The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-25 00:00:00

DIFFICULTIES OF AN EDITOR

Nothing can exceed the perplexity to which the conductor
of a public journal is often exposed, in the discharge of his
arduous and multifarious duties. This has been frequently
the subject of remark. He has so many tastes to gratify,
and so many varying humours to please, that it is almost im•
possible to keep his readers in good temper. We have had
within the last week or two a curious specimen of this diffi.
culty ; and it will, perhaps, afford some little amusement to
our readers to be made acquainted with it, and will offer a
few useful hints for the consideration of the, parties more
immediately interested—the writers of the communications.
Were we to publish all the epistles with which we are favored,
tendering advice to us in our editorial capacity, a more pre-
cious jumble of contrarieties in opinion would rarely be
perused. We think it right, however, to give publicity to
the subjoined communications—one dated little more than a
month since, and the other the 23d inst. The insolent tone
adopted by the writer of the latter almost induced us to con-
sign it to oblivion; but, calling to remembrance the senti-
ments expressed by our first correspondent, and being able
to lay our hands on his letter, we thought some little instruc-
tion might be gathered from a perusal of both. There are
some persons who have the vanity to suppose, that as soon
as their names are placed on our subscribers' book, they have
a right to exercise the most unlimited control over our opi-
nions and the various subjects which we ought to discuss, as
well as the mode of handling them. We beg to tell such
meddling, self-sufficient gentlemen, that they are entitled to
no such privilege, and that in future we shall pass unnoticed
all their uncalled-for effusions. Let them read the pages of
the Standard with a little more attention, and they will find
that their complaints are generally without foundation; and
we feel persuaded that in few, if any instances, they proceed
from a bend;fide " Subscriber." The following are the let-
ters to which we have alluded:—
. TO THE EDITOOOP THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIR,—As the emissaries of the Anti-Corn-Law League
and the advocates of free trade are so sedulous in the propa-
gation of their absurd fallacies, I am glad to perceive that
you take every opportunity of exposing and refuting their
speculative theories. At one time, sir, I feared you were
devoting too large a portion of your valuable space to the
discussion of theological subjects, which, in the opinion of
the great majority of your readers, ought not to be forced
upon their attention with too great frequency. It is per-
fectly true, sir, that you ought not to flinch from asserting
and maintaining the doctrines and principles of the Esta-
blished Church ; and it is equally clear that nothing should
deter you from manfully resisting the dissemination of he-
resy, whether proceeding from Within or without the church.
But this, I apprehend, you have already done with sufficient
firmness and precision. No one can mistake on whose side
you are resolved to stand; and now, when such a multitude
of subjects of a commercial character agitate the country, I
hope you will not cease to make known to the conservative
public the nature, objects, and effects of every measure by
whomsoever introduced, as I am glad to see you have been
recently striving to do with commendable diligence and abi-
lity. I have had much conversation with intelligent and ex-
perienced men on this matter, and I assure you I speak the
sentiments of a vast multitude of-your supporters when I
say, that we are pleased beyond measure to find that you are
determined to express your sentiments on every subject in-
teresting to the commercial community, which is beyond
dispute the most legitimate object of discussion in the co-
lumns of a newspaper. Opportunities will doubtless occur
when you will feel called upon again to notice the heresies
put forward by the professed friends of our scriptural church,
and the open, undisguised attaas upon her creeds and cere-
monies by her avowed opponents ; but at present I conceive
there are other subjects which should engage your attention,
and which are of paramount importance to the public.—
Yours, &c., A PROTESTANT MERCHANT.
Great George-square, Jan. 17th, 1842.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
Sin,—l perceive by the Standard of yesterday, that your
paper continues to flourish and your circulation to increase ;
and this success you in a great measure attribute to the
upholding of conservative and Protestant principles. Now,
sir, as a. subscriber, allow me to ask you by what title you
lay claim to the championship of Protestantism, whilst the
daring and slanderous attacks now regularly made by the
Mail remain not only unanswered, but unnoticed ? That
print has,now become the avowed and open vehicle of Pu-
seyism ; and the Protestant Standard, the organ of Evan-
gelicalism, (proh pudor !) lacks either the talent or the cou-
rage "to fight the good fight." The press, it is too much
to be feared, is no exception to other worldly occupations :
success naturally introduces negligence and inactivity. Still
I cannot help thinking that your silence in this instance arises
from the want of moral courage to face your adversary; for,
had the articles in question appeared in the Albion, I have
little doubt they would long since have been noticed and re-
futed. The Mail, however, being a political friend and a
doughty foe, is, to say the least of him, an inconvenient*
antagonist. I have not the vanity to suppose that this com-
munication will rouse you from your apathy : before, how-
ever, bringing the nuisance complained of to the notice of
other papers, will you, in your communication to correspon-
dents, in answer to this inquiry, simply state whether you
still intend to allow the articles in question to " pass un-
heeded by" ?t Your silence is criminal, and your subscribers
are calling out shame ; and many, like myself, are beginning
to think that we ought not to support so lukewarm a " Pro-
testant champion." A SUBSCRIBER.
Liverpool, 23rd February, 1842.

