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THE NEW LORD RECTOR OF GLASGOW 

 UNIVERSITY. 



THE fact has never been doubted, that religious bigotry blinds man's 

 judgment and incapacitates him for the formation of an unbiassed 

 opinion respecting the merits of those who are opposed to him on a 

 single point. The high-churchman not only denies the privilege of 

 salvation to those out of the pale of episcopacy, but allows his pre- 

 judice to act unfavourably in the conclusions that he may draw 

 respecting the general and social character of such men ; and so 

 likewise, the stiff dissenter, while he denounces episcopacy as for- 

 malism and state-policy, looks with jealousy at all churchmen, in 

 whatever relation of life they may chance to come in contact with 

 him. Political bigotry is productive of effects no less baneful than 

 those that result from differences on religious doctrine ; and this 

 bigotry is chargeable not against this or that individual, but against 

 the more active and violent men of all parties, tories, whigs, and 

 radicals. We do not mean to say, that any of the three would deny 

 to the other two the usual urbanities of civilized society and within 

 certain limits the confidence of private friendship ; but we appeal 

 to any one, whose knowledge of society entitles him to an opinion, 

 whether we are not right in saying, that politics cause men to look 

 on things generally with a jaundiced eye, and, consequently, to 

 form very unfair and uncharitable opinions respecting the motives of 

 their opponents, even in concerns totally irrespective of the great 

 bone of contention. It may be, that we are vainly striving against a 

 principle of our mental constitution, that association of ideas which 

 lies at the bottom of every prejudice; but we still conceive that, if 

 the advocates of different political creeds would consent to meet on 

 neutral ground, and disabuse themselves of their prejudices, much 

 benefit might result to the British community. It is this feeling that 

 has induced us to notice favourably Sir Robert Peel's academic 

 speech at Glasgow, and to devote more space to the subject than we 

 should have been justified in doing under more ordinary circum- 

 stances. 



The means, by which Sir Robert Peel was this year elected Lord 

 Rector have been hinted at before in the pages of this periodical; 

 but we really believe that Sir R. Peel had no knowledge of the 

 schemes that were set on foot to gain for him a majority of the 

 votes; and perhaps he scarcely is cognisant now of the principle on 

 which those votes are founded, unless indeed, during his hob-nobs 

 with the " Senatus Academicus," he may have learnt the process of 

 his election^ but this diminishes in no degree the abilities and genius 

 of the individual. 



Sir Robert Peel, we once more assert, is a man possessing as 

 high talents as any one on the opposite side. We could if our 

 readers would not think us ratting, state, in what respects we con- 

 sider him to be possessed of talent, and we might expatiate on his 



