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The daily papers smugly observe that the day was kept with great gravity and decorum ; and , if by this it be simply meant that the spirit of religious reverence inherent in the English mind forbade any outrage even upon the external show of piety , for the sake of the sincerity of those who recognise in Fast days some higher law than that of Privy Councils , ¦ we will not dispute the fact- We are not , indeed , aware of any extra debauchery , in the worst sense of the word , on Wednesday ; but , as far as the metropolis is concerned , we take strong exception to the allegation of gravity . The general aspect of London was not that of " humiliation" austere denial , but rather of holiday-making and
enjoyment . The myriads poured forth , from shop and warehouse , from work-room and office ( Belgravia was rolling to and from church in luxuriously stuffed carriages , since , having so much holiday time , it can afford , once in a way , to be severely pious ) poured forth , not in sackcloth and ashes , but in Sunday suits and jaunty trim ; not with faces of "humiliation , " according to Court order , but with jovial looks , intent upon a few hours' relief from the sleepless dragon of work . The chief thoroughfares were more than usually full ; the gallant guardsmen , with their girls upon their arms , sauntered along in full costume , and in all the bravery of their bearskin caps—thinking , perhaps , of their suffering
comrades far away , but certainly not otherwise * ' humiliated ; " boys played at cricket in the parks , "in unreproved pleasures free ; " and we are aware of small dinner parties and extempore dancing parties having been got up on the spur of the occasion . The shops , it is true , were more strictly closed even than on Sunday ; but we doubt if the shop-keepers were fasting , or in any way greatly mortifying themselves . As a consequence of the late Beer Bill , the publichouses were closed at the same hours as on Sundays ; but the dining-rooms continued open throughout the day , and in their several compartments the fasters feasted merrily— -entering with the look of men who had got time to enjoy themselves , and going out again unctuous and sleek with feeding .
In the morning , as on the previous evening , a curious exhibition of bur national piety was to be seen , or rather heard , in the public ways . Men of the costermonger class , rough aud dirty from the back alleys , and unwashed , pallid boys and girls from ditto—pariahs who , probably , have no conception of the nature of prayer , or only know to scoff at itvociferated from the kerbstones , " The new Form of Prayer for the Fast Day—only one penny ! " much in the same manner as they would offer you a bill of the play . Verily it may be said that Piety cried in the open streets : are we to add that no man regarded her ?
Doubtless , however , under our present darkened and truly " humiliating" circumstances , the day was not without its solemn and sincerely pious thoughts and aspirations . As a speeimen of these , we append the followingextractsfrom the chief sermons preached in London . The Leader has already expressed its disagreement with " Humiliation as-offlcio ; " but it is pleasant to find the occasion in a measure redeemed by the partial good sense (; not unmixed , liowever , with conventionality ) of those whose especial province it is to take it as their text : —
The Bishop of Salisbury at Westminster Abbey , bkfoke the House of Louds . —We might agree in the judgment which had been affirmed with such remarkable unanimity , that the war in which we are now engaged , is a just and necessary war . This remark he put in the very front of his discourse because a different judgment would introduce into the subject of our national humiliation other elements than those which now belonged to it . The justice and the necessity of the war did not , however , strip it of its many horrors , its present perils , and its uncertain and most eventful issues ; and , instead of lessening or retarding , should increase , quicken , and confirm our endeavours to obtain
success , and to secure the restoration of peace . Whatever skill , and genius , and prudence , and forethought , and manly energy could effect towards these ends should be accomplished . The deep conviction of the nation ' s heart , that the struggle was just and necessary , made such a duty only the more imperative ; and ho should indeed have a rich theme for his discourse if it were his office to insist upon this to-day , and to help to further in any degree the one hearty desire of this great empire , that every means should be used to bring its efforts to , a successful issue . But his part was rather to carry his hearers beyond secondary courses to the ordaining will of God .
