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    adrift . With pain and fear , we see that a multitude , who might and should be among- the wisest and best of our citizens , are alienated for ever from the kind of faith which sufficed for all in an organic period which has passed away , while no one lias presented to them , and they cannot obtain for themselves , any ground of conviction as firm and clear as that which sufficed for our fathers in their day . The moral dangers of such a state of fluctuation as has thus arisen are fearful in the extreme , whether the transition stage from one order of convictions to another be long or short . The work of M . Comte is unquestionably the greatest single effort that has been made to obviate this kind of danger ; and my deep persuasion is , that it will be fovind to retrieve a vast amount of wandering , of unsound speculation , of listless or reckless doubt , and of moral uncertainty and depression . Whatever else may be thought of the work , it will not be denied that it ascertains

    with singular sagacit y and soundness the foundations of human knowledge , and its true object and scope ; and that it establishes the true filiation of the sciences within the boundaries of its own principle . Some may wisli to interpolate this or that ; some to amplify , and perhaps , here and there , in the most obscure recesses of the . great edifice , to transpose , more or less : but any who question the general soundness of the exposition , or of the relations of its parts , are of another school , and will simply neglect the book , and occupy themselves as if it had never existed . It is not for such that I have been working , but for students who are not schoolmen ; who need conviction , and must best know when their need is satisfied . "When this exposition of Positive Philosophy unfolds itself in order before their eyes , they will , I am persuaded , find there at least a resting-place for their thought , --a rallying-point of their scattered speculations , —and possibly an immovable basis for their intellectual and moral convictions . "

    In the second she speaks of tlie work itself : —¦ "During the whole course of my long task , it has appeared to me that Comte ' s work is the strongest embodied rebuke ever given to that form of theological intolerance which censures Positive Philosophy for pride of reason and lowness of morals . The imputation will not be dropped , and the enmity of the religious world to the book will not slacken for its appearing among us in an English version It cannot be otherwise . The theological world cannot but hate a book which treats of theological belief as a transient state of the human mind . And again , the preachers and teachers , of all sects and schools , who keep to the ancient practice , once inevitable , of contemplating and judging of the universe from the pomt of view of their own minds , instead of having learned to take their stand out

    of themselves , investigating from the universe inwards , and not from within outwards , must necessarily think ill of a work which exposes the futility of their method , and the worthlessness of the results to which it leads As M Comte treats ^ of theology and metaphysics as destined to pass away , theologians and metaphysicians must necessarily abhor , dread , and despise his work They merely express their own natural feelings on behalf of the objects of their reverence and the purpose of their lives , when they charge Positive Philosophy with irreverence , lack of aspiration , hardness , deficiency of grace and beauty , and so on They are no judges of the case . Those who-are—those who have passed through theology and metaphysics , and , finding what they are now worth , have risen above ferr ? P ~" i ° 2 ^ \ A . different judgment on the contents of this book , though appeal for such ent is made

    no a , judgm in it , and this kind of discussion is nowhere expressly provided for . To those who have learned the difficult task of postponing dreams to realities till the beauty of reality is seen in its full disclosure , while that of ureams melts into darkness , the moral charm of this work will be as impressive as its intellectual satisfactions . The aspect in which it presents Man is as favourable to his moral discip me , as it is fresh and stimulating to his intellectual . state . We find ourselves suddenly living and moving in the midst of the universe ,-as a part of it , and not as its aim and object . We find our selves livmg , not under capricious and arbitrary conditions unconnected with the constitution and movements of the wholef but undegrea ? general invariable laws , which operate on us as a part of the whole . Certainlf I can conceive oi no instruction so favourable to aspiration as that which shows us how great are our faculties , how small our knowledge , how sublime the heights which we may hope to attain , and how boundless an infinit y may be assumed to spread out beyond . We find here indications in passing of the evils we auffe ? W low ami selfish

    our s our passions , and our proud ignorance ; and in contrast with then ,, an . nmtmg displays of the beauty and glory of the everlasting laws , and of the sweet serenity lofty courage , and noble resignation that are the natural consequence of pursuits so pure and aims so true , as those of Positive PhibsoX I rule « i mtdlect Burely abules with those who insist on belief without evidence . uu on a pin osophy derived from their own intellectual action , without material ami com ,, oration from without , and not with those who are too scrupulous-nd too humlrte to transcendevidence , and to add , out of their own ? mSSt 2 u « . to that winch > k , ami may be , referred to other judgments . If it bo desired textinguish proHimiptioii , to draw away from low aims , to fill lift , with woX occur ' Posits Phi , o hy , wl * iU , t £ »^ o , M ^^ 1 he prospects it opens are boundless ; for among the law « it OHtabXs that of habit « f t ^ -Hoekiug i tn , ^ : ^ yz : s : ;^ t ; tsta S all M .... KH , , s evidently a primary requisite ; and this l >; tl > it „ , „» lirfi-S | , 7 n " elpIal ^' wiSr H / ' C 1 J > llilC < 1 ' tV : ihl lll > ' « U - »—l . ittrSto ^ re Wo must ; closo Micro . Op ( Jomi . o liimqdf U i * u j , . I 1 . CMC column * . May thin work iind £ "" iy I Z ? * ° f " ? * ^ philosophyI y CVe 1 ^ BIUTO student of

