The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-17
Foreign Itesns.

Foreign Items.
Mr.. Leoky, In his "Hstory OF Rational
ism" has some very acute observations on
tne manner in which established and respect
apie impostureg usually disappear from among
mankind. The instance which he selects as
an example is that OF witchcraft, but others
might be cited. AS he shows, impostures Of
tnis GLASS and magnitude do not generally
lose their influence by slow degrees as might
nave been expected. They break down all at
once, with little warning beforehand, and
they never seem so vigorous as Just before
they break down. The belief in witohcraft
was never more completely received as ortho-
dox, or more solidly defended by ecclesiastics
and lawyers, than in the middle of the seven
teenth century. By the end of that century
1t had ceased to exist altogether in the edu-
Gated classes. Now it is clear that some
such fate as this suddenly threatens our
venerable friend, the Gulf Stream. Almost
down TO the present year, faith in his potency
and his extraordinary manner Of meddling
with the climate of these islands and North
western Europe in general was all but uni
versal In scientific circles, and what may be
termed general circles also. Nobody sought
much for proof oft; it was received as something
self-evident. Two phenomena were certain :
that our winter climate is exceptionally warm
and damp, and that large stream of hot
water is continually flowing in our direction
out of the Gulf of Mexico, four thousand miles
off. Whenever an effect is given, aud cause
is wanted, ii Is wonderful how unanimously
popular reasoning acquiesces in the first sug-
9ested. But when the eyes of inquirers were
opened to the circumstance that the stream of
hot water flowing out OF the Gulf of Mexico is
only few miles wide and of very moderate
depth, and, moreover, that where it is hottest
and strongest 1t exercises no appreciable
effect at all on the winter climate OF the neigh
boring Shore-that OF the Southern States
of the Union, which, for the latitude, is ex-
ceptionally severe-people began to be startled
by the extreme .inadequaoy of the cause in
question to produce the effect alleged. Again,
though the effect of the mildness of the
climate OF the northwestern coast of the old
continent is undoubtedly established, it seems
certain that the climate of corresponding lati-
tudes on the northwestern coast of America is
quite equally mild. Even in the extreme
north, close to Behring's Straits, forests grow
luxuriantly, and yet there is no Pacific Gulf
Stream to produce this strictly analogous tenn
perature. Once persuaded that our know
ledge is insufficient to form trustworthy con-
cluslons, we readily drop preconceived
opinions; and the Gulf Stream has. it may be
feared, collapsed Mr.. Findlay, at the Geo
graphical Society few weeks ago, pronounced
its doom. OF course there was some hesitation
in that scientific body, and there have been
partial attempts to set up our old idol again;
the latest may be read in letter of DR.. Wal
any one may see that these well-meant efforts
are calculated, at best, to make out case oi
unknown and unmeasured hypothetical equa.
torial currents, which may impinge on our
shores, not to reinstate the object Of our an.
cient belief.
The Turkish Government, if story trans
mitted from C0nstantinople be true, has more
consideration for the feelings of its suscspti
BILE Greek subjects than it is generally credited
with. Constantinople, like other civilized
capitals, has its French theatre and, as a
necessary adjunct, its theatrical censor. In a
Palais Royal piece entitled La ConSigne est dt
Ronfer, which the director Of the CONSTANT
nople theatre was about to produce, an unfor-
tunate husband (what would Palais Royal
farce be without one p is compared to Socrates.
1t struck the censor that disrespectful allu-
sion to one of the most illustrious Greeks oi
antiquity might annoy his modern representa-
tives, out of regard for whom; the name was
struck out, and that OF Moliere-also not very
happy in his married life-substituted for it.
Says the Pull Mall Gasette:-Mr. Newds
gate the other night c0mplimented Mr.
Goschen on his perfect official manner. 1t il
supposed to be the custom for the chiefs o
departments, when they receive a writer
application, to turn down one corner of it ant
to make thereon a note Of instruction as T.
the answer which their subordinate is to write
Mr.. Newdegate said he had heard of a case Il
which an official succeeded in condensing hi
instructions into three simple letters, U B D
Mr.. Newdegate's emphatic pronunciation sui
fciently indicated the meaning of the cabalis
tic formula. The final letter is, of course,
double D.
We are glad to learn from an amusin
dialogue in La Vie PariSienne that the neoes
sity OF classifying French novels has at las
been recognized. A lady entering a circu
lating library asks for novel: 81 don't knoV
how to tell you exactly the kind want, sh
says. "Oh, think we shall be able to sui
you," was the reply. ~ mean somethin
lively" explains the intending reader; "th
sort of book that would not be precisely suita
BILE for the library of young girl" "Marie,
cries the keeper of the book-shop to her assiG
tant, shovel for woman of thirty-fve."
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