The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-02-19

undoubtedly receive the APPRECIATION OF the great
body Of the American people OF all parties. 1t
would be weakness indeed TO submit this question,
At this day and hour 10 arbitration !; and we are sur
prised how any American can, Tor moment, enter
tain such an idea.
In the first place, arbitration supposes that the
parties cannot agree. Now, we see no reason why
the British Government and the United States should
not agree, and be able to arrange this matter by
friendly negotiation and mutual beneficial conces-
sion. In the second place, arbitration would BE-
direct abandonment of all rights, and of all our
claims. Whom could we select as an impartial
umpire! No European monarch can ever be made
to understand our position and our rights; to leave,
therefore, to such this question for arbtra-
ton, would be an objectionable imbecility. In the
third place, arbitration would An its effect be al
most the same thing as "inaclivity;" tor years
would elapse before the matter could be taken up.
and more years still, before it could be settled
Such delay is not desirable, and for the following
reasons -
First-Because no smothered spark of undecided
quarrel should be lett sumbering, ready to burst,
any time, into flame between two great nations,
whose interest 1t is, well as the interest OF
humanity, that friendly and peaceabe relations
should exist between them.
Second-Because, when a cause of disagreement
and war is left unsettled and unadjusted between
nations political irritation is kept up between the
two countries, which is injurious to both of them
As between individuals, so it Is between nations
neglected and unrenoved Misunderstanding, how
ever trivial they may be, lead TO serious difficulty,
and at last, to lrremediabe alienation.
Third-Because the commercial relations OF the
two countries with each other, would be seriously
injured by the question Of war being lett suspended
upon the long and lingering process and uncertain
termination OF arbitration.
Fourth-Because there are in all countries, spec
ulators and restless minds, ready to foment war
between nations for their own purposes and inter-
ests. These persons, so long any cause Of mutual
irritation is kept open and unsettled will labor to in
crease it, and urge others to mutual evaporation,
TILL they attain their object They are only to be
thwarted by speedy removal OF every subject of
disagreement, and the earliest adjustment OF every
cause OF irritation
From these and other reasons, we are disposed
to give much credit to Mr.. Polk and his advisers,
that they have perempory rejected the proposition
OF submitting this matter to foreign arbitration In
so doing, they have it in their power to settle the
question amicably, and can bring il to a speedy
and happy accomplishment, if they choose but
will they choose Z
This matter s, probably, to be settled by pass
age OF diplomatic notes, or passage of arms, and in
the course Of time
INSANITY FROM RELIGIOUS EXCITEMENT pub
lished, few days since, an abstract of the third
annual report of the managers of The State Lunatic
Asylum at Utica There are some curious facts
exhibited IN relation to the causes of insanity among
the patients in the asylum
Out OF about 700 patients who have been
admitted since the opening, l2l have been
made insane by religious excitement and
anxiety. This is more than one-seventh Of the
whole number, and about treble that from
any other cause. That it may be seen
that the religious excitement was not alto
gether of the Legitimate sort, j, will be
well to state that only 10 cases out of the I2l
have been attributed to Millersm. What renders
this fact more remarkable is, that Utica is in the
centre OF great farming district, and a large pro-
portion oil the inmates have been engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits, which are generally supposed to
prevent the mind from running into undue excite
ment of any kind
In looking over the reports OF various lu-
natic asylums in different parts of the coun-
try, we find that this proportion holds good
and Ia in fact somewhat increased This is an
alarming fact which we fear has been too much
overlooked by the religious people Of this coun-
try, and speaks untavorably for the manner in
whieh their religious business is conducted =
A number of clergymen meet and determine upon
getting up revival or, it is often termed an Sex
element" Some fiery revival preacher, who has
received reputation from the large number Of con-
verts he has made, procured and draws large ar-
dieHces together, mainly composed of females and
the young, who are Of excitable temperaments All
the horrors and but few Of the beauties OF religion
are presented wildly before their imaginat ions.
Every figure Of speech that has tendency 10 har-
row up the soul and make the blood curde, Is used
for the express purpose Of causing an excitement
In kind OF wild eoquence the eternal torments of
the soul in tuturity pictured and the effect be-
comes too powerful for excitable minds to with
stand. Brooding over the terrible fate that awaits
them, they lose all hope, which is displaced by des-
pair, and finally reason quits the mind, and the un-
happy subject becomes the victim of this worst form
of madness This has, to a greater or less extent,
always been the result Of revivals-so that the more
discreet and sober-mnded clergymen have abandon
ed this mode Of conversion. The peaceful religion
of Jesus Christ never drives the soul TO madness,
but falls upon the turbulent passions as gently
as the snow-fakes upon the sod, and leaves
IT like the whtened ground, pure and placid
These lamentabe results of the too prevalent
mode OF making converts, ought to teach to our
cergymen the better way Of instlng into the mind,
instead OF the horrors, the beauties of our holv re
gon.
MORALITY IN MoNTREAr-The arrest of Young
Ready, recently, in this city, and his return to
Montreal, have led to certain disclosures which
rank Montreal low in the scale OF morality as
Paris or London. 1t appears that there are in that
city several gambling houses, or hels supported by
the officers OF the army and some high officials
even the Aides de Camp to the Governor General Of