: The italics throuhout are the writer's own.
t Had " a subscriber" clothed his question in terms a
little more courteous, we might have condescended to have
given him a reply.

THE CORN-LAWS

MEMORIAL TO THE QUEEN FROM THE "WOMEN OF
ENGLAND."

At the present moment, in almost every town in the king-
dom, there is a knot of " women" who are neglecting their
household duties, and the interests of their families, and
hawking about a petition from house to house, for the "total
and immediate repeal of the corn-laws," to be signed by the
female inhabitants of the respective dwellings. In this town
this unfeminine agitation is carried on with much pertinacity
and activity ; and, though there is a great wish on the part of
these female politicians to conceal the steps they are sedu-
lously carrying out, yet we can assure them that their pro-
ceedings are looked upon with no little suspicion by their
immediate friends, and with the greatest disgust by the right-
judging public. As a specimen of the contamination to which
these ladies subject themselves by their misplaced interference
we may mention that two or three of the party in the course
of their perambulations have ventured within the precincts of
houses, over the doors of which God has written, " This is
the way to hell." Especially has this been the case with the
parties to whom Juvenal-street has been allotted. No won-
der that much astonishment is expressed at the large number
of " lady" inhabitants, in dwellings of this description, who
were greedy to attach their signatures to the paper presented
to them ; but we put it to the husbands and fathers of the
females who thus expose themselves, whether they are not
called upon to interpose their authority to prevent their
wives and daughters thus placing themselves within the reach
of every species of insult and indecency. We have elsewhere
alluded to the unblushing falsehood put forth by " hand-
some" George Thompson, and perhaps it may have the effect
of checking, in some degree, the enthusiastic devotion with
which this plausible advocate is regarded by these ladies.
We need say no more than simply give an outline of the
memorial to which we have alluded ; and we only notice the
subject because there is such a manifest wish to keep the
whole affair as secret as possible, its concocters evidently
being heartily ashamed of it.
The memorialists first express their loyal and affectionate
devotion to her Majesty's person, and then allude to the un-
exampled misery at present prevailing amongst the labouring
classes of this country, which they assert is frightfully in-
creasing." They draw from these premises the extraordinary
conclusion, that " the total repeal of the restrictions on the
importation of food would restore to the nation at large the
blessings which flow from commercial prosperity ;" and they
therefore supplicate her Majesty to " interpose her royal aid
IN FAVOUR OF THE TOTAL REPEAL OF THE CORN-LAWS."
Such is the nonsense to which the " Women of England"
are asked to subscribe their names,
and which her most gra-
cious Majesty is asked to listen to.

PRESBYTERIAN MARRIAGES.--The Lord Chancellor of
England has referred to the Irish judges for the grounds of
their decision against the legality of Presbyterian marriages,
in order to form a bill for the amending the law this session.

WAGES OF THE ANTI-CORN-LAW INCENDIARIES.—The
stipend paid to Mr. George Thompson, for agitating the
women of England on the subject of the,corn-laws, is £4 per
week, and all travelling and other expenses ; and to Mr.
James Acland, late editor of the North Cheshire Reformer,
for agitating the working classes, agricultural and commer-
cial, £3 per week,. and all travelling and other expenses !
Stockport Advertiser.