town, in perfect security. With such a population as is to be found in most countries in Europe, could such a thing be done with safety?

since the independence of the country was established, sixty years ago. What a refutation does this fact furnish of all the miserable charges which are heard in Europe respecting the "riots," "disorders," etc., alleged to be continually occurring in America!

(insurrections) in both France and the British realm, than have lost their lives in all the "mobs" and "riots"-political, religious, anti-abolitional, anti-gambling, etc. There have been seasons of great excite--that have occurred in the United States ment, when the nation was agitated to its centre. For instance, during the recent unparalleled commercial distress, when so many banks, and so many of our best merchants and traders, our enterprising mechanics and manufacturers- and, indeed, so many men in all the walks of industry, and in every station of life-were ruined. How was all this borne? Was there the slightest attempt to seek redress by revolution? No. The government was severely blamed; all these evils were believed, by probably a majority of the people, to have been occasioned by unwise legislation, obstinately persevered in; and yet not a gun was seized, not a sword was drawn, and not one human life was lost during the long and dreadful crisis. The only resort was to the ballot-box, as our elections are often termed.

Take another instance. The autumn of 1840 witnessed the greatest political struggle which the country has ever seen. The question was that of maintaining or of overthrowing the party in power, in the election of a President. Nearly two millions and a half of men resorted to their respective places of voting, and gave their votes for one or the other of the two candidates. The excitement was almost unparalleled. At every poll, or place of holding the election, crowds of people assembled on the day which was to decide the question; and yet not one person was either killed or injured, so far as I have heard, in this great political contest. Could such a thing have occurred in the British realms, or in France, or any other country in the world? I believe not.'

*

In the British realm, if we suppose the population to be 26 millions (we speak of Great Britain and Ireland, and the islands adjacent), there is one regular soldier for about 260 individuals; in France, the army of the line is 400,000, by which if we divide the population of the kingdom, now thirtyfour millions, we have one soldier for 85 inhabitants; while in the United States, whose standing army was for the period of more than 20 years which immediately succeeded 1815, but 6000 men, and is now only 8000, there is one soldier to 2312 individuals in the population. And yet there has been many a single year in which more people have been killed in broils and émeutes * Within the last five years there have been more serious broils and more lives lost in the political struggles in Canada, on our borders, though under the strong government of England, and in presence of a standing army of 15 or 20 thousand men, than have taken place in the United States from the first. And yet Canada has not more than eleven or twelve hundred thousand inhabitants.

Nothing strikes the observation more of one who comes from the Old World, where he cannot turn the corner of a street in the principal cities and towns, especially on the Continent, without meeting a soldier, upon his landing in the United States, than the almost complete absence of all military force. How is it that such force can be dispensed with? Only because of the widespread and salutary influence of Christianity. If we have "disturbances" and "riots" sometimes-which will not be denied-we have fewer of them than any other country of equal population in the world.*

3. The American people have been represented sometimes by foreigners as being an immoral people. Now, although I know it is not easy to reply to such charges in a satisfactory manner in the very restricted space which I must allow to them, nevertheless, I will say a few words upon this topic.

That there are vices and crimes in America, and in no inconsiderable amount, is without hesitation acknowledged. But that they exist to such an extent as to justify the assertion that the American people are par excellence an immoral nation, is denied.

It is certainly not extraordinary, as has been well remarked by a writer in a late number of the Westminster Review, that there should be in the United States swindlers, counterfeiters, thieves, bigamists, murderers, and other criminals, since, in addition to those of indigenous growth, they receive so many from the Old World. This is a correct view of the subject. For it is a fact, that while there are cases in which foreign criminals, especially those who have committed crimes which most deeply affect the conscience and heart,

* It is sometimes amusing to a well-informed American to hear in Europe the reports which are circulated there respecting the riots in our American cities. Take one for a sample. Two or three years ago a "dreadful abolition riot" occurred in Philadelphia, in which it was said that there was much fighting in the streets, with guns and other deadly weapons; and yet, wonderful to be told, no person was killed, or even very seriously wounded, I believe! And this was said to occur in a country where so large a portion of the people possess fire-arms, and know how to use them better than the people of any other land! Verily, it requires strong credulity to believe that such riots can be very dreadful.

who have come to our shores and changed point as well as others are sometimes intheir names, reform and do well in a land where their past history is unknown (and certainly the friends of humanity must rejoice that it is so), there are very many in which it is otherwise. A man who has been a thief, a robber, a counterfeiter, a bigamist, in Europe, is not likely to reform in America, unless arrested by God's grace. There is more hope of a man who has committed manslaughter, or even murder, than of him.

