have vied with each other in expressing the most loyal, nay personal, affection to the sovereign; so that the fiercest democracy has been awed; and whoever might be the minister, or whatever the measure, the question has never been breathed, in any decent quarter, whether a monarchy is an advantageous institution, or hereditary succession the best condition of tenure. Now it is obvious that the less collateral the accession, and the more orderly and expected in the usual course of nature, the less room is there for agitating speculations and the wild theories of demagogues. We hailed therefore the birth of a princess last year. It was pleasant for the old to look upon the child of England, and for the young to grow up with her, with salutary associations, and loyal feelings, in case no male heir to the throne should set aside her claim. But this forbids not to say,-nor does the retrospect of the annals of that admirable British sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, or the honour in which we hold our present Queen, preclude the mention that, other circumstances being equal, the sceptre, like the sword, better becomes the hand of a man than of a woman. The affairs of Spain, Portugal, and France, during the last ten years, strikingly illustrate this averment. Had the king of the French reigned over either of the nations of the Peninsula, or either of the Peninsular queens over France, we make little doubt that Spain and Portugal would have escaped many of their revolutionary struggles, and that France, wanting Louis Philippe's sound judgment and firm hand, would have been fearfully perilled. In our own well settled country, and with the admirably arranged system of government and legislation which we have so long enjoyed (thanks be to the Author of every good gift!) neither the sex, nor even the personal character, of the sovereign, is so prominent in the business of state, as under less skilfully adjusted systems. Not indeed that the opinions or habits of a British sovereign are of slight importance; far from it; but, speaking by comparison, though the British constitution affords unbounded scope for the energies of a good and able sovereign, and his virtues tell with blessed effect upon the country, the defects or errors of a weak or a bad one are powerfully counteracted by antagonist influences. In the selection of ministers, the arrangements of a court, and the liability to be acted upon by party and intrigue, or to be swayed by personal favouritism, a female ruler, however skilful and well-meaning, is exposed to peculiar dangers. Under these circumstances, it is no impeachment of any man's philosophy, no debasing of narrow-minded prejudice, that he should rejoice as a patriot, to see an infant prince who, we may hope, will be educated in English habits, exhibit a high pattern of English character, and grow up with such wellacquired personal affection and respect, as may render his succession, in the course of nature, a source of satisfaction and benefit to his country. Above all, as Christians, earnestly should we pray that our young prince may be educated in the faith and fear of Christ, as his faithful servant and soldier; and become an honoured instrument in the hand of God, of greatly promoting the spiritual as well as temporal interests of our beloved country. Upon American affairs we remarked last month," As to the case of Grogan, there can be no question that if the strict line of international law has been transgressed, the British government will offer due apology and reparation. We have no fear that the case of M'Leod will terminate fatally; but we trust that, under the powerful influence of the present British administration, it will lead to a revision of the whole state of affairs between the two countries, and to a mutually honourable and satisfactory adjustment." Our anticipations respecting Grogan and M'Leod were happily realized; and we rejoice that not only has immediate danger of collision by the mercy of God been avoided, but that there seems reason to hope the long entangled relations of the two nations will be revised, and peacefully settled. We refer our readers to some remarks in our Preface upon the national census, the results of which have been recently published. The lamented conflagration of the Tower of London has not been attended with any very serious loss, except of a portion of interesting national relics which cannot be replaced. It may seem fanciful to draw any special inference from the remarkable fact that our two Houses of Parliament, our great commercial einporium, the Royal Exchange, and a considerable part of our chief national fortress and armoury, the Tower of London, all lie at this moment devastated by conflagration; but the Christian will not think it unmeet to ask, without pressing analogies too closely, whether there is not just cause why God should have a controversy 1841.] Public Affairs-Correspondents. with us as a nation, in regard to the sins of our legislation, our commerce, and our arms, all which are our boast; and if he have, why may he not make fire to be a messenger to betoken his displeasure, as he has declared war, famine, and the sword to be? Remembering the case of the tower of Siloam, we do not assert that the coincidence was meant to be significant; but it may be fitly noticed to suggest a moral. So Mr. O'Connell is actually Lord Mayor of Dublin! He goes in civic state to the door of the Romanist chapel; and pursues his repeal scheine and collects his pauper rent as heretofore. In the mean time everything is to be mild and conciliating upon the part of loyalists and Protestants. Sir R. Peel's administration must not be damaged by "outbreaks of fanaticism." Lord Alvanley accordingly has published a pamphlet, which is reprinted in the Times newspaper, recommending, as the best are sorry 813 we means of securing tranquillity to Ireland, that the Romanist priests should be salaried by the State; and that Queen subjects by sending a representative to Victoria should oblige her "Catholic " Rome. A very able and Scriptural republished (by Hatchard) which ply to his Lordship's pamphlet has been we have not space left to do more than recommend to perusal without quoting from. There are other symptoms of ungodly concession, and what is called " cushioning questions" to promote peace. The quietists urge their friends not to press Church extension, Lord's Day observance, and several other serious matters. laxity. "Follow, peace with all men' makers must guard against this ungodly True peace-but it is added "And holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Conscience, Scripture, Protestantism, duty, must not be sacrificed to uphold a false conservatism. Above all," No peace with Rome." ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. F.; A Constant Reader; T. G.; Libra; M. J. M.; B.; W. C.; R.; J. F.; Thomas; G.; and IT; are under consideration. Mr. Childs, the printer at Bungay, has written, in reply to the remarks in our last Number upon his incorrect stereotyped Rollin, that the blunder "was almost immediately detected and remedied by the printing of cancel sheets;" adding, "The copies of the book were made perfect, and if your correspondent really have one copy uncorrected, it is by singular good fortune he has obtained the means of gratifying the personal malignity towards myself which he has not now for the first time manifested." Here Mr. Childs, who for many years has been carrying on an abusive selfish agitation, under pretence of the glory of God and the public good, to throw open the printing of the English Bible in favour of his own stereotype press; and venting his radicalism, dissenterism, and spite against the Church of England; the moment the tables are turned by a passing exhibition of a book “ Son," the errors in one sheet of which outvie the aggregate of blunders which stereotyped and printed by John Childs and either "malignity" or selfish cupidity has ever bruited against the Bibles issued from the authorized presses; has the effrontery to affirm that the disclosure is dictated by "personal malignity." He cannot deny the fact; nor has he stated how many of the blundering sheets were printed, or were sent out into the world; but in vague generalities he says that "the error was almost immediately detected;" and he even pretends to doubt whether the detector "really have one copy uncorrected" (if he had not, how could he have made the collation ?) and he affects to attribute it to "singular good fortune" that the complainant obtained the means of gratifying his "personai malignity;" whereas, as was stated last month, the copy was purchased casually, in the ordinary way of business, by an order to a London bookseller, and there is not the slightest proof that the faulty copies were not largely circulated. Mr. Childs has not ventured to affirm that the copies boarded before the cancel, were unboarded in order to change the bad sheets. But the number issued has nothing to do with the matter. Here is a book, such as we have described, sold in the shops, after all the parade made about the immaculate stereotype Bibles which Mr. Childs was to issue. As to the remark about "gratifying personal malignity," we need only state that the book was ordered for a lady for the use of her children; and the blunders mentioned last month were casually noticed, and, as we stated, without "the slightest knowledge" either of the name of the printer, or that the book was stereotyped. In reply to two correspondents, we observe, that we cannot obtrude upon our readers long replies to something that somebody has written in some magazine or newspaper, of which we never even heard, against some opinion or remark of theirs. |