Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1874-12-23

MEASURE FRACTIONAL REsUMPTIoN DOUBTED
DIR. DAWSON 8 LECTURES.
Special Correspondence ofRl Commercial.
New YORK, Dec. %, 1874.
Two of the January magazines-the Galagy
and Attdntic-were caught unpleasantly in the
explosion of " Katie King" which carried with
1t into the limbo of humbug not only all material
ization pretensions Of the invisible world but all
the class of testimonies and witnesses on which
80 large portion of the public still felt con-
strained, up to the date of printing those unfor-
tunate Jan. numbers, to doubt, IL not to believe,
when ghostly maryels were guaranteed by such
apparently Intelligent and careful investigators
as Mr.. Owen and the wrter-up of Katie in tile
GALAXY for December-not to speak of the writ
er-up of Home III the Gal lry for January. The
prevailing opinion will now be, that the tes-
timony of witnesses at private seances managed
by the thaumaturgiats themselves, is totally valu-
less no matter who the witnesses may be.
But another magazine was as slngularly lucky
for January, rs the two above named were rn-
fortunate. Months ago, had the pleasure of
reading In manuscript MIR. Fairield's remarkable
contribution to the scientific discussion of tile
class OF pathological wonders which have beon
the foundation of miraculous preIensions more
or less sincere, though spurious, from the ear
lie5t times until now. (Not to be misunderstood
permit me to remark that to me it seems clear th at
the marvellous potencies and relations of matter
and mind, now developing TO science are to rem
der the miracles of un-Diyine Belf-revelatiou
more luminously conceivable and intrinsically
probable in the very act by which they
expose the nature of false miracles. J
Ii my own expressed impatience to see Mr..
Fairtield's article in print had any influence in
hastening its very opportune appearance i'll the
January Scribner, must congratulate myself as
well as the editor. 1t il too much for me to en-
dorse Mr.. Fairiields authority ss an investiga-
tor, or his conclusions ON the present question.
But have heard the opinion from excellent au-
thority, that paper of his on kindred branch
OF science, relating to certain types of insanity,
deserves no uufaV@rable comparison with the
best of Mandsley's disquisitions. 1t will be a
gross oversight, il those who competent to
discuss the subject should neglect to take up the
line of discussion 30 brilliantly and opportune-
ly opened by Mr. Fairfield.
Prof. WillOinson-whose "Free Lance essays,
Just published by Albert Mason, are the enunci-
alton Of his already manifest supremacy among
American critics IL, continued in controversy
with portion of the religious press, on the
question whether there is any moral difference
between malicious aud benevolent lying, and
which of tbem is more expressly aimed at in the
Ninth Commandment. The brutal charge
against Mr.. +. d. Moulton, by DIR. Bacon and
other Beecher apologists, that he is selt-branded
as a liar in grain, by his admission of having
conspired to shield MIR. Beecher from the truth,
and Ii therefore worthy Of no credit wit
ness, seemed to the Professor too ntolerable to
pass uuchallenged. While admitting that all
lying is IN practical sense malicious,
q. @. iniurious) however kindly in
tended, and therefore prohibited by the
commandment he points out that the COM
mand strikes directly at the offense only in ite
strongest form and worst motive, wherein it re-
veals the malice or sef-preference that IL the
essence of moral turpitude and that man can
break this command without malice and from a
good motive, and so be very different grade of
sinner from one who does the evil, not that
good buU that evil may come. For this he is as
sailed by a crowd of religious editors as a de-
fender Of lying How much this world is given
to lying, even ill its unconscious moments, Fal-
staff himself had no conception
Ii you are not tired of current discussion let
me clip into vein not 80 patent or what is said
among New York business men about the new
financial measure. We'll, [ find the theorists on
both sides agree to oppose it. And it ia almost
equally general that practical men of the most
opposite views are united in more or less favor
to the bill. OF course, in saying this must
class among theorists, those business men of
mere fixed and formal notions, Of which they
can never modify the application. The rigid
dogmatism of the financial editor of the TTibuue
illustrates what | mean. But practical men on
both sides have reached common ground on
the patent fact that capital will extend credit
further on the present line, no matter what per-
missive banking measure may be rendered it.
Capital has proved itself equally backward in
banking as i'll other enterprises. The remnant
OF currency du unb ulbpObal Oh Toy
ernmei-t has been but slowly and partially ta-
ken. Free banking will only tend to make this
cautious backwardnesa vastly greater If any
thing were needed fol a further check, the pro-
yiso of resumption makes assurance doubly
sure. In short, Capital now understands itself
and knows that the game is in its own hands.
On the other hand, want-of-capital or inha-
tionism, perceives by the same token, that
money must be got into business, il at all, by
encouraging those who have it, rather than
NVh nra aft nd Inv
that capital will not stir until the goal of re-
sumption is fixed in view-nor, in fact, very ex-
tensively, until it is reached and real values
ascertained aud recognized-tbat side feel will
ing, or rather constrained to concede the
specie basis. which has become the ultimatum
and sine qua non of all who have now any money
to lose. Of course there are other motives, poti-
| cal, &c, but this is the common ground on
which business men unite IN more or less cor
| dial support of the compromise hlll-comprom-
se in form but practically conservative and
mildly contractive measure.
| The plan of instant resumption as to fraction
al currency excites more difference Of opinion.
| Ii il regarded by some of our best heads as be.
| ginning ut the small end and the wrong end AT
| filling the barrel at the spiggot while the bune
| hole IL open, and perfectly sure to be
miserable failure. and prejudice in
stead of an introduction to the main
| and ultimate resumption. II is believed that
| every dollar of coin exchanged for fractional
| currency will disappear like water in sieve,
| leaving nothing to show for it but heap of very
small and unsavory rags at the Treasury. The
| Gorham Company and all the minor silver smiths
will gather the stamps by cartloads, and rake
/ the coin for them out of the Treasury and into
| their melting pots and this will be only one
instance of at will be done through every
agency of consumption or traffic in silver. The
livellest business we have seen in a long time
| will be that of the money brokers who will he
the self appointed agents of this universal re-
| demption. The result anticipated is to be a
small change famine like that in the beginning
of the war; when the substitution of postage
stamps for the suddenly vanished CON intro
duced the name and the thing 'stamps." The
last ten cent stamp and the last silver dime
| would run race to see which would get out OF
the channels Of currency soonest. IL ID forcibly
| argued that such result must inevitably attend
an attempt at fractional redemption while the
bulk of the currency is still below par.
DIR. Dawson, the christian sdodm and Princi-
pal of McGlll College, Montreal,s lis concluding all
important course of lectures before the Union
Theological Seminary in this city. The lectures
are given as were those of DR.. McCosh on the
same foundation last winter, in the Madison
Square Presbyterian church. The general sub
iect is the Harmony of the Revelations OF In
| spiration and Science particularly concerning
| Creation. DIR. Dawson ID an American-llke man,
devoid of formalism aud the most rapid while
one of the cearest speakers have ever heard
His familiarity with both sides of his subject If
perfect, his common sense and scientific acumen
seem both unfaiiing, his treatment is broad, can
did and exhaustive But he discrminates much
more severely than newspaper and platform
'.sclentists - (s this gradually becoming a term
| . -soin ~ xvould like. batwaan