A few general statements will, however, best express all that I have to say on this subject.

With the exception, perhaps, of Scotland, there is no country in Christendom where the Sabbath is as well observed as it is in the United States. Of this any one who has extensively travelled in the Old World cannot fail to be convinced when he lands at any of our cities, I care not which, excepting New-Orleans, which is more of a foreign city than any other. It is the capital of a French state, where American influence, though fast gaining ground, is still far inferior to that of the French and the Spanish who remain in it. But the Protestant religion, when it gains the ascendancy, will produce there the same good effects in this respect which it does elsewhere.*

Although thieves and robbers are not wanting in our large cities and towns, where all the world over such people most congregate and find the greatest facilities for their nefarious vocation, yet, taking the country at large, it will be difficult to name another where property is more safe, or where people live in greater security.

As to murder, the most horrible of all crimes, the most exact enumeration has never been able to show that more than one hundred cases have occurred, and of late years not much more than one half that number, in any one year. This number is sufficient to excite deep distress in the heart of every good man; but it is less than that which takes place in many other countries between which and ours comparisons on this

stituted. For instance, in England and Wales alone since the year 1812, the number of convictions for murder has varied from 60 to 75, while the executions have been in the proportion of about one to four of the convictions. Were the comparison to be made between the United States and Great Britain and Ireland, it would be most decidedly in favour of the former. The murders in France are not only more frequent than those of the United States, but often more diabolically savage and shocking, as the records of her criminal courts clearly show.*

And though there is a considerable amount of prostitution in some of our large cities on the seaboard — as, for instance, New-York,† Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New-Orleans-and something of it in the largest interior cities, yet, take the nation as a whole, there is far less of this sin than is to be found in most countries in Europe. In many of our cities and towns of ten and twenty thousand inhabitants, public prostitution is almost unknown. Scarcely anything of the kind is seen in Boston, and other chief places in New-England. In no nation in the world, I am sure, is there a greater amount of virtue among ladies, both married and unmarried, taken as a body. Foreigners are shocked at the familiarity which subsists between the youth of both sexes with us; but foreigners, if they knew well the domestic life of our people, would know that this familiarity seldom leads to evil consequences in neighbourhoods where the Gospel exerts its powerful influences. The youth of our religious families are brought up under a strong moral influence, and are taught to have confidence in each other, and in themselves; above all, they are taught to fear God. From their earliest years the children of both sexes frequent

* A very large proportion of the murders which are committed in the United States are committed by worthless foreigners. The same thing is true of the robberies and other great crimes which occur among us. Almost all the riots which take place in our Atlantic States are made by Irish and Germans congregated in the suburbs of our cities, or working on our railroads and canals. Indeed, it is this for* As to travelling on the Sabbath, there is every eign element which gives us the greatest difficulty in prospect that the establishment of railroad and steam- almost everything. Not only are very many of our boat lines, taken in connexion with the just senti- criminals foreigners, but they form a large proportion: ments which prevail among the pious and strictly in some places a majority of the persons in our moral portion of the population, will, in time, almost hospitals. This is not stated as a reproach, but as a wholly put an end to it, especially on the long and fact. important routes. Railroad and steamboat companies already know that they gain nothing by running their cars and their boats on the Sabbath, owing to the comparative fewness of the travellers on that day. By stopping their cars and their boats on that day, they will save one seventh part of their expenses, give their labourers and agents the rest they need, and be sure of having on Monday the persons whom they would otherwise have carried on Sun day. Indeed, if it were not for the carrying of the mail on the part of the government, there would be no great difficulty in causing the cars and steamboats to cease on the principal routes.

