It is fashionable to speak of the conversion of the Indians as a mere utopian hypothesis, a scheme more visionary than all the visions that feed the voracious credulity of a believing generation. And yet this common prejudice is in the face of all experience, which has uniformly demonstrated that they yield the readiest and the ripest fruits to Missionary zeal. The labours of the United Brethren, of MAYHEW, ELLIOT, BRAINARD, FINLAY and others, have been crowned with ample success, and the waywardness of the savage character has submitted to the healing influences of the Gospel. If their converts have not, in every instance, been reduced into organized, intelligent and enduring communities, it was because first successes were not followed up; because the whites thought it more for their own interest to keep them in a state of degraded inferiority, than to admit them to the just rights of men; because they were neglected and cheated and corrupted in peace, and murdered in war; for any other cause, I am fully persuaded, than any incapacity in the Indians themselves, to be moulded into all the noblest forms of intellectual and moral excellence.

I thank God, better feelings and sounder doctrines are beginning to prevail. The American churches are waking from their guilty slumbers, and those wretched wanderers, so long forgotten in the dispensations of our benevolence, are no more to be considered as savage beasts which should be hunted from the earth; but as immortal beings who may be tutored for the skies. The seed has been sown which is already bringing forth a plenteous harvest to the glory of God and the salvation of men; and we who have listened to the yells of ravage and death echoed from invaded forests, may yet live, till these forlorn outcasts shall be reclaimed to the charities of society; till a message of redeeming love shall visit all their families and bring them into a rich communion of our privileges and our hopes.

Sir, I have done, I thank you for this opportunity of offering my humble tribute to the Missionary cause, and my heart responds to the declaration of gratitude which, I am sure, you will accord to the supporters of your pious undertaking.

EVIL SPEAKING REBUKED.

When any one was speaking ill of another in the presence of PETER the Great, he at first listened to him attentively, and then interrupted him: "Is there not," said he, "a fair side also to the character of the person of whom you are speaking? Come, tell me what good qualities you have remarked about him."

Religious and Missionary Intelligence.

EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY. On Thursday, May 13, 1824, was held at the City-Hotel, New-York, the Eighth Anniversary of the American Bible Society.

An address from the President of the Society, the Hon. JOHN JAY, was read by the REV. DR. JAMES MILNOR, Secretary for Foreign Correspondence. This very appropriate address concludes in the following words :

"Our days are becoming more and heathen, and in rendering Christians more favoured and distinguished by new more and more "obedient to the faith," and unexpected accessions of strength apprize us, that the Great Captain of to the cause of Christianity. A zeal our Salvation is going forth, "conquerunknown to many preceding ages, has ing and to conquer;" and is directing recently pervaded almost every Chris- and employing these means and meatian country, and occasioned the esta sures for that important purpose. They blishment of institutions well calculated therefore, who enlist in His service, to diffuse the knowledge and impress have the highest encouragement to fulfil the precepts of the Gospel both at home the duties assigned to their respective and abroad. The number and diversity stations, for, most certain it is, that those of these institutions, their concurrent of His followers who stedfastly and vigtendency to promote these purposes, orously contribute to the furtherance and the multitudes who are cordially giving them aid and support, are so extraordinary, and so little analogous to the dictates of human propensities and passions, that no adequate cause can be assigned for them, but the goodness, wisdom and will of Him who made and governs the world.

"We have reason to rejoice that such institutions have been so greatly multiplied and cherished in the United States; especially, as a kind Providence has blessed us, not only with peace and plenty, but also with the full and secure enjoyment of our civil and religious rights and privileges. Let us therefore, persevere in our endeavours to promote the operation of these institutions, and to accelerate the attainment of their objects. Their unexampled rise, progress and success in giving Light to the

and completion of His conquest, will also participate in the transcendent glories and blessings of His TRIUMPH."

"The Treasurer, WILLIAM W. WOOLSEY, Esq. read the report of the Committee who audited his accounts, by which it appeared that the net receipts for the year have been $41,008 44, and the expenditures for the year $43,108 87.

"Parts of the Annual Report were then read by the Rev. Dr. S. S. WOODHULL, Secretary for Domestic Correspondence, from which it appeared that the issues of Bibles and Testaments, within the year, were 31,590 Bibles, and 28,849 Testaments, making with those issued in former years, 309,062 copies of the Scriptures.

"Several resolutions were then unanimously adopted by the Society."