Tjbb Rev . . Henry Mklvilc at St . Maroarets , Westminster , bkfoke the House of Commons . — Wo entered on thia war with no selfish purpose . Wo saw Europe already darkened by the shade of a colossal Power , which was ever pushing forward its boundary , and it was not for England to sit tamely by while country after country lost its independence . If wo had had no fears for ourselves—if wo could not contemplate the probability that the advancing tide would break on our own shores—at least it waa in our charter not to suffer the weak to bo borne down by the strong . Therefore did wo gird ourselves for the contest . ' It was no war of ambition or of aggrandiucment . Wo took up
the championship of the oppressed ? and if we looked beyond the immediate case , it was that we saw the world ' s liberties in peril , and resolved , ere too- late , to make a stand for civilisation , for enlightenment , for human progress and human happiness . . . . They had assembled there that day to confess the hand of the Almighty in the Calamities with M-hich we had been visited , and to beseech of Him that , in His own good time , He would vouchsafe to us" a secure and , prosperous peace . " They were not in that place , at least , to look at second causes , but meekly and submissively to own that , whether or not we had done all that might have been done towards procuring success , we had been smitten of God , to whom human errors , as well as human
triumphs , were but instruments for furthering His will . But , at the same time , we ought thankfully to acknowledge that there were' many bright points in aiTotherwise dark picture . The war , for example , had set before the world the noble spectacle of two great nations , long separated by jealousies and rivalries , laying aside ancestral enmities , and combining in the cause of civilisation and freedom . All honour to our brave allies ! It was a fine augury for the interests of our race that France was one with England in resisting oppression . Then , again , there was the evidence of a better education , of a wider diffusion of enlarged and religious sentiments than one had ventured to look for . Why , many of the published letters of our privates would do credit
to the heads and the hearts of men trained by all the processes of a refined Christian instruction . Above all , the war had called forth one fine and noble trait ; it had shown , that numbers of the weaker sex , though born to wealth and bread in luxury , were ready to renounce every comfort and to brave every hardship that they might minister to the suffering , tend the wounded in their agony , and soothe the last struggles of the dying . God bless them in . this their heroic mission—it might almost be said , in their heroic martyrdom!—for , in walking those long lines of sick beds , in devoting themselves to all the ghastly duties of a hospital , they were doing a harder thing than had been allotted to many who had mounted the scaffold of dared the stake .
There recently came sudden tidings to England ; with 'bated breath men whispered them one to the other —they seemed almost incredible , and yet they were authentic . The potentate who had been foremost in this contest , the man who stood-out from the rest of his race , the most conspicuous , perhaps , in power , in energy , in strength of will , in firmness of purpose , in sweep of enterprise—he was dead , —dead , with countless squadrons waiting his bidding , —dead , with convulsed kingdoms watching his throes , —dead , while a whole world , it might almost be-said , was being ^ shaken by Ms tread . Then , who would presume to count upon to-morrow ? At once , lest death overtake-us , let each resolve to be a better patriot by being a better Christian .
The Bishop of London at St . Paul ' s . —Was there not one topic of self-abasement directly arising out of the circumstances that had given cause for this solemn act of humiliation ? Had we not reason for self-reproach in the secure and overweening pride and self-confidence which we had exhibited ? Did we enter on the struggle in which we are engaged , in humble reliance on the over-ruling power and mercy of our God ? Did we not jather manifest something of vainglory ? How loudly did we boast of our inexhaustiblei resources— of the number and bravery of our naval and military armaments , Trafal
that were to rival , if not surpass , the glories of gar and Waterloo ! And , now , how were we shorn of our strength ? How little did we think of the instruments by which the Almighty had disappointed our eager anticipations ? How little did we think of the unknown power and resources of the foe—of the imperfections of our own system of warfare ? Of that noble and highminded band of men who went forth amid the cheers and plaudits of this country to fight our battles in a distant land , how many thousands lie festering in the shallow trenches of the Crimea , or in the waters that wash its shores ?
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A VISION BEFORE A FAST . I dheamt last night that the Man in tho Moon ( In dreams my particular crony ) Dropt in to spend a long forenoon , So he begged I'd go out , as a very great boon , And act as his Cicerone . You see he ' s Prime Minister up c / iez lui , And tho' they ' re at peaco , ho had come to seo How we managed our martial labours ; For , like a wise statesman , he said ho knew That tho' statesmen be ever so wine , there are few Who ^ night not take a hint from their neighbours
Ho shouldered his sticks and ho whistled his dog ; I gave him my arm and forth wo jog : Said I , " You must understand , That to-day wo aro holding a solemn Fust , Which wo hope will pay up for tho sins of tho past , And leave ua a balance in hand . " Then inethought we stood by a portal wide , Where carriages clustered about ; Fair dames were waiting their turn inside , Grave gentlemen stepping out . We took our place with the pious throng , And into , tho church wo were borne ulony . A clergyman preached—but ho spoke of no wrong ,
Tho' much of the judgments of Heaven : How war was sent for the sins of mankind-How famine and pestilence stalked behind—Then he dwelt ou " rebukes" of wave and wind With a sentimental leaven . He begged that his hearers would fast and pray , And humble themselves that particular day , Then probably Heaven might deign to stay , The ills that its wrath had given .