+ I have read, with great astonishment, some remarks of Mr. Tait, of Edinburgh, on prostitution in New-York, to be found in his recent work on Magdalenism (p. 5), and referred to by the Rev. Dr. Wardlaw in his excellent Lectures on Prostitution. The sum of Mr. T.'s statement is, that "that city furnishes a prostitute for every six or seven adults of its male population." I have lived much in NewYork, and know something of its moral state; and I affirm that this statement, founded on an exaggerated report published by the Magdalen Society of that city, some nine or ten years ago, is quite incor-rect, and in no way approximates to the truth.

the same common schools. Even until quite grown up, in many districts they go to school together in the winter season. And yet, how seldom has any evil resulted. There are countries in Europe-it would be invidious to mention them-where such a thing could not be done with safety to their morals, and even where it is thought dangerous to allow large girls to be taught by a male teacher.

We have, indeed, enough of the sin of uncleanness to mourn over; and yet, in comparison with the state of many other countries, we have great reason to bless God for the hallowed influences which His Gospel diffuses among us.* If we have many, too many, alas! among us who have not submitted their hearts to these influences, there are, on the other hand, a great many who have, and who are the "salt of the earth," and the "light of the world."

people; this is emphatically true of a large portion of our population. And notwithstanding our vices, whether of native or foreign origin, there is among us a vast amount of practical and efficient goodness. We have much to learn, but I trust we shall not be slow to imitate whatever is excellent in the manners or the deeds of other nations.

4. But the last topic which I shall mention, on which we have been the subjects of more misrepresentation and abuse than any other, is slavery. On this difficult and humiliating question I cannot enter into detail. It would require a volume to say all that might be said about it, and even all that ought to be said, in order to make our position to be fully comprehended by foreigners. I can say only a few words.

Slavery is an accursed inheritance which the Old World bequeathed to the New. England, France, Spain, and HolWe may be charged, as a people, with land, all contributed their respective shares being rude, and wanting in habitual polite- to its introduction and establishment in ness in our manners. Witlings who visit what is now the United States. Several us to find subjects on which to employ of the colonies remonstrated against the their pens, and with which to garnish their bringing in of slaves among them. But it worthless pages, may accomplish their was all in vain. Slavery was fastened upon ends, and carry home portfolios laden with them for the purpose of promoting the stories respecting the oddities and awk-commerce of the mother-country, Engwardness which they may have remarked among certain classes; but beneath the rough and unpolished exterior of our people there will be found much sincere benevolence, as well as many of those other enduring virtues which conduce to social happiness. We are, comparatively, a new

* I have sometimes been amazed to hear the remarks of foreigners who have undertaken to be censors of American morals. A certain visitant from Europe, who has written three or four volumes about America, and has undertaken to represent the American cities as remarkable for the prevalence of prostitution, did, nevertheless, when at the dinnertable of a gentleman in the city of Philadelphia, boast of his having visited half of the houses of infamy in the city of New-York, and declared his intention to visit all the rest upon his return to that city-as a matter of curiosity, as he said!

A young gentleman, who resides in a city not one hundred miles from that in which this work was written, lately visited America, and spent two years there. On his return home, he spoke disparagingly of the religious state of the country, and charged the merchants of Philadelphia, and especially those of the respectable body of Friends, with being extremely loose in their morals, and unfaithful to their conjugal relations. And yet this same young man boasts of his having given, when among a tribe of Indians on our borders, a rifle to a chief in exchange for his daughter; and that, after he had lived with her as his wife for three months, he abandoned her! The wickedness of such persons is not so wonderful as their intolerable insolence in undertaking to misrepresent and slander a whole people. But so it ever will be bad men seek to hide their own infamy in charging others with the sins of which they are themselves guilty.

+ Among other charges brought against the Americans is one which I must not omit to remark upon. It is, that they have no discipline in their families; that their children grow up in insubordination, pride, insolence, and want of respect for old age and parental authority. All this is inferred from the re

land. And when the struggle came, by which the colonies were dissevered from Great Britain, slavery was one of the causes which led to that event; and of all the portions of the Declaration of Independence, as it was originally drawn up by Mr. Jefferson, the most severe was that ports of foreigners (who, generally, have had no very good opportunities of knowing the interior life of the families which they may have visited), or from some poor specimens of American families which have gone abroad, or from what they suppose must be the effects of Republican institutions; just as if Republican institutions will not tolerate, or, rather, do not require, due subordination and discipline.

