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When we look on a map of our country, we find it naturally divided into three parts, northern, southern and western; and these parts are held together by a slender tie. Separation would be our ruin, the grave of our national prosperity and happiness. "United we stand, divided we fall," is our motto.

Now what is so likely to bring about that disastrous event as a military spirit? Once let our fellow citizens adopt the opinion, that the sword is to settle questions of right or of government, and excite in them a thirst for military glory, and, on the first occasion, we shall see armed hosts set in battle array on our now fruitful fields, and havock, war, and desolation inundate our now happy country.

Prejudices blind us when viewing truth in its application,-it is more clearly seen in the abstract. Take a family of sons, for instance, let the father encourage them in boxing, cudgel-playing, and fencing, in order, as he thinks, to secure them against insult-let the honors of the family be conferred on the greatest adepts in these arts, and let it be inculcated on their minds constantly, that the most honorable and Christianlike method of settling difficulties is by force; and will any man deny, that, in case a dispute should arise among the brethren, they would be altogether more likely to settle it by the fist, the cudgel, or the sword, than members of another family who should be taught, that such practices are disgraceful, and that the only rational and Christianlike way of settling difficulties is by discussion and reference.

A humorous story not long since appeared in the papers which is applicable to this case. A great cock fighter, who was to fight a main of cocks with another amateur of this kind of war on a small scale, and had kept his birds a long time in training, sent his servant with them, some miles, to the cockpit. Now Teague had put two cocks into one basket, and when he arrived at the "bloody arena," it was found, that they had pecked each other's eyes out, and were, to use a military term, completely "hors du combat." On being reprimanded by his master, the honest Hibernian simply replied, "Och! your honor, as the birdies were to fight all on one side, I could but think as how, they would be paceable togither." We may laugh at the Irishman's blunder, while we are committing a similar one. We are teaching our young birds to fight, and history will tell whether they will be peaceable-if, they are, they will be "rare birds."

Now I am in a story telling humor, I will close the present essay with a fable from Æsop. A buck, that had lost one eye, kept his other always on the look-out, on the side on which he expected danger, but never on the other. A huntsman, observing this, came on his blind side and killed him.

PHILANTHROPOS.

EXTRACT FROM A Thanksgiving discourse, 1826.

We have cause of devout praise to God in the peace of the nation; and in our friendly understanding and intercourse with other nations. War is the most cruel and disastrous calamity, that sin has hitherto brought upon man in the present world. All the sufferings, resulting from all the natural evils to which we are liable, are nothing in comparison with the unutterable woes, that have followed in the train of war. And no wonder ;-when man, reasoning man, becomes a beast of prey to his own species; no wonder, he is capable of producing the keenest sufferings. No wonder,-when the physical and intellectual resources of nations, instead of being employed to do each other the most good, are put in requisition for the express purpose of doing each other the most harm,-no wonder-the result is full of agony :full, I may say, of all that ever comes to our race in the shape of suffering.

But blessed be God, the sound of war, which for more than twenty years had kept the civilized world in continual consternation or alarm, in a measure is hushed. With respect to our own country, "no note of strife, or contention, disturbs the quiet and lawful pursuits of our citizens." And not only are we at peace with other nations; but, in a good degree, at peace among ourselves. We are enjoying, as it were, a breathing time from the din, and confusion, and rancour of politics; an opportunity of uniting our exertions to set forward the progress of society in whatever may add to the moral strength, dignity, and happiness of the social state. May we long be preserved from party excitement and animosity; using peaceably, and soberly, and conscientiously, our rights of suffrage, and taking and keeping as our motto "blessed are the peace-makers."

MR. JEFFERSON'S NOTE TO MR. DUPONCEAU.

THE 144th Anniversary of the Landing of William Penn was celebrated in Philadelphia on the 24th of October, 1826, by the Penn Society. During the day, the following letter from Mr. Jefferson was read to the Society.

"Th: Jefferson returns his thanks to the Board of Directors of the Society for the Commemoration of the Landing of William Penn on the American shore. He learns with sincere pleasure that a day will at length be set apart for rendering the honors so justly due to the greatest lawgiver the world has produced,the first in either ancient or modern times, who has laid the foundation of government in the pure and unadulterated princi

ples of peace, of reason and right; and, in parallelism with whose institutions, to name the dreams of a Minos or Solon, or the military and monkish establishments of a Lycurgus, is truly an abandonment of all regard to the only legitimate object of government, the happiness of man.

"Thomas Jefferson accepts the honor of his nomination with thankfulness, and prays Mr. Duponceau to be assured of his high and friendly esteem and respect.

"Monticello, Nov. 16, 1825."

With pleasure we have assigned the note from Mr. Jefferson a page in the Friend of Peace. It is honorable to him, and to the Founder of Pennsylvania. The approbation given by Mr. Jefferson of the wise and pacific policy of Governor Penn, may have a favorable influence on the minds of the legislators of our country; and the more such sentiments prevail, the less will our nation be exposed to the calamities of war.

EXECUTION OF WILLIAM BOWSER.

On the 15th of December, 1826, William Bowser, a Maryland slave, about 24 years of age, was executed on Ellis island, for the murder of Capt. Galloway. Bowser had made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain his liberty by absconding from his master. He was taken and imprisoned, but afterwards was sold to Woolfolk, a notorious slave-trader. With nearly 30 other slaves, Bowser was put on board a vessel to be transported to Georgia, or he knew not where. Of this vessel Galloway was master-he had a mate and four other men for his crew. While on their way to a distant market, Bowser and other slaves rose upon the crew, threw overboard the captain and the mate, and took possession of the vessel, the direction of which they gave to one of the white men, who promised to conduct them to St. Domingo. But they were all taken and brought to New York. Bowser was tried, convicted, and sentenced to be hanged.

