Neile. None can contradict this position in the
present day.

Your space and the short time elapsing between the
publication of the two papers not permitting me to look
over a file of the Mercury, to which I have access, (at the
same time acknowledging my due sense of his civil offer,)
I shall this week be obliged to content myself with naming
I from memory a few of the established clergy whom the
Mercury has wantonly and unprovokedly attacked :-
1 Reverends J. Brooks, A. Campbell, Blacow, Carpenter,
Wray, F. Oulde, Tattershall, James, Tatlock, and Barker,
of this town ; the Rev. Mr. Moss, of Walton ; the Rev.
Mr. Baylee, of Birkenhead ' • the Rev. J. T. Horton, of
Ormskirk ; the Rev. Mr. Marsden, of Eccles; the Rev.
J. Pigot, of St. Helen's ; the Rev. Mr. Hay, of Man-
chester, the Rev. Mr. Powell, of Wigan; with numerous
others, as his file of papers will amply prove, and with
which proofs I will be faithfully prepared in vuur next.
How and why, and upon what provocation, these reverend
gentlemen came to be the objects of the Mercury's ani-
madversions—they having "no disposition to do so"—is
for that versatile paper to explain ; the more particularly
so as the weaknesses and discrepancies of the ministers of
" other churches" appear to have escaped his notice.
As regards being scurrilous with me, I shall only state,
that the Mercury has libelled me in the most coarse and
unfeeling manner, and that, too, from political spleen,
without any grounds or provocation whatever on my part ;
yet I heeded not when my friends pointed it out to me—
"'twas only the Mercury, and all things have a time."
As to any " gall at success," that is evidently with the
editor, at my having galled him in the withers so unwit-
tingly by awkward reminiscences ; and the insinuation
about my being " employed" by you, you can testify, is
totally false! It ill becomes the Mercury to mount upon
its stilts and exclaim arid complain against scurrility when
its columns are perpetually teeming with low personalities.
Yours, &c.,

HOURS OF BUSINESS

LYNX

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

Stit,—Public opinion having been successfully brought
into operation as regards the affording more relaxation
from business, and better means of cultivating and im-
proving the minds, in the case of the assistant shopkeep-
ers of the town, I wish to solicit your aid and advocacy
in promoting the cause of the solicitors' clerks, in their
endeavours to procure a general relaxation from the tedi-
um and monotony of their avocation, on Saturday after-
noon. It is a well known fact, that the bustle and alac-
rity generally requisite in most occupations, are materially
instrumental in preserving a buoyancy of spirits and a
healthy circulation of the blood; but the duties of solici-
tors' clerks are proverbially dull,—the memory and eyes
being in constant tension, to the manifest exhaustion of
the animal functions, and causing a lethargy directly oppo-
site to that cheerfulness so essential to health. Seden-
tary employment wearying the nerves and animal faculties
as much in one hour as active motion will in two hours.
If, in addition to these considerations, the solicitors of
this town reflect, that Saturday afternoon is not a time
wherein the law is in much request, tradesmen and others
being then held in abeyance to other necessary and urgent
duties and business, I am of opinion they will, at once,
concede the desired boon, and no longer withhold so sea-
sonable and proper a regulation, the more particularly so
when the fact of several respectable solicitors having al-
ready adopted this regulation is made known.

In the full hope that the publication of this letter will
have the desired effect, and thereby prevent the necessity
of convening a meeting upon the subject,

I am, yours truly,
PIIILO

Castle-street, 27th October, 1343.
[We should be extremely glad to find that our corre-
spondent's request were complied with. Solicitors offices
may as conveniently be closed during the period suggested
as bankers or brokers.]

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SlR,—Knowing you to be a fosterer of the fine arts, I
beg leave to call your attention to a picture of the Rev.
Hugh Stowell, of Manchester, by Mr. I'. C. Thompson.
By the courtesy of Mr. Thompson I had a private inspec-
tion of it, at his lodgings, 10, Maryland-street, and rarely
or never was more gratified by any production of modern
art. It is a beautiful picture. There is much ease in the
left arm; the bead is well set; the drapery of the robes
well done ; the countenance full of individuality ; the
painting itself warm, yet the colouring chaste.
It is also
an admirable portrait. Indeed, I must say it is the only
successful one I have seen of Mr. Stowell, although be
has sat for several.

I understand that Mr. Thompson's picture is for sale.
With its counterpart, Mr. M'Neile, it would admirably
suit the Protestant Association ; or some wealthy indi-
vidual, who, wishing to retain his society, could find him
in his dining-room or lobby—a thing not to be done with
the original, whose locomotive powers rarely suffer him to
be stationary for two days consecutively.

You will not set this down as an advertisement. You
know my hand, and that 1 have no further interest in the
matter than that I think it a shame such a picture is not
better known, and a greater one if known that it is not
bought. I have got a long string of living pictures, i❑
the shapes of little men and little women, or would cer.
tainly add it to my gallery of worthies, for the sake of the
picture and of the man. Why not (happy thought !)
submit it to the council, in the room of (hei mihi !) the
rejected Mr. Rathbooe ?
Always yours,
October 19, 1843

AMATEUR. I

THE DUKE OF SUSSEX'S CIGARS.—The weather has
set in cold. The cigar is a cheering companion. Should
any gentleman possess a benevolent heart and a box of
le latter to 194, Strand, opposite
to be lefc till exiled for, and the
Board, at Somerset Mow,— ,

to St Clement's Church,
former to the Poor Law

Punch