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    WATWTI «]/ 41 N 0 S IN LON DON . fiannho'hi // . * in . and ahouf London . By M , tx Hi-hli'sinm ... mi n i- , .,, Olio Wonrk . slern . I ' ricc 2 s . ( id . ^ lil , Mmg , . . Ul 0 Jflj l , Kl , JCtlitioTi l > y ,. i , i Nul . lnuiiel ( Jooke , J o H ( u « ourselves » s o ; hoi \ s , see . ris" is lln > wml . ,, Ci KmM « ,,, fci « M of U . u ,, wish w « ,, ld Li V ^^ Z ^ T ^^ fY m . lized ; | ,.. l , m «¦« hnvr , all an uneasy e ,. ri < hH y PI ,, a w | I l ' ^ AMy alx . ul . us , I ! .., Looks <„ , Unwind by % r 2 , : , v" " ot 1 1 0 r 8 ,. V Mostly the ! boo ., an- ho ^^ t \ T ^ Zl nn ? o , J ^ Sft m-rmo . h , w ( , ir eancalun , nu , - sometimes Ihoy nr « ho a , ^ u ^ , I inslruehve ; Iks , however , , rare , ami it ,. rarity Avm lnako 1 ™^™ * J ™ tn / jo / t ((< jjf . wolcomo . wuwc ( . ) tnf / ti

    When Mi « oi-i ^ inal firsl , appeared , wo KftVo a h 1 ^ 1 »(; amount « f * l . i « zf : r \ : z :: Xu ; ^ r ^ ti" rl r y r ;! > ^ Mill . »¦ .. <> ., * olir mi ,, ivo transla ors > u | ' H % V "' . « J < «» ' « «««!» aim , Hi , * Hk ^ h , H on wo ., 1 . Max Hdll ^ ^\ \ t ^ Ln- ^ r ^ who Jiub had good oWWtuuila « , for ol » arvS . Jito& tSS

    his chapter on the Times Office abundantly proves . It will enlighten the majority of our countrymen ; a fact the reader will appreciate after s-oW through the following extracts from that chapter : — "The care and the responsibility of conducting the business of the Times has devolved on a manager , Mr . M . M . This gentleman is neither what we in Ger many call a redacteur , nor is he what we would call an expeditor or accountant He is just all in all , being the sovereign lord and master within ' the-precincts of Printing-house Square . . .. _ "A heap of papers lies on his desk . At his side sits the editor die jour . What his functions are will be seen in the following lines : —

    "The editorial functions of the Times are in the hands of several individuals exactly as in the case of the great German journals . But , in Germany , each editor has his own separate department , for instance , home politics and foreion politics , or the literary and critical departments . They come to an understaiidincr on the most important points , and then act altogether independentl y of one another . Besides , they meet frequently , and have plenty of opportunities to exchange their views and defend their opinions . Hence they very often quarrel and their quarrels lead to frequent editorial crises . Par different is the case with the Times , where , besides the manager , there are two editors—Mr . John D and Mr . George D , with a third gentleman as sub-editor . The two editors take the service by turns , but they do riot confine themselves to separate departments . Each of them has , at the time he conducts the paper , to see that it has that tone which has been decided upon in council . However , we will not anticipate . Having here hinted at the many merits of the editorial department , we continue to act as invisible spectators in the Times office . Cl

