The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-06-16

Ihomas Carlyle is rapidly declining. At
ms advanced age it cannot be expected
that ne will much longer survive, or that
he can retain his former vigor.
Mr.. Gladstone has been compelled bv
political exigencies to postpone publish
ing the magazine estimate of DR.. ChaI-
mers' 1t may, however, appear about
lne end OF autumn or beginning Of
winter, and will embrace a characterize
ton OF Chalmers in all the departments
OF intellectual activity in which he shone.
English lords generally come to this
country to hunt, or on some social or in
dustral Grand; but Lord Cecil, who has
been IN New York, came to preach to
small group of people in room on the
Fourth avenue. He is a younger son of
the Marquis of Exeter, and has been a
lay preacher for a number of wears.
The GOSPEL IN MEx1co.-Mr. Pol
hemus, who has lately gone to Mexico.
writes back that Mr.. Hutchinson has
been enabled to accomplish a wonderful
work IN Mexico City and the effects and
influence of the special work of the HOLY
Spirit last winter in his church are still
clearly seen in the large audiences which
four times each week assemble in their
bright and comfortable church; also in
the daily morning prayer-meeting where
ne was especially impressed with the
spirit and fervor of the young men.
The GREAT WALL OF CH1NA.-An
American engineer, engaged in the con-
struction of a railway in China, who has
had unusually favorable opportunities of
examining the famous Great Wall" built
to obstruct the incursions of the Tartars,
gives the following account of this Won
derful work The wall is l,728 miles
long, Is feet high, and Is feet thick at
the top. The foundation throughout is
OF solid granite, the remainder of com
pact masonry. AT intervals of between
200 and 300 yards towers rise up, "a to
80 feet high and "a feet in diameter.
On the top of the walls and on both sides
OF 1T are masonry parapets to enable the
defenders to pass unseen from one tower
to another The wall itself is carried
from one point In a perfectly straight
line across valleys and plains and over
hills, without the slightest regard to the
contiguratlon of the ground sometimes
plunging down into abysses a thousand
feet deep Brooks and smaller rivers
are bridged over by the wall, while on
both banks of larger streams Aanking
towers are placed.
Mr.. Herbert Gladstone, son of the
English Premier, in speech made at
Leeds the other day, paid a glowing
tribute to the magnificent labors," Of
the Nonconformists Of Great Britain, and
acknowledges the great debt which the
Liberal party owed to them in the tri-
umph just won and furthermore urged
that quick consideration. be given to their
grievances In the matter of burials."
That matter out the way, religious
equality" will become the watchWord
which means, being interpreted, Disestab-
hshment. By the time the next cleo
lions come on this will be the burn
ing question" III English politics. The
Scotch Kirk will be dealt with first, and
the stately English Church will follow
and the Prelate's robes disappear forever
from the House of Lords. The contest
will be intensely interesting.
Mozambique and Zanzibar have ex-
changed telegraphic congratulations on
the completion of the English cable which
INV COiu0CCS GleSS GWO ulSUTlCUS ana De-
fore long we may hear of an overland
line to Uganda, and thence to the gold
coast, so that Mtesa and Ja-Ja may also
congratulate each other. On the Indian
frontier the telegraph wire is looked
upon by the people as the emblem of es-
tablished power. They say, First an
army, and then mail cart, and then
telegraphic wire; and when that is up
we know what to expect, and that you
are going to keep our country" The
telegraph is, therefore, being in itself the
visible sign of subjugation, the positive
evidence of an outstretched authority
an object Of adherence, and as such the
hlllmen are never tired of molesting it.
In Africa, however, not only the wire.
but the poles too, and the insulators as
well, are fetish, and accordingly held
in mysterious respect by those grossly
irreEgious communities among whom
wire Is the regular currency, and who
might set on one side all apprehensions
Of an after life for the sake Of immediate
gain. Yet, in spite Of the general ten
dency Of the African to respect telegraph
wires, we do not sympathize with the
enthusiasm Of those reformers who are ex-
pressing regret that the Belgian expe-
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