Now it is not to be denied that there are weak-minded and foolish parents in America, as well as in other countries, who do not govern well their children, but it is their own fault, and not that of the institutions, religious or political, of the country. On the other hand, we have parents, and not a few, who are as rigid in the government of their children as are the Scotch themselves; we have few teachers who cannot, or who do not, punish their scholars with the rod, if need be; there is not a college in the land that would not, without a moment's hesitation, expel from its halls the sons of the greatest men in the nation, if they deserved it, as I have myself witnessed. In our army, it is true that it is no longer allowed to flog men, save as a commutation for the punishment of death; but other and severe modes of punishing, though less degrading, are permitted. While in our navy, the discipline, I believe, is the most severe in the world. Recently the commandant of a petty brig of war hung up three men for alleged mutiny under the most remarkable circuinstances, one of whom was a son of one of the first officers of the government. This instance was summary in its nature, quite without a parallel; and how was it borne by the nation? The overwhelming majority of the people, including almost the whole of the religious portion of them, approved of the act. Would such things be tolerated in a nation in which there is no domestic government? I think not.

which related to the slave-trade. As op- lost upon us. It has given a great impulse position was made to it by some of the to the moral movement which is steadily members, it was stricken out in order to going on in the community. It is true secure entire unanimity.

that, as slavery is by our Constitution left The war of independence found slavery to the government of each state in which existing in all the thirteen colonies. Du- it exists, to be managed by it alone, there ring its progress, or soon after its close, the can be no such action among us as that of original four New-England States, Mas- England, by which the overthrow of slasachusetts, New-Hampshire, Connecticut, very in her dominions was effected at a and Rhode Island, abolished slavery within blow. It is in the midst of us; it is not at their respective limits. Some years later, a distance. Its destruction with us can be Pennsylvania, New-Jersey, and New-York accomplished only by those whose pefollowed. In process of time Vermont and cuniary interests are at stake for its mainMaine, in New-England, and Ohio, Indi- tenance. This point foreigners should ana, Illinois, and Michigan, in the West, well comprehend. It is the slaveholders were formed into states without slavery. among us, that is, the inhabitants of each To these we may add the two Territories slaveholding state, who alone can overof Iowa and Wisconsin. On the other throw it. This it is which makes our pohand, the six original slaveholding states, sition so difficult. Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Caro- I am of opinion that it will require many lina, South Carolina, and Georgia, remain years to efface this dreadful evil and burnsuch to the present day, and to them have ing disgrace from the midst of us. It will been added, in the West and Southwest, require long and persevering efforts on the the States of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ala- part of good men, and a large amount of bama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Ar- that "wisdom which cometh down from kansas, and the Territory of Florida. And above." But of one thing I feel very sure : the number of slaves has augmented from it is, that although some may act rashly, about 600,000, at the close of the Revolution, to nearly three millions. How and when the abolition of slavery is to be accomplished in these thirteen states and one territory, is a question which no one

can answer.

It may not be amiss for me to say, however, that this mighty task will never be effected peaceably but through the influence of Christianity. This has accomplished all that has hitherto been donethe destruction of slavery in seven states, and the prevention of its entrance into six or eight more; the abolition of the slavetrade before any other nation had done anything on the subject, and the declaring of it to be of the nature of piracy, and as meriting the same punishment. And however desperate the struggle may prove to be, she will not shrink from it.

The noble example of England in abolishing slavery in her islands will not be

* It was in these words:" He (the King of England) has waged cruel war against human nature itself. violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people, who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to more miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where men should be bought and sold, he has prostituted his prerogative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished dye, he is now exciting these very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he also has obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another."

and sometimes attempt to promote the cause by unwise measures; and others may be too supine, and, through fear of evil consequences, not come up to its help as they ought; although both these parties may charge each other, and perhaps justly, with so acting as to retard the work, yet there is a growing dissatisfaction with this great evil, a conviction that it ought and must be terminated as speedily as possible, consistently with the true interests of all concerned, which will one day lead to its overthrow. I do not know how it will be brought about, but Christianity will effect it. God-our fathers' God-invoked more and more earnestly, as I am sure he is, will, by his providence, open the way for this great achievement.

