Prof. Thomson's Method of Neutralising the Earth Currents. 553 sure action in his experiments at Keyham, must be determined. by further investigations, theoretical, if not experimental. The effect of earth currents in the submerged cable—that is to say, of currents through the insulated conductor, due to differences in the earth's magnetism at the points where the conductor is in connection with the earth-has been found by Professor Thomson to have been very striking. They have, as was to be expected, become more and more prominent, as the fault in the wire became worse. At present (September 28) they amount ordinarily to twenty or thirty times (as indicated by Professor Thomson's instruments) what he should have considered as amply sufficient signals a month ago, when telegraphic operations were still practicable. In order to compensate the effect of these currents on the receiving instrument, the Professor has introduced, in the Earth Electrode of the Galvanometer, a very simple piece of apparatus, by which the observer has merely to move a slide to one position or another on a frame below the scale, in order to apply whatever degree of electro-motive force is required to bring the spot of light to any convenient position on the scale. Even when earth currents vary so as, if uncompensated, to carry the image out of sight, the observer may, with a little care, bring it back, and keep it constantly in range during the receipt of a message, without losing a signal. The times when these disturbances are so violent as not to be thus manageable, are certainly not frequent; and the experience which Professor Thomson has now had, along with theoretical considerations not open to doubt, allows him to state with confidence, that work through an Atlantic cable, in tolerably good condition, will be very rarely stopped by earth currents. Such is a brief account of the origin and progress of submarine telegraphs, of the submerging of the great Atlantic cable,--of the accidents which have befallen it,-of the methods which have revealed its locality, and of the instruments by which it spoke articulately beneath 2000 miles of ocean, and by which even its tremulous and dying accents have been interpreted. It is impossible to read such exciting and instructive details, without admiring the enterprise of its promoters-the courage and patience of the officers and engineers who succeeded in submerging it-and of the electricians, who have shown such marvellous skill in discovering the locality of its wounds, and in deciphering its ambiguous and fluttering signals. In chronicling the history of an undertaking in which so much practical skill and theoretical knowledge have been displayed, it would be ungenerous to underrate by invidious comparison the services of individuals when each has done his duty, and when success has crowned their united labours. But, we are sure, that we excite no painful feelings, when we mention the pre-eminent services of our distinguished countryman Professor William Thomson of Glasgow, who not only laboured at the testing and signalling operations on board the "Agamemnon," during both its voyages; but who, by his mathematical and physical acquirements, has provided the scientific world with instruments of observation and research, to carry the messages of commerce and civilisation which will yet cross the uncabled oceans that separate the families of the earth. Our readers will already have observed that we are not among the number of those who have any doubt of the final success of the Atlantic Telegraph. We cannot but hold in derision the attempts which have been made to prejudice the public mind against this magnificent enterprise. When a bridge or a viaduct falls, who ever doubted that it will reappear on a firmer base, and with a nobler elevation. If the Atlantic wire has lost its insulation, who can doubt that its virtue will be restored, or that it will be replaced by another more perfectly insulated. If the cable has been grazed by the rude friction of its bed, or has snapped on the sharp edge of a submarine rock, its surface wound may heal or be healed, its separated parts may be united, or a new and a stronger cable may be submerged. If the earth currents occasionally confound or overpower its speech, science has ample enough resources to extricate the genuine signal, and to reduce to subordination these pirates of the deep. In such operations, doubtless, the means of its promoters may be exhausted, and a large expenditure required; but, if an enterprise so cosmical in its character, and one in which Great Britain and the United States have so deep an interest, should require it, can it be doubted that they will jointly advance the funds necessary to its completion? The appreciation of an Atlantic Telegraph so nobly exhibited by the people of the States during the first phase of its success, leads us to believe, that the Republican spirit would deal generously with such a proposal, even though