We have only room to present the following extracts from the speeches which were delivered on that interesting occasion. DR. JEREMIAH DAY, President of Yale College, Connecticut, in moving the resolution to adopt and print the Report, among other things observed;

"When I look at the efforts which are now making to send the Word of Life to the nations and the families of the earth, my thoughts are carried back to a memorable prayer, which was of fered nearly two thousand years since. Our Lord knowing that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world, and ascend to his Father, gathered around him the chosen companions

of his labours, to deliver to them his dying benediction.

"When this was ended, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me. Sanctify them, through thy truth, thy word is truth." The object of this petition of Christ was, that his disciples might be made holy. The means by which they

The REV. ABSALOM PETERS, of Bennington, Vermont, of the Presbyterian Church, on moving the resolution of thanks to the Board of Managers for their services the past year; after some preliminary remarks, proceeded as follows:

"Mr. President, I hope to indulge in no unholy flight of fancy; but really Sir, I never before occupied a place where I could view myself to be in so interesting a light, a citizen of the world, and a member of the church universal. I never before so sensibly felt a brother's heart moving within me, as when I look around upon the various denominations of Christians, who compose this Society, and contemplate the spiritual wretchedness of millions, who are bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. I never before felt that I was speaking to all Christendom, and uttering my voice in the hearing of the nations. I am strongly reminded by the circumstances of this meeting of the journey of Moses, from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah,' when 'the Lord showed him all the land' of Israel's future inheritance, saying, 'I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes.' This occasion places us upon a mountain that overlooks the inheritance of the saints. We have come up to the summit of a moral high-land, from which, in the light of heaven's sun, we may look down upon the landscape of the world. It is a light which

sets times past in present view,
Brings distant prospects home,
Of things a thousand years ago,
Or thousand years to come.'

Unrolled before us is the measureless
map of man; and from the top of this
Pisgah, we may look back on the wil-
derness, around us on the multitudes of
Israel, and the march of Zion, and on-
ward to the triumph of holiness over every
thing which tendeth to hurt or to destroy.
"There was a time, Sir, when the
sources of knowledge were open only
to a few; when neither works of science,
nor the Oracles of God could be multi-
plied excepting by the tiresome and
endless labour of the transcriber.
Then the lamp of science and the fire
of religion burnt but dimly at a few de-
tached points on the summit of society,
while all around them was cheerless
night and winter. And that night was
long. A thousand years the church
travelled in darkness almost unmingled.
"They wandered in the wilderness, in
a solitary place; they found no city to

dwell in," while the nations around them were shrouded in a gloom which nothing but the eye of God could penetrate. The human intellect was imprisoned; the souls of men were stiffened by the chills of winter; cold and frozen as the polar snows, while the sun delays his rising on the night of the year. The cause perpetuated the effect, and the effect in its turn increased the cause, till the chains of superstition and ignorance, from the centre to the poles, had well nigh been fastened on the world. And even when, by the discovery of the art of printing, a facility was afforded for breaking the links of this spiritual and intellectual vinculum, it was long before any could be found who had skill to apply the instrument. For two hundred years therefore, the Church, ignorant of the power of this facility, lay groaning under bands that she might have burst as tow, till they were torn asunder by the strength of the Protestant reformation.

As

"But that which was is passed away, and that which is yes, we bless God for the vision-that which is, claims our attention. The Church is no longer a prisoner. She is no longer a solitary wanderer in the wilderness. The present age presents her entering the fields of light and knowledge, and approaching her destined triumph. The day has dawned upon the path-way of her glory. She is looking forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.' she pursues her onward march across the wilderness, and rises over the mountain wave, the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit that always has wrought in the children of disobedience, recedes, and gives up the ground. The armies of Israel begin to wave the banner of victory. The mightiest conqueror in the universe is already setting his foot upon the neck of the mightiest foe. He dashes to the earth the temples of idolatry; the altars of paganism crumble to the dust at his approach; kings tremble on their thrones, and cast their crowns at his feet; while queens are becoming nursing mothers to the retinue that follow him.-But we shall soon be done with the present."

The Rev. SPENCER H. CONE, of New-York, of the Baptist Church, seconded the motion, and concluded his address in the following words:

"Is it said-and does it operate as a discouragement upon any of our minds, that we shall not dwell upon the earth during the millennial reign of the MesVOL. VII.

siah?' Why, Sir, the mere anticipation of those halcyon days should animate us with holy joy, and strengthen us with invