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been occasioned by disease of the heart. Her life might have been protracted, possibly for years, had she but taken my advice, and that of her mother. I have seen many hundreds of corpses, as well in the calm compo70 sure of natural death, as mangled and distorted by violence; but never have I seen so startling a satire upon human vanity, so repulsive, unsightly, and loathsome a spectacle, as a corpse dressed for a ball!

EXERCISE 58.

Sabbath Schools.-FRELINGHUYSEN,

We have witnessed, with grateful interest, the progress of Sabbath school instruction. Every year has furnished some fresh proofs of its substantial benefits. Take a single illustration in your city; a recent investigation as5 certained that of twelve thousand children who had shared in the blessings of this institution, not one had ever been arraigned for crime. This is a volume of commendation; but, sir, it is only the beginning of good. The next age will witness some of the fulness of its mer10 cies, when these children shall take our places, and assume upon them the duties of men and citizens.

I hasten to the appropriate business of this evening. A noble impulse has been given to this sacred cause in a neighboring city; it has reached the friends of truth 15 and awakened a kindred spirit here. The moral condition and prospects of the West-the influence which it will very soon exert in the public councils of our country, and its own distinct claims, as an important part of ourselves, combined a weight of interest in its behalf, 20 that has attracted general concern and distinguished liberality. I advert to the share, that will soon be taken by the valley of the Mississippi, in our national concerns. Sir, the children will after a few more years, give the law to the mother. This infant West, is fast 25 attaining to a giant's dimensions; and its power will be tremendous, unless controlled by principle. Washington, who had studied the human character under many diversities, came to the full conviction, that no principle could be safely trusted, which did not flow from a 30 sense of religious obligation; and an infinitely greater

than Washington had ages before proclaimed the same truth. In this valley of the West, upwards of four millions of freemen, have with astonishing rapidity peopled the fairest regions of our republic; and the eventful 35 question to be resolved is, how we shall most happily fashion the elements of these rising communities; whether by our benignant regards, they shall aid to strengthen the cords of our union, whether they shall cherish the principles of private and public virtue, or whether 40 by our neglect, they shall be left to exhibit the melancholy spectacle of universal degeneracy of manners, among a people, but yesterday born into political existence. Sir, this is the true, honest question. We cannot and we ought not to evade it. It is put to us as 45 Christians and as American citizens. These sister states of the West possess capacities for good or evil, that cannot be trifled with or disregarded. Rightly influenced, immense blessings will reward our philanthropy - but should we suffer them to grow on, with no moral culture, 50 floods of wickedness will by and by come over upon us, that will sweep away the last vestiges of hope and freedom. I lately heard from a distinguished citizen of that section of the Union, the evil, and the antidote in one short sentence. While deploring the frequent oc55 currence of street murders-sometimes by men high in official stations, he remarked, that the terrors of law interposed no check, and that his hope rested in the reformation of public sentiment: there, said he, the mischief receives its countenance and there we must look 60 for its corrective. This was the language of truth and When the late movement in Philadelphia, was announced, it was hailed as the harbinger of incalculable blessings. A fountain was to be opened, whose healthful streams would send forth richer benefits to the 65 valleys of the Mississippi, than all their majestic rivers. The Sunday schools will reform that perverted public opinion, that sanctions the deeds of the transgressor. They will purify the elements of society; they will arrest the torrent of corruption; erect the standards of 70 sound principles, and, by the blessing of heaven, save the country and perpetuate her liberties. A cause, thus exalted in its aims, this evening addresses itself to the philanthropy of a generous people. It becomes

soberness.

not a stranger to press this suit. It befits the occasion, 75 however, to say of it, that a nobler charity could not well engage our sympathies. To raise an empire of immortal beings to the dignity of virtuous freemen; to send forth moral influences among them, that shall establish the basis of political prosperity; that shall raise a protec80 tion around the sacred privileges of the fireside, and secure the hearth and the altar from rude invasion. And more than this-to open to them the pathway to a blessed immortality, to fill up time with social comforts, to gild its close with consolation, and crown the whole with 85 imperishable happiness. Sir, what are earthly sceptres -what is human wealth and greatness, compared with such a vision? And in the just hope that it may shortly be realized, who can longer grasp his gold? Where or how can wealth accomplish for us, more substantial 90 or sublime pleasures. Patriotism in its boldest conceptions, cannot aspire to a purer bliss than this-To elevate an extensive region of enterprising men, to secure them from the wasteful influence of irreligion and crime; and bring up millions of our fellow men, to the purity of 35 a virtuous community. Sir, failure in such an enterprise, would be no common privilege. But we need not fail. The faithful consecration of our best efforts, is destined to demolish the throne of the prince of darkness: and honored will be the humblest man, permitted 100 to raise a finger in the work.