the cable has its origin and termination on a soil not their own. The apathy of our countrymen on the same occasion, and the parsimony of our Government so frequently and painfully displayed when science or art, or any branch of the civil service calls for their liberality, discourages the hope that they will thus aid a great public work, though it rests on British ground, and must powerfully contribute to British interests.1 The joint possession of the Atlantic Telegraph by Great Britain and the United States, would remove the apprehension so sensitively felt in America, and so pointedly referred to by the President in his message to the Queen, that the telegraph might be employed by England as a military engine, and for hostile purposes. Supposed Pacific Influence of the Atlantic Telegraph. 555 But should the two Governments refuse to form so noble a copartnery, we are confident that every individual of the AngloSaxon race, on both sides of the Atlantic, and even the inhabitants of those civilised countries that would benefit by the telegraphic union of the Old and New World, would contribute their share to the millions of money that might be required to effect it. Among the many advantages of a rapid communication between the eastern and western hemispheres, anticipated by its promoters, that of preventing hostilities between Great Britain and America, has been the most deeply cherished. Lieutenant Maury was convinced, that "no high-minded people would ever dream of employing, as a military engine, a cable consecrated to the service of commerce, the advancement of science, and the benefit and improvement of the whole human family;" and Professor Morse, in repeating the same sentiment, expressed his belief, that "when New York became a suburb of London, and Washington the western half of Westminster, an American war would be impossible;" and that "an increase in the facilities for the interchange of ideas, for the opening out of commercial relations, and for the development of intelligence, must diminish the necessity of appeals from reason to force." The warlike press of England, so long accustomed to deride the pacific aspirations of her philanthropists, has not hesitated to reciprocate these noble sentiments, and to express their "full belief that the effect of bringing the Three Kingdoms and the United States into instantaneous communication with each other, will be to render hostilities between the two nations almost impossible for the future.1 We regret that we cannot discover in the submarine cable so magical a virtue. We may expect, indeed, that in the increase of our commercial relations with America, and in the identity of interests which must arise between nations that boast of the same freedom and speak the same tongue, the feelings of the past may be forgotten, and more friendly relations gradually formed; but, while the human tiger retains his ferocity, and clings to the idea that the shedding of innocent Christian blood is compatible with his faith, we cannot indulge the hope that even an instantaneous communication with our Anglo-Saxon brethren will extinguish national feelings, and reconcile conflicting interests. But, while we are unable to cherish the pious expectations of the philanthropist, we have no doubt that the two great Anglo-Saxon nations will one day be united, and that in this union the nations of the earth will have the best security for their liberties, and the surest guarantee of universal peace. 1 Times, August 1858. ART. XI.-RECENT PUBLICATIONS. History of Civilization in England. By H. T. BUCKLE. Vol. I. 2d Edit. Parker and Son. 1858. WE had seriously intended to devote a lengthened article to this work when it first appeared; but, on carefully reading it, the volume did not seem worthy of such notice. The subject is a noble one; and, were we to judge of the excellence of the treatment by the list of authors professedly consulted by Mr Buckle, we should have a high idea of the execution. This list stands in lieu of preface, and extends to fourteen pages. Mr Buckle has evidently, to use his own expression about himself, looked through the leaves of a good many volumes; and his long list may go for much with those (a large class) who are not thorough students. He is obviously no critic; for, when he attempts to give his opinion upon the literary merits of books, it is by the use of such vague terms as "splendid." He has plainly not availed himself of the most recent sources of information; thus, what he says about Brazil (p. 96), is quite at variance with the elaborate account of that country lately given by Pereira de Silva, a member of the Brazilian Chamber, in the Revue des Deux Mondes. Again, Dr Barth has refuted what he says about Central Africa. He is not more accurate about matters of art. Thus, "nearly all the great sculptors come from Spain and Italy." Excepting Canova, what Italian sculptor of the last hundred years can be compared with Chantrey, Danneker, and