New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-07
From Our Own Correspondent
LONDON. Jan. 2s. 1865.

sEUM-MR. HEPwORTH DIXON on SPIRITUAL
WIVES.
From Our Own Correspondent ,eeo
The chief of the sect of the Philistincs has this
week restated at Liverpool the doctrines on Educa-
tlon which he announced lately at Edinburgh. Al
the latter place Mr.. Lowe proclaimed the discovery
of new science, which he called the science of pom
deration, but which think may be better named
the science of PhilstinisIn. II could not have an
ADLER, a more amusing. or more mscru-
puous advocate than Mr.. Lowe. He is the
proper leader and champion of that great In
Rlsh multitude which believes in nothing but what
it can bite the mob Of utiltarans whose science Of
life is the science of what TO eat and to wear. who
IRE disciples of the philosophy of Iago to put money
in their purse and who deal with education as
means to these ends, and nothing more. Drop Latin
and Greek cries Mr.. Lowe-and this time he speaks
10 the middle classes especlalN-they dOnt pay.
Learn German and French they have mercantlie
value. Classics did not help him to ma gold IN Aus
trsla. therefore, they are useless linen came aolg
q Californian who knew no Greek and
he said: This looks like good place 10
dig gold, and be was right; Therefore
study the physical scienCes-thOugh 1t does not
aDpear that Mr. loves Californian knew any more
atont physical science than about classics SO much
for the sellshnesS Of money-geltmg; bnt Nj. Lowe
does not scruple to press his new science as an
announcement 10 selfshness on larger scale; The
middle classes, he says, were until lately the deposl
tory Of political power in this country. during last
year. this power was taken away from them ana
they made remOnstrance. MT. Lowe tIled TO rouse
them to a sense of their peril, but met with not the
slightest announcement. Why were they so lnsensl-
blel Because they had not been properly educated
because. we must suppose they knew TOO lnuch
Latin and Greek, and not enough physical SCIENCE
German, and French Had they only been GTought
up in the science OF pondoTaton or FhliistlAlsm
they would have been alive TO their own interests
and not have suffered political power to pass away
from them. In other words, # they had been eau
Gated according TO Lowe, the Reform bill would
have been defeated. The middle classes who had the
mower would have been trained in an intelligence 20
keen and a seltshness so complete. That they would
have comprchended the crisis and never would have
suffered their political privileges TO he shared
by those below them. These shOp-keepers and Ten
ant-farmers are immersed in the study of this
hated Latin and Greek that they had no time 10
spare for politics and thoughts for the warnings
aud lamentations which we all remember Mr.. Lowe
hurled into their ears. They had moi learned that
political power is the pTerOgatlve OF minority.
Thew dared to trust the people they refused to per-
sist in Withholding from them share an me OoEoIl-
ment Of the country, and behold the awful results
have stated this perhaps little more markedly
than Mr.. Lowe does. but II IS the keynote OF MS
speech the textwth which he sets out, and the nc
tual cause he assigns for the necessity OF changing
the system Of education at present preyalIng III IDs
country He pursues hls theme with nnmDelioss
variations, and with that brillancy OF illustration
which makes the worst speech Of Mr. Lowe always
entertaining and seductive. But vast rs Is Mr. loves
acknowledgement be is man so learned so practical,
gifted with common sense on most topics, a. 10 be
standing argument for the value OF classical
Urging that the study of English literature SUI
persede the stndy OF general grammar, he cites
Scott and Byron the two best prose masters Of the
English language in this country, and insists that
they learned English by porting over English writers
in their boy hood, because they were cubfooted and
could not bc sent TO school But IS1neIOserOus to
quote Scott as IN example OF English style His
wonderful powers were Of quite another kind. There
is not chapter. there Is hardly page in Scott from
which YOU may not extract examples Oi incorrect
English. He abOnnds in Scotch idOins and IA those
csrelessnesses Of style which more exact training
would have taught him 10 prune away.
On the question of compulsory education ana a
reform of the existing system Mr. Lowe Is on the
side of the Manchester Conference. lie stated What
De understood that Conference 10 nave resolved on.
The first thing was that the bill Of which Mr.. Bruce,
MIR. EgertOn, and Mr.. Forster have charge ought to
De compulsory and not pernssive; the Conference
agreed in the second place, in the principle that
assistance from the Priyy Council ought not to be
denied schools on account OF their being purely secu-
lar and in the third place they had agreed that al
such schools received gIantsOt public money ought
70 nave the conscience clause 10 enable children OF
other religious opinions than those prniessed by the
founders OF the school to atond there without being
taught anything that w6ud be mlwccomc to the
parents so far the Conference at Manchester had
gone, he had great pleasure, as far, as ms humble
voice went, III giving assent to- the propositions
which, as lac understood them, they had lad down.
Ear Russell has declared with equal paiDness for
tne compulsory system
The Alabama contro versl has broken out with
fresh fury. since three days described ls
cenditloDs istoricus Occupies three columns every
other day in dissecting Mr. Stewards dispatches, and
succeeds perfectly in proving that in the course 81
mem i've American Secretary said number or fool
ssh Things, and las cOntTadicted himself in the m0SI
ingenious way. Does Histmicusv suppose the
question u To be settled by million of such demon
inlOnsi a writer in one Journal reminds him that
~ /, o mas been guilty of Inconsistencies, and that
,oxS I; ~ ~ very long tnce he IIistOrcus who
and si,n,l a,DiratOn on the Alabama claims pnfe
ali is - pronounced arbitration an absurdIty, and
Greet Wrt; l siS o. claims OF compensation against
nonsense ' an; i9r prizes taken by the Alabama
reason L;Sn mas no color Of foundation either III
vrites ,nn, y. ,llw' HistOTicus wrote this, and
, ~hts now as The counsel of the Government.
inst as n p az 81 Iontser and his opinions worth
own side Of case see no ore FEN nai;f he
nm on iateiY expressed that strong pressure Is