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asserted to be the greatest of Englishmen ; a great deal of argument based on the completeness of his intellectual and moral nature being used by the orator in support ipf his opinion , about which , however , there will be more than one opinion . It is a Question well worth considering , nevertheless . The lecturer characterised Goethe , Voltaire , arid Byron as great thinkers " and brilliant poets who cast distrust and doubt over human society , damping all true religious aspiration ; but eternally contemptible and worthless is that muse which loves the dirt and darkness of earth more than the wholesome air arid sweet light that dwell upon the flowers and around the stars ! Is that muse which sees no truth , or beauty in the great hope of man in immortality ?
Milton , however , saw something more in this " brave o ' erhanging firmament than a pestilent congregation of vapours ; " his life was never dull nor his soul weary of it through unbelief . Milton loved the deeper and more solemn strains of the prophets , which carry the human imagination forward to that hour when the soul shall be confronted with eternal " temperance , righteousness , and judgment to come . " Having noticed Sir Isaac Newton ' s question respecting Paradise Lost , " and vindicated , in an eloquent style , the use and value of that poem , declaring that poetry like the " charity" of the i nspired apostle would endure for ever , he compared Milton with Luther . Luther liberated the Church and gave the in
Bible to mankind for every soul of whom it was - tended . Milton strove also to liberate the Ghiirch ; but more than that , he strove to . liberate the State , to carry the divine idea of Protestantism into government , and make a reformation there . Luther protested against the Pontiff only , and confined his idea of reformation to the Church , Milton , and for this he . is greater than Luther , demanded perfect liberty for man , protested against all tyrannies and usurpations , basing his arguments on man ' s rights to moral freedom and intellectual liberty , and holding all reformations to be commensurate with Christian truth . And this tTanscendant perception and assertion of freedom of mind and freedom of action ranks
Milton for ever among the best and brightest names on the world ' s historic roll , as a faithful teacher of truth , and an utishrinkin g defender of human rights . With several well recited passages from his poems in the course of the evening concluded a very excellent and glowing lecture on Milton . The attendance was numerous and the oration highly applauded .
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Death of Mr . Fredekick Cbace . — -Mr . Crn . ce , Senr ., whose talents as a tasteful and artistic decorator have been acknowledged by the public for more than half a century , expired _ at his residence in Hammersmith on the 18 th . inst ., in the 81 st year of his age . In early life he was employed , to carry out the most important decorations that were at that time executed , more especiall y for the Prince Regent at Carlton House , and the Pavilion at Brighton ; afterwards , by the personal desire of the king—George IV . —he was engaged in the principal decorative work at Windsor Castle and the Fishing Temple at Virginia Water . The King at all times treated him with great kindness and consideration . Mr . Grace has always taken great interest in the history and
topograph y of London , but for the last thirty years of his life he has devoted himself with untiring energy and industry in p erfecting his most valuable and extensive collection of maps , plans , and views of every part of the metropolis from a very early period to the present time ; and it ia probable that no city was ever before so fully illustrated . He lived to complete his work , his love for -which was most earnest to , tho last . He has left this collection to his son , who fully participates in the zeal which animated his father to perfect so laborious , an undertaking , and who , wo understand , intends" to publish a catalogue of its contents . Mr . Grace ' s personal character ensured the respect and esteem of every one who came in contact with him , and few men had moro sincere friends in all ranks of life .
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Pout on London . — -The general business during the past week has been more active ; 351 vessels wore announced at the Custom House aa having arrived from foreign ports . There wore six from Ireland and 260 colliers . Tlio entries outwards amounted to 125 , and those cleared to 00 , bosides V in bullii&t . The departures for the Australian color Hies have been fouy vessels , vise . -. —One to Sydney , two to Adelaide , and one to Melb . ourno : tho . total tonnage representing 3 , 011 . The Aooountnnt - General of Madras , Mr . Prondorgast , Is bolngr prosecuted for malversation of office .
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siderable , and , added to the tabular statement , must satisfy the reader that the trade of China , though not large for such a mighty empire , _ in comparison to our Avonderfi . il traffic , is , in relation . to the trade of Russia—a somewhat similar empire —very considerable . From the very earliest periods of history an overland traffic between China and Europe has been carried on , and the over-sea trade between that country and Europe , though comparatively modern , is now more than a century and a half old . Almost ever since it was
THE TRADE OF CHINA . A CONTEMPORARY , connected with the Treasury , stated very appropriately last week the amount of our trade with China . Epitomising the subject from his remarks and our own resources , we place the following summary of the whole trade of that country before our readers : — EXPORT TRADE OP CHINA . OVER SEA . To England—average of 1850-1858 . £ 9 , 300 , 000 India • 800 , 000 Australia f ........... maybe 000 , 000 America , in 1857 2 , 300 , 000 Other countries—rhillipine , Society , and ) 500 000 other islands .. maybe J OVER LAND . To Russia only , in 1818 ...... 868 , 000 Total ... .... ' • £ 14 , 3 GS , 000 IMPORT TRADE OF CHINA . BY SEA . From S ^ :: v ::: ;; ::::::. "^ v . v . v :. " \ v :: v iSS . iSc ^ ::::::::::::.::::::: :::::::::::- : wo Other countries unknown .... OVER USD . Russia ... 1 , 30 S , 000 Total . ......... £ 12 , 868 , 000 We are quite aware that this table is very incomplete , but it may serve to give an idea of the trade of China . Since the date of the Russian returns the trade between Ruusia and China may have much augmented . We know nothing of the value of the trade which China carries on with other parts of Asia , or with France , Spain , Portugal , Bremen , Hamburg ,. Denmark , Prussia , Belgium , Chile , Peru , Norway , Siam , Mexico , Burmah , the Phillipines , and all the islands of the neighbouring seas , all the vessels of which appear in her harbours . This trade is known , however , to be
concommenced it has continually increased , and we have every reason to believe that our own regulations , not any hostility of the Chinese to trade , impeded its growth . As bur readers know , the trade of England with China was formerly a close monopoly in the hands of the East India Company , and it made comparatively little progress till the monopoly was abolished . Then it increased as fast as almost any trade in the world , and now it has attained gigantic
dimens . There is , in truth , another species of export from China , not to be estimated in £ > s , d ., that is now of vast importance . From various parts of the empire the people emigrate voluntarily to Australia , the western coast of America , and the islands of the Indian Ooean . They go to seek their fortunes , they establish communities that are said to bo orderly , and return to their own country
after a cortain season of exertion- Many , too , are hired for a term , and carried by their own consent to tho Mauritius , Cuba , and . other sugar-growing colonies . This export has now been going on for some years , and has spread the Chinese over many countries inhabited or possessed by Europeans . They have already entered , then , completely Into tho community of trade , though their Government may yet stand aloof from the community of diplomatists .