Thorwaldsen; and what Spaniard, during that time, has obtained a trans-Spanish reputation? Mr Buckle gives himself out as a person who has paid much attention to French subjects. But, judging by the chapter which he has devoted to the period 1550-1661 (chap. viii., pp. 460-557), we suspect his knowledge is of the read-up-character. About French Protestantism, two of his chief authorities are Smedley's History, a publication got up for a popular library; and the work of Capefigue, an author who has been shown to be thoroughly partisan and superficial. Mr Buckle has allowed himself to speak of the Calvinist ministers in terms which only the lower order of Popish controversialists would enploy. Thus, they are "these insignificant priests"-" only fit to mount the pulpit of a country village." (Has Mr Buckle seen any town villages in his travels?) This is the way he writes of such men as Daille, Claude, and Dumoulin (whom he calls Moulin, obviously never having seen the title-page of his works). He studiously keeps out of view that the Synods of the Protestants were composed of elders as well as ministers, in order to sneer at "ecclesiastics." Again, he keeps from the knowledge of his reader the local persecutions of the Parliaments of Bordeaux, Grenoble, and others, in order to give credit to his baseless hypothesis, that there was no persecution before Louis XIV. took the government into his own hand. He further suppresses the extinction of Protestantism as the established religion in Bearn by Louis XIII. in 1617; that imbecile prince thus reversing what his pious grandmother, Jane d'Albret had accomplished in 1568. The preventing the circulation of Protestant books throughout France, Buckle's History of Civilization. 557 by a royal edict, and many other equally intolerant acts of the central authority during the reign of Louis XIII., and the minority of Louis XIV., are ignored by Mr Buckle. The reader will find them fully enumerated by M. Drion in his "Chronological History" (Paris 1855). Coming further down in French history, Mr Buckle favours us with his opinion that Massillon (p. 783) was the last eminent man of the Gallican Church before the Revolution. Of Bridaine whom Massillon declared his superior in pulpit oratory, Mr Buckle appears never to have heard. Yet so common a book as Bungener's "Priest and Huguenot," might have informed him. The learned labours of the Benedictines of St Maur were only stopped by the Revolution; but, of the great contributions which they have made to the early and mediæval history of France, this gentleman is pleased to say nothing. Guizot and the two brothers Thierry, have spoken, however, and their testimony is of far greater value than Mr Buckle's ignorance or ignoring. About the sceptical writers of France, Mr Buckle ought to be better informed, for their views would largely harmonize with his own. But what authority (he quotes none) has he for saying that Charron's treatise on Wisdom "possessed in the seventeenth century a reputation of the highest order" (p. 475). Mr Hallam merely says, "it had a considerable reputation." But Mr Hallam weighs his words, and Mr Buckle merely writes them. Has this gentleman a peculiar grudge against Presbyterianism? It would seem so: we have seen his review of the Huguenots, and Scotland loses favour in his eyes. The Scottish people "are more superstitious than the French." So La Salette has been far outdone, we presume, by some got-up miracles on the north of the Tweed! He tells us that Francis Hutcheson (p. 227), was an Irishman by birth; and a sentence or two further on, his method was adopted by another and greater Scotchman!" Adam Smith!" In Mr Buckle's enumeration of eminent philosophical Scotchmen (pp. 227–230), Campbell, Reid, and Chalmers, are all left out of view; they were "ecclesiastics," and it did not suit Mr Buckle's sceptical prejudices to mention them! "Whoever will look into Scotch theology" (the whole book is only a series of "lookings into," hence its sciolism), and read the proceedings of the Scotch Assemblies and Consistories (!) ("at how many meetings of kirksession, Mr Buckle, are there newspaper reporters; but, probably, you do not know what consistory means)" will see how little the country has benefited by its religion" (p. 243). His great authority on Scotch history is Barry's Orkney Islands! Mr Buckle professes to be a sceptic, yet a believer in Christianity. But as Christianity means with him nothing more than a belief of a Deity, and some sort of existence after death, it would be more becoming in him to call himself a Deist. Nobody can be imposed upon by such a profession of Christianity as he makes. To him Gibbon's 15th and 16th chapters stand unrefuted. That Guizot and Mackintosh were of an opposite opinion he takes care to conceal, as he does, that Lord Hailes wrote against Gibbon. Priestley's History of the Corruptions of Christianity, is his great authority for the statement, that there is much Paganism |