EXERCISE 59.

The folly and wickedness of War.-KNOX.

Two poor mortals, elevated with the distinction of a golden bauble on their heads, called a crown, take offence at each other, without any reason, or with the very bad one of wishing for an opportunity of aggrandizing them5 selves by making reciprocal depredations. The creatures of the court, and the leading men of the nation, who are usually under the influence of the court, resolve (for it is their interest) to support their royal master, and are never at a loss to invent some colourable pre10 tence for engaging the nation in war. Taxes of the

most burdensome kind are levied, soldiers are collected, so as to leave a paucity of husbandmen; reviews and encampments succeed; and at last fifteen or twenty thousand men meet on a plain, and coolly shed each 15 other's blood, without the smallest personal animosity, or the shadow of a provocation. The kings, in the meantime, and the grandees, who have employed these poor innocent victims to shoot bullets at each other's heads, remain quietly at home, and amuse themselves, 20 in the intervals of balls, hunting schemes, and pleasures of every species, with reading at the fireside, and over a cup of chocolate, the despatches from the army, and the news in the Extraordinary Gazette. If the King of Prussia were not at the head of some of the best 25 troops in the world he would be judged more worthy of being tried, and condemned, at the Old Bailey, than any shedder of blood who ever died by a halter. But he is a king; but he is a hero;-those names fascinate us, and we enrol the butcher of mankind among 30 their benefactors.

When one considers the dreadful circumstances that attend even victories, one cannot help being a little shocked at the exultation which they occasion. I have often thought it would be a laughable scene, if there 35 were not too much of the melancholy in it, when a circle of eager politicians have met to congratulate each other on a piece of good news just arrived. Every eye sparkles with delight; every voice is raised in announcing the happy event. And what is the cause of all this 40 joy? and for what are our windows illuminated, bonfires kindled, bells rung, and feasts celebrated? We have had a successful engagement. We have left a thousand of the enemy dead on the field of battle, and only nine hundred of our countrymen. Charming news! it was a 45 glorious battle! But before you give a loose to your raptures, pause awhile; and consider, that to every one of these nineteen hundred, life was no less sweet than it is to you; that to the far greater part of them there probably were wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sis50 ters, brothers and friends, all of whom are at this moment bewailing that event which occasions your foolish and brutal triumph.

EXERCISE 60.

The Warrior.-HARBINGER OF PEACE.

1 A gallant form is passing by,

The plume bends o'er his lordly brow;
A thousand tongues have raised on high
His song of triumph now.

Young knees are bending round his way,
And age makes bare his locks of gray.

2 Fair forms have lent their gladdest smile,

White hands have wav'd the conqueror on, And flowers have decked his path the while, By gentle fingers strown.

Soft tones have cheered him, and the brow Of beauty beams, uncover'd now.

3 The bard hath waked the song for him,
And pour'd his boldest numbers forth;
The wine cup, sparkling to the brim
Adds frenzy to the mirth;

And every tongue, and every èye,
Does homage to the passer by.

4 (<) The gallant steed treads proudly on;
His foot falls firmly now, as when

In strife that iron heel went down
Upon the hearts of mèn;

And foremost in the ranks of strife,
Trod out the last, dim spark of life.

5 Dream they of thése-the glad and gay,
That bend around the conqueror's path?
The horrors of the cónflict day-
The gloomy field of death-

The ghastly sláin-the severed héad—
The raven stooping o'er the dead?

6 Dark thoughts and fearful! yet they bring
No terrors to the triumph hour,
Nor stay the reckless worshipping
Of blended crime and power.
The fair of form, the mild of mood,
Do honor to the man of blood.

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