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Leader (1850-1860), 24th November 1860, Edition 2 of 2, Page 9, Nov. 24, 1860] The /Saturday Analyst and...

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      The Philosophy Of Peogress.* Ttvut'very ...

      of them , as we perceive here and there statements , or rather deductions , with which we do not quite agree . In the inean time we heartily recommend to all interested in . the furtherance of Social reforms , Mr . Slack's " Philosophy of Progress in Human Affairs . "

      Nov. 24, 1860] The /Saturday Analyst And...

      Nov . 24 , 1860 ] The / Saturday Analyst and Leader . 961

      Recent Novels And Tales.* A New Story, E...

      RECENT NOVELS AND TALES . * A NEW story , entitled " Ballyblunderj" the authorship of which has not transpired on the title-page , is a work deserving of considerable . praise . The story , which takes somewhat of a political and theological turn , is throughout well sustained and developed , and the . characters are all artistically -drawn , and . . invested , with much life and individuality . The scene isj laid in Ireland , and the national characteristics of that people , their impulsiveness , improvidence , and , above all , tlieir hatred of the Saxons , are ably ana truthfully delineated , It has evidently been the intention of the author to expose the ignorance of the great body , of the Irish people , their subserviency to the priests , and the unscrupulous means resorted to by the latter to keep them in their

      present state of physical and intellectual sloth , too much enlightenment being 1 prejudicial to their interests , and the continuance of their power . Upon this subject , perhaps the author is a little severe ; he attributes all the crimes , sufferings , and ^ misconceptions of this benighted people to the influence exercised over them by their spiritual beads . " The end justifies the means , " is the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church ; and the pernicious consequences of such an erroneous theory , urges the , author , must be equally apparent to every one . He says : — " Satisfy your conscience that the end at which 30 U aim is good , and you have carte blanche as to the means by " which to attain that end . Such a doctrine opens the door to every species and every degree of wickedness ; there is no reservation , no limit with regard to the means

      that may be employed . Only persuade one of these poois ignorant ^ lineducated people that it is ' for the glory of God , ' and he will stop at nothing ! He will lie , cheat , rob—aye , and murder for 'the good cause . ' ' This is no theatrical fancy on my part ; it is not the prejudiced opinion of a Protestant , hostile to the Roman Catholic religion . I wish it were ; I wish this dreadful accusation rested upon my bare assertion alone , and were capable of contradiction ; but so far from this being" the case , it is patent to the whole country— -nay , to the whole of Europe—that denunciations of particular persons by . the priests have been followed by the murder of those denounced . " Doubtless there is much truth in this assertion ; still we think the author has somewhat exaggerated the facts , or , to say the least , has held up our Catholic brethren to the g loomiest and decidedly one-sided view of the picture . ' . _' .:

      But though some readers may find faultWith the over ^ Protestant zeal of the writer , in all other respects this novel is likely to meet universal approbation . The leading points of the story are soon set forth . ¦ . Mr . Hindley . an'Irishman by bir th , but a Protestant by education , moved by the wretched condition of the lower orders of his countrymen , purchases a large estate in Ireland , called BaUvblimder , and dqvotes himself to the improvement , both morally and physically , of the peasantry around . To this end he erects school-rooms and . public Uin-nvl ™ . sviiil oncouraa-es bv all means in his power the great cause

      of national education . In his philanthropic endeavonrs m behalf of wifforiuff humanity , he meets with violent opposition from the priests , who , alarmed at the increasing enlightenment and prosperity of the people , begin to tremble for their own supremacy , and taking advantage of u little popular discontent , excited in consequence of Mr Hindley letting- out some pasture lands to English -farmers , incite the ignorant populace to assert an imaginary right to the " free comrrionagc of the mountains , " by dost-roying all the sheep of their benefactor ' s tenants , Mr . Hindloy applies to the authorities for protection , but tho police appointed to watch over hus property and apprehend tho depredators , being of the hostile faith , are , of course , completely under tho control of their Jesuitical confessors , and ho , in consequence , can obtain no effectual redress . Ulhrnately ho ia overpoworcd and defeated by his wil y persecutors , and after a struggle of more than twenty years he is forced to give m to the torrent"f opposition , and retire from the scono of contention , heartbrokeu and disgusted at tho ingratitude . evinced on all sides in return for his noble efforts to alleviate tho condition of his

      country-Thevo ia beside * this ji very clover underplot , which the author has rendered both amusing and exciting ; and which , together with tho general merits of tho novel , cannot lml to render it popular with ^' fiSng ^ Oyrus Bedding , possesses much that is worthy of admiration . Though tho story is somewhat meagre , vet tho characters nro so well dolinoated , and the incidents so highly Coloured , that the roador ' s enjoyment of the novolia by no means marred by the elenderiiefls of the materials of which it is composed . Mr BedW » sroat ^^ is analyHi 8 of feeing ; ho has the power of diving cfoop into tho hidden eourco from whioh our several ? . L- £ m * , mri nmntionfl take rise and Huvinff . The human heart is

      tpon to 1 m- he divmea tho qomplioutoa laws by which it is governod , « nd Hhowi * us- ' what slight ami unimportant beginnings are often productive of gigantic * romiltw . Ho has , besides , an easy and matc rW-flow oHaxiguftge , rising- at time * to considerable power and SomSo , which is well calculated to engage tho interns and