The Christian Inquirer, from which these facts have been taken, very properly states the following case for illustration:"Suppose that we had a brother carried to Algiers, and there for years confined in slavery,—and after this was sold by his master, to be transported to some other place in Africa, and while on his passage, he and his fellow slaves rose upon the crew, threw the captain and mate overboard, and took possession of the vessel; what would be our opinion, or that of our fellow citizens, of such a transaction? Should we not applaud rather than condemn the act? and would not the whole community resound with their courage and bravery?"

To these queries others may be subjoined. Had not Bowser

been abundantly taught by the annual celebrations of our country, that liberty is the natural and inalienable right of man? and that it is a glorious thing to fight for freedom? Did not Bowser and his companions act on the very principle of our revolt from Britain? Freedom was our avowed object; and this Bowser said was his object, and that "at the time he felt distressed that he was obliged to resort to this measure." Such feelings were professed by our countrymen when they resorted to arms. What then was the difference in the two cases, except that the Whites who resorted to arms were more numerous and more successful than the Blacks? Is it not then an undeniable fact, that Bowser was hanged for acting on the principles and imitating the examples which have been for fifty years the constant themes of admiration and applause throughout the land?

But Bowser and his fellow sufferers were Blacks, and "that alters the case." So said the Partial Judge," in the fable; but what will be said by the common Father and Judge of all mankind?

MARCHANT AND CURTIS.

In the United States Circuit Court, recently held in Boston. two men with the assumed names of Marchant and Curtis were tried, convicted, and sentenced to be hanged for the murder of Capt. Selfridge and his mate Jenkins. Hughes, one of the witnesses acknowledged that when he came on deck and was informed that the captain and mate had been murdered, he could not refrain from crying. Marchant observing this, asked, "what are you crying for?" Hughes replied, "It is enough to make any one cry." Marchant then said, "you make a great deal of killing a man. Look at the old countries; the Spaniards, the Portuguese. and the Italians make nothing of killing a man."

The ferocity and cruelty of Marchant and Curtis in taking the lives of two men with little provocation if any at all—the light manner in which they spoke of the murders to the witnesses, and the shocking language uttered by them against the Judge, the Attorney, and the Jury, after the solemn sentence of death had been pronounced, have probably astonished all who have read an account of the trial. More hardened malefactors than these have seldom appeared before a human tribunal.

But in regard to the conduct of these men in making so light of taking human life, it may be useful to inquire whether there have not been many examples which ought to be viewed as still more wonderful, shocking, and lamentable. For these examples, we shall not, as Marchant did, refer to the private assassins of Spain, or Portugal, or Italy; but we would first ask you to look at the war-making rulers of Christian nations. Think of them

as deliberately issuing their manifestos, with expectation, that myriads, if not millions of people, as innocent as Selfridge and Jenkins, would be killed in consequence of those mandates. In the next place, behold the celebrations of victories, so popular among professed Christians. See a multitude of Christians assembled and employed in drinking, boasting, and shouting with loud huzzas, on account of some victory gained by manslaughter, or by the sacrifice of hundreds or thousands of human lives, besides all the distress occasioned to the myriads of the wounded and bereaved! Now let conscience say who are the people that "make nothing of killing a man," or who make light of taking human life? Let those rulers who, in levity or in anger, have caused wholesale manslaughter, and those Christians who, with glee or with revelling, have celebrated the feats of public homicide, behold in Marchant and Curtis the natural effects of their own unreflecting and inhuman conduct. Had Marchant and Curtis but set apart a day to celebrate their victory over Selfridge and Jenkins, and had Hughes and Murray joined in the celebration, we should then have had a pretty correct miniature of the barbarity of Christian nations, in their wars with each other, their triumphs and rejoicings. The wars of nations have commonly been as needless and unjust, as was the war of these murderers; but as these desperadoes omitted the boastful celebration, they have left the miniature picture imperfect, in one of the most inhuman features.

NOTICES.

THE Constitution of the Massachusetts Peace Society requires the subscription of one dollar annually to constitute a member.

The subscriptions in each year to be paid on or before the first day of February; and one half of the subscription is refunded in Peace Tracts, at the wholesale price, the Friend of Peace at ten cents a copy.

The numbers of the Friend of Peace prior to the present year, may also be had by subscribers, of the Editor, at ten cents a copy, or ten dollars a hundred.

The several Numbers of the Friend of Peace are also for sale at the Boston Bookstore, Hilliard, Gray, & Co. No. 134 Washington Street, and at the Bookstore of J. W. Burditt, No. 94 Court Street.

Any member who shall fail of otherwise receiving his copy at any quar. terly distribution, may obtain it by applying to Mr. Burditt.

N. B. The Treasurer of M. P. S., Mr. David Reed, will receive subscriptions, at No. 81 Washington Street, Boston. All who can do it with convenience are desired to make their payments to him; those who cannot without expense settle with the Treasurer, may send their subscriptions inclosed to the Corresponding Secretary, as Postmaster in Brighton, and he will return receipts.

OBITUARY.

DIED at North Providence, R. I., THOMAS ARNOLD, a highly respected member of the Society of Friends,--an officer of the Peace Society in that state, and a liberal patron of the Friend of Peace, from its commencement to the time of his decease.

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