The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-03-30

BISHOP HuGHEs' LECTURE LAST NIGHT Al me
IABERNAcLE.-The Right Reverend Bishop husheS
delivered lecture last night at the tabernacle, Oh
"Social Servitude" The great popularity ana eA-
tended influence of this preate, was very clearly
exhibited in the congregation OF The dense crowus
which filed the spacious building. We observed
that the injuries which the platform and seats OF the
Tabernacle sustained at the rotous Tyler meeting,
| have been repaired; and several of the auditors
bore away with them, on their clothing, very salts
factory evidence that the Rev. David Hale had
been employing paint, in the restoration of the de-
cent appearance of this sanctuary.
Bishop Hughes is one of the most agreeable lee
turers we have ever heard, and possesses in re
markable degree the faculty of adapting his style to
the comprehension of such popular assemblages as
he is accustomed to address, without at all descend
ing from the dignifed and Impressive. He COM
menced his lecture by reference TO the three great
divisions OF soclety-the wealthy, who can COM
mand the labor OF others, without having either
TO obey or to labor themselves-the large classes
who, although obliged to labor for subsistence, can
yet regulate at their own pleasure the hours OF toll
and of res-and those who are altogether dependent
on labor, and that according as IT may be required by
the interest caprice of others. After hasty sketch
ofhe depressed and suffering condition at the present
day, of those who doomed TO the lowest grade OF
social servItude, the lecturer proceeded to take an
historical survey OF the state and condition OF the
Greek and Roman slaves, and the serfs OF the mid
die ages He drew startling picture OF their sui
ferlngs and degradation, and then pointed out with
nuch eoquence how the growing progress OF Chris
tlanity had emancipated these ensaved masses,
and described the manner in which the Church of
Rome had aided in this great work of redemption
and amelioration. He dwet at some length on the
state of the world on the of the Reformation and
representedt as presenting every prospect of the adj
vancing and most glorious progress and happiness of
the human race. But that event, he commended, had
witnessed woful obstacle to the advancing tide
of social improvements, and was the main cause
of the present evils which so affiict the European
world, and even threaten the downfall of some
of the most powerful nations OF the EARTH
Following out this view, the lecturer proceeded
to argue that the chief cause of the depreciation of
labor in England, and the consequent destitution OF
the working classes, 10 be found in the
observance of the Catholic festivals, which he
alleged had been originally instituted for the pur-
pose of diminishing the amount and increasing the
value of the labor of those condemned to social ser
vitude The Catholic nations of the European con-
| tinent - Belgium Italy Spain France, which
were ever the rivals of England in manu-
featuring various products, observed those
holvdays, which England neglected, and thus gain
ed forty or fifty days in the year of additional labor
for the same reward, which this enabled her to out
strip and undersell all her continental competitors
On this ingenious ecclesiastical solution of the pre-
sent depressed state Of the working classes in Eng.
land, and # the other prominent points in this dis.
course, we have not at present room TO comment
We give, however, the substance of the lecture,
and may return on another occasion to the subjects
which II embraced, when we will enter on some ex-
animation OF the soundness and accuracy of the
Right Reverend lecturers views on the important
questions in political economy which he undertook
to discuss.