      sympathies of the reader in what he is narrating . The scene is laid in the present time , and the moral is intended to show the folly of man and woman striving to keep up appearances at the expense of higher , and what should be , more deeply-rooted principles . ' The " Stockwell Family" must be accepted as an illustration of this Mr . Stoekwel ; a wealthy banker , who from a comparatively minor position has worked himself up to be the originator and responsible partner of the house of " Stockwell , Blazon , and Co ., " is a man whose only idea in life is making money ; he cannot understand ; how the aristocratic families by which he is surrounded can exist quietly and contentedly upon their incomes , without seeking to augment their capital by speculation . He has no feeling for his . ' fellow creatures in . general , little affection for the members . of his own family , can boast of few intellectual attainments , and is in fact the very personification of cupidity and selfishness . Fortune is , however , [ chary of her favours , and apt to be capricious ; for some unaccountable reason she withdraws her countenance . from her favourite Stockwell ; he engages in fruitless speculations ; his credit fails ; in order to retrieve himself—tho old story over again ^ -he appropriates money left in trust by others to the benefit of the firm ; not purposely dishonest , but intending at some future period to replace , the golden treasure . The money is applied for only twenty-four hours before he is able to refund ; he is arrested , tried , convicted , and sentenced to . ton years ' transportation ; and so ends the career of a man whodo sole objects in life were Hie making of money and the extravagant keeping ; up of appearances . " Pride and his prisoners" is a delightful little story , bearing a healthy moral , and written with a grace and delicacy which , renders it particularly pleasant reading . r At the commencement of the story the reader is requested for a short space to give the ^ reins to his imagination , and fancy himself in the presence of two supernatural visitants , of course conjured up l y the author for the occasion ; these are the spirit of pride and the spirit of intemperance . ¦' , These twain hold a colloquy together , and bnast of the extent of their several empires in the hearts of poor , weak , erring humanity . Pride , however , proves bejdnd all eontroversy th at his sway over mankind is more general -than that of hia companion , and enumerates , with much satisfaction , the different phases he assumes in the breasts of different . natures . His object , at the time of this conversation , is to reduce to his sceptre one Ida Aximerle , hitherto aii angel of purity and goodness , but whose weak point he thinks lie has at last discovered , and determines to work upon accordingly . This weak point id " selfwill , " but which the dark spirit intimates , with ¦ a' sneer , tlie lady herself would call " sensitiveness . " "Wo should not like to anticipate the reader ' s enjoyment of this charming story b . V showingthrough what arts the ovil genius finds a hold on the spirit of tho gentle maiden ; suffice it that ultimately she throws oil" the wiles of the tempter , and appears to tho world both chastened aud " purified by the ordeal she has gono through . We have besides this , specimens of many kinds of pride , as personified in the different characters which . compos-: © tho tj tory ; spiritual pride , the pride of intellect , the pride of wealth , tho pride ol poverty , the pride of birth , forming at once 11 lesson and a warning to all ' who suffer themselves to . become enslaved by this direful enemy of social and domestic happiness uml concord . " Tinsel and Gold , " by Mrs . Veitch , will bo { bund a very useiul and entertaining book , especially for children , whom it will initiate in the several duties of domestic life , nnd teach not to pay exclusive attention to outside accoimplislimcuts and show , but to add thereto a little useful art and -pra tical lciiowlodgo , which , in caso ot . oovtoiu contingencies , to which even the' proudest of us are liable , may stand them instead in tho hour of need . Wo . should advwo all mothers of families to plaeo this voluino in tho hands ot thou * children as speedily os possible .

      Sffbs^Ais®^** Te - S

      sffBS ^ ais ®^** -

      Lord Dundonald's Autobiography * [Skoond...

      LORD DUNDONALD'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY * [ SKOOND NOTICE ] , IT is a pity that the French are not always honest in their public documents . They have much misled tho lew surviving friends of Lord-Gambia-. These claim iix tho daily journals an wqmttal of the latter , because our neighbours have adopted Mr . Stokes a inaccurate chart . It is strange , however , thut they ahoulcl have seized so eagerly on this ftiet , seeing that Lord Dundonald had exposed the fraud . Tho Fronoh Govornmout , his lord s hip obsprvod , had « taken a very justifiable naval advantago , calculated todoter any British Admiral in future from undertaking in Aix Bond * ortonsivo operations of any kind . " Tho French , in all the political recordings , have those that are exoteric and those that mo esoteric . But those dodges of ouv neighbours will not eaye tho n TZ ^ t ^^ aon , VX had not n ^^^ So " Ho had merely told Lord Mulgravo , ns narrated m tho first volume that ho did not consider Lor 4 Gnmbtar ' s services worthy ot a voto of « hankn IVoin Parliament , and that on thin ^ ound , « . boxg dihy nublio duly to lu « oonstitnentB , he « liould voawt ^ JXjgJP ^ BuSald wa " STlS ? own expression , regarded cu , a vmW

      , 11 ' '11 " ' 1 ... 1 1 . ¦ • Itlolwint...

      , 11 ' ' 11 " ' 1 ... 1 1 . ¦ Itlolwint lU'iitlov ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 24, 1860, page 9, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24111860/page/9/