Thero is a still further community into which they have fully entered , that constituted by a common use of the precious metals . They use them as wo use them . They arc as fearful of losing thorn as wo are , and tho only disturbance Sir John Bowring ever saw amongst the Chinese wns oocnHionod , he recently told the British Association , by an exportation of silver . It is p l a in , from our brief table above , that the imports of hina ftom Eng land and Ame rica , t o g o thor o nl y £ 0 , 000 , 000 , fall fur short of hor exports to those two countries , tbgother £ 11 , 000 , 000 ; and this balance has by some means to bo made good . Tho snnio fact is true ot Australia , whioh imports tea
from China , but exports only a few furs to pay for it . So far as the balance due to China from these countries cannot be paid ; through the excess of exports from India to China , , £ 7 , 200 , 000 , consisting chiefly of opium ; it has to be made good by sending the precious metals to China . There is annually a large export of silver from Europe to China , which is necessary to the' common settlement of accounts between the various nations of the earth . By a common use of the precious metals for the purpose of measuring and distributing the produce of labour all people are united , and this union with the general payment and distribution of the produce of industry will everywhere be partially disturbed' by a war which impedes the trade , goods , men , and the precious metals between China and other countries .
Unfortunately , our Government when it was compelled—for it was compelled—by the urgent demands of the merchants of London , Liverpool , Glasgow , Bristol , and Hull , to abolish the East India Company ' s monopoly , it undertook to regulate and make itself responsible for the ? Chinese trade . It despatched a superintendent of trade to China , and established its authority in the waters of that empire . Ever since , as our trade has grown , our officials have been continually at loggerheads with the Chinese officials ; and by their quarrels the trade has been continually interrupted . It has been checked by them lately , as it was formerly checked by the East India Company ' s monopoly . The Chinese Government , very naturally jealous of our Government ^^ seeing what it has done in India and elsewhere—has been very
reluctant to enter into official communication ; and to force such a communication on it has been the great object of all our contests with the Mongols . To trade the Chinese empire has long been open to all the ' world ; and it is at once false and absurd to say that we have made war "to Open up that semi-barbarous empire to commerce . " The Government of China founded on conquest may be a nuisance , but the Chinese have been for ages eminently fond of traffic , which should recommend them to a trading people . What may be the effects of the . war now about to be renewed' by our Gover nment and that of Louis Napoleon against the Mongol Emperor it is quite impossible to foresee . During the late war between the Governments the remarkable spectacle
was exhibited of the open continuance of a very active trade between us and the Chinese . As we noticed last week , the spectacle was so extraordinary that it included the collection of a part of the revenues of the Mongol Emperor by our own consuls , who banded over to his servants the sinews of war . When her Majesty ' s servants thus " comfort her Majesty ' s enemies , and avowedly commit the treasonable offence of supplying them
with the means of opposing her , the condition so new and so completely anomalous that it is impossible to foresee results . It is quite impossible , therefore , to tell to what degree the trade in which her Majesty ' s Indian empire , as well as her home and her colonial empire , and almost all the world , is to a degree concerned , will be interrupted . _ We can only foresee that impediments will be laid in its way , and that war will be , both directly and indirectly , destructive of welfare . ht be
The mercantile classes , who mig expected to be deeply affected at this circumstance , seem to sink their own character in that of the diplomatist or p o litici an , and , regardless of trade , advocate the severe punishment of the Mongols , and the restoration in Asia of our national superiority . Xt is , however , plain that tho mercantile classes aro by no means infallible ; that all men err from wa nt o f s u ffi c i e nt knowled ge—not from liking error , or liking the suffering to which error is sure to lead : and that they seek what they suppose to methodWhen it
be their advantage by a wrong . is said for trade generally that it is sure to bo most successful when exclusively trusted to private interest , it is by no means implied , nor even dreamed , that the merchant , in tho pursuit of his own interest c a n never go ' wrong . Badly as he may understand it , all that is claimed for him in , that ho must understand it a great deal bettor than the statesmen who ' would direct him and control lii « actions , in strenuously advocating for him , therefore , perfect freedom of action , wo admit thnt in matters of Ins own intoroBt- —and especially in matters of diplomacy and policy , thoug h they relate ^ to nations with which ho carries on trado—ho »» just as liable to bo in error as any qthor poraon .
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No . 496 . Sept . 24 , 1859- ] THE LEADER- 1089
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 24, 1859, page 1089, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2313/page/21/
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