To this great struggle, which Christians with us must carry on-let it take what course it may-in order to be successful, we are far from wishing our brethren of other lands to be indifferent.* We want

*

to do good among us, when made in the spirit of a * The visits of foreign philanthropists cannot fail great and a good man who lately came to us from England, who travelled throughout all our states, and "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come;" who, though he neglected no opportunity to speak of the wrongs done to the slave, slaveholder, for he spoke words of mingled wisdom was ever heard with respect and attention by the and love. And when he had accomplished his mission and returned to his native land, he addressed a series of letters to one of our most distinguished statesmen on the subject of slavery, and especially on the effects of its abolition in the British West India Islands, which have been widely and attentively

the Society of Friends, and who, with his excellent brother and sister (Mrs. Elizabeth Fry), is one of the brightest ornaments of humanity.

* Mr. Gurney, a distinguished member and minister of

their sympathy and their prayers. We in relation to this subject. Now I have wish them to make a proper allowance no disposition to say that the American for the difficulties of our position; and churches have done all that they ought to while they reprove our delays and stimu- do, that they feel all the solicitude, and late our zeal, we wish them to do it in a distress, and sorrow, which they ought for Christian spirit, not only because it best the continued existence of this great evil. comports with the religion which we both There is nothing more probable in itself profess, but also because of its influence than that our churches should fail of comupon those among us who are slaveholding up to their whole duty on this subject, ers, the great majority of whom are not more than on almost any other, when we religious men. It is easy to grow indig- consider how they are situated. I do not nant on this subject, and indulge in hard say this by way of apology, but to state epithets; but the "wrath of man worketh the case truly. But to accuse our churchnot the righteousness of God." There are es throughout the land with approving of those abroad who see no difficulties in our slavery, because, in some parts of the position; to whom the fact that slavery is country, they think they are compelled to entwined about our very vitals, so far at tolerate it as an evil from which circumleast, as one half of the country is con- stances do not at present allow them to cerned, is of no importance; and who extricate themselves (and this is the most vainly imagine that it is enough to de- which can be said against them on this mand that every slaveholder should let his point), is going beyond the bounds of slaves go free. This, indeed, is a very Christian charity. Besides, to charge all simple way of getting rid of the evil; and the American churches, as well as those if it were practicable, it would be well in the fifteen states and territories in which enough. So if all mankind would at once slavery is unknown, as those in the thirof their own accord give up their rebel- teen states, one territory, and one district lion against God and yield a heartfelt obe- in which it does still exist, with the sin of dience to Him, this world might be deliv-" robbery," "man-stealing," etc., is to be ered from sin without the toil of preaching the Gospel, and the employment of so many other instrumentalities which are now found to be necessary. And if all the men in the United States who were engaged in the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors twenty years ago had, of their own accord, or upon being simply requested or commanded, abandoned their wicked business; and all who drank such liquors ceased to do so from the same influence, there would have been no need of all the labour and expense which it has cost to promote the cause of Temperance among us. But how vain it is to talk in this way! To overthrow slavery in the United States is a great work-the greatest and most difficult, I hesitate not to say, that ever man undertook to accomplish. And there is nothing but Christianity, employing its blessed influences, LIGHT and LOVE, which can effect it. A good deal of time, and a great deal of patience and prudence will also be required, if we would see this evil come to an end in a peaceful

guilty of something more than a mere want of Christian charity.

Nor are some other denunciations of a sweeping nature much less unjust or injurious.

"Let America," said a distinguished Christian minister whom we all love, at a missionary meeting in one of the great capitals of Europe, a few years ago, let America wash the stain of slavery from her skirts, and then she will be worthy to come up and join us in the great work of converting the world." Indeed! and must our American churches be compelled to abstain from attempting to obey the command of their risen Saviour and which may be one of the means of staying, if not averting the divine wrath, which would otherwise overwhelm their guilty country-until their land be freed from slavery? And if they are to be condemned for national sins which they have not been able to overcome, where are the churches which are to cast the first stone at them? Shall it be those of England, or France, or Holland? Blessed be God, our heavenly Father does not use such language towards us. He deigns to bless our humble efforts to make known his Gospel to the heathen nations, notwithstanding our many sins; nor does He forbid our co-operating with those who love his name in other lands to make known this great salvation to all men. Still more, He condescends to visit the churches in all parts of our land with the effusions of His Holy Spirit, without which, indeed, we might well despair of our country.

But sympathy, love, prayer, and co-operation better become those who love God in all lands, than crimination and recrim