My friend with the sticks looked rather perplexed For me , I was thinking , instead of the text , Of a sentence of doubtful gentility : As lords and ladyships outward prest , I whispered , " The pride that the Devil loves best , Is the pride that apes humility . " 1 suppose I went off in an absent way , For my friend with a nudge began to say" Now , tell me the meaning of all this pother ? It has , I presume , some meaning or other ?"
" Well then—you know were a very great nation—But tho' we may boast of our information , We make a mistake here and there . Our governing classes don ' t quite know their trade , And a few insignificant blunders they ' ve made Have cost us many a good brigade . As for beggarly millions—who'd care ? With fleets and navies that rule the main , And merchants that girdle the globe for gain , We have left , unclothed in the pelting rain , Our bravest to spend their lives in vain , Tho' their spoil no enemies share . And when we would ask the reason why , A chorus of gentlemen raise the cry—?
There ' s no one to blame—not I—nor I ! Do ye dare to insist ? Then we'll say good by !' So they call the nation to prayer . ' " " By my lady ' s horns and their golden tips , " Said the Man in the Moon , " if we made such slips , We should pray for a speedy lunar eclipse And hide our humility there ! I will give you a little advice , if I may—Be counselled—and try a better way : First sweep and garnish—then go and pray , And Hearen may , perchance , give heed . But he who raises his unwashed hands , And supplicates Heaven to cleanse them , stands Small chance of a blessing at need !" My friend had flourished , while thus he spoke , A stick from his bundle , which suddenly broke , And I , with a start , as sudden awoke . Was it all but a dream , indeed ? Q-
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STATE OF TRADE , LABOUK , AND THE POOR . The state of the country , speaking generally , is decidedly more cheerful than it has been for many weeks past ; yet considerable depression still exists in different localities , and the reduction of workmen ' s wages in several branches of trade is contemplated . The iron trade of South Staffordshire exhibits some degree ot improvement ; American orders are becoming more numerous ; and there is an increase in the home trade . _ JNevertheless , prices are still so low , in comparison with the state of the markets a year or a year and a half since , that a fall in the price of labour is talked of , and by some considered
inevitable . The coalmasters have held a meeting at Stourbridge for the purpose of reducing colliers' miners' wages , and notices will bo forthwith given accordingly . As a matter of course , the price of coal will fall in proportion . The step is taken , as it is stated , to meet the condition of tho iron trade , and not in consequence of any particular falling off in the demand for coal . The colliers will be reduced Is . per day , and stonemen 9 d . The reduction of wages and the suspension of work is not confined to the immediate neighbourhood of Staffordshire , but
extends to the iron districts of Shropshire . Tho workmen employed in the collieries of the Madeley Wood Company have hud notice of reduction to the extent of 6 d . per day , and those employed in the extensive iron works of tho Coalbrookdalo Company , at the Horsehayes , have received notice of a reduction of ten per cent . In the Potteries of North Staffordshire the same process is in operation . The failures in tho iron trade , to which allusion waa made Jast Aveek , have not led to nriy further serious results . The copper market remains extremely firm , and , ac-/ . mvlinir tn t . ho ftt . ntnmonts of practical men , is likely
to continue so . The article is scarce , and tho demand improving . At Hloxwich there nre good orders for locks , and tho business of the "" 8 ^ " ^ ' ? stated to bo decidedly improving . Withm the hist fortnight tho demands from factora have been much nrger than for some ti . no past . The same may be said of the " trade of Willenlmll . The staple trade of he district is looking up . At Watoall the saddlorn ironmongery trade is somewhat Hut , but in that town aiMliuBirinin « hom military orders arc brisk . Tho makers of agricultural implements represent themselves as busy in every branch , ' At present , however , tho retail tradesmen of Birmingham describe their various businesses acroas tho counter as
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March 24 , . 1855 . J THE LEADER . 273
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 24, 1855, page 273, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2083/page/9/
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