    We mentioned before , that a large heap of papers was lying , on the desk of Mr . M . M ., and that the editor dttjour was sitting by his side . What are these two gentlemen doing ? They read the most important journals of the day , take notes of their leading features , they talk over the topics of the leading articles for the next day ' s paper ; but this is not enough . The material for the leaders having been selected , they are discussed in detail ; notes are taken of some of the more leading features of the subject , and , if need be , the tendency is marked out . In many cases there is no need of this , but on some occasions the last measure is indispensable . The extraordinary and quick transitions of the Times are sufficiently known in Germany . The politics of the Times are an inscrutable mystery to most men , even to the majority of Englishmen ; hut the simple solution of the

    mystery is , that the Times either follows the lead of public opinion , or that it contradicts public opinion only when— -more far-sighted than its contemporaries—it foresees a change ; that under all circumstances , and at all times , it aims at a special critical interest ; and with an iron consistency , and in an astonishing sobriety it advocates this critical interest unsparingly , to the sacrifice of every other interest . That is the whole enigma of its seemingly changeable politics . It seizes with an unerring grasp that which is profitable for England , no matter how pernicious it may be for the outside barbarians . It is humane , constitutional , liberal and even sentimental in its views of foreign countries , if England finds her advantage thereby ; but it is also capable of imagining an eternal spring in the icy plains of Siberia , if an alliance with Russia should happen to advance English interests . It would even defend the slave trade , if it could be convinced that the cessation

    of that traffic would ruin the Lancashire cotton manufacturers . * * * *¦* * ¦ * * " In England , the Times is the champion of gradual and reasonable progress ; while , in its foreign policy , it clings to old allies and time-honoured systems of government ; and the very Times which the English justly consider as a moderately Liberal paper , is abused among the Liberals of the Continent as a moderately reactionai-y organ . While Protectionist papers have , for years past , accused the Times of having given itself up to the evil genius of democracy and the demons of Manchester the Radicals of all countries , are fully persuaded that the same Times is in the pay of Austria , Russia , and of all the devils generally . But the fact is , that the Times is as little democratic as it is Russian : it is as little paid

    by Willich as by Rothschild ; and , under all circumstances , and for very good reasons , it will always be found to be rather Russian than Austrian ; and rather Austrian than French ; and always , above all things , it will be found to the English , egotistical ; that is to say , political . To ask the Times , or any other reasonable political paper , to take a general purely humanistic standing point , and to ground its verdicts on the politics of the day , on the eternal laws of the history of civilization , and of moral philosophy ; to ask it , in short , to write morals instead of politics , is absurd ; and he who can make such a demand , knows nothing whatever of the position or the duties of a political iournal . * * * * * * * *

    "Wo ask the reader ' s pardon for this monstrous digression ; the temptation was too great , and we naturally thought of the tendencies of the Times while tho manager and editor consulted about to-morrow morning ' s loaders . " The consultation is over . A few short notes have been taken of its results , and a sort of programme been mado for every leader . Documents , letters from correspondents , and other papers are added £ t <> each programme , which is put into an envelope , and sent b y messenger to a certain leading article writer , who , a few hours afterwards , . sends in bin article ready written . These leading . article writers of the Times arc altogether in an exceptional position . At tho ( ierinan iiewKpaperH , the leader-writing is gcnernlly dono by the editor ; now at tho Timax , tho

    principle is generally acted upon , that the editor should rather edit tho paper , than write it . The airangeinont iH thoroughly reasonable in theory , as well an " > practice . Every one is naturally partial to his own productions . Who would quarrel with an editor if ho prefers hia own article to other essays , when he Iihh the selection among various papers on tho same subject . To save ' the editors from this temptation , and to givo them full leisure to edit attentively and impartially , they have been mostly relieved from writing . There are , however , exceptions to this salutary rule ; and we un < lor . st ; uid that tho witty and humouristi *; leaders <> u local aflUirs , which vie with the best of the VnmohfctiiUo / . ous , are from the pen <> t Mr . M . M .

    "The leading article writers havo tho programme of their articles sent to their respective domiciles . None but tho editors know who those gentlemen are , au < l what fchoir position in life jh . They never , oxcept on extraordinary occasion- * coniM to the Times oilice . They have ' pledged their words to lay no claim <;<> tl )<> authorship of Wittir own articles , or to reveal their connexion with t . lio Thnva . They have renounced all hopes of literary faiiiu ; whatever credit , in < luti to thoii ' productions belongs to tho Timctt , which monopolises all tho honour , and hears all the responsibility . Much an author hits nothing but his pay ; he him sold Inn work to t / ho journal ; and with it , he has sold ( he right to change it , to filter expressions , to remodel parts of it , or to condemn l , he article altogether . The articlo is a piece of merchandize wil . h which the purohnsor may do what he liken . " " writer ceases to agreo with l , he tendencies of the TiniCH , lie is ji , lw ; iys t \ , t liberty - break oil ' the connexion ; but , ho long } 1 h that , connexion continues , he is compelled to submit the form of his articles to the critical verdict of tho editors . " Wo tlaro not extract nioro irom a work ho choun and « o wall worth 110 qoet ,

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    _ JA ? g- THE LEADER . [ Satprw

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 3, 1853, page 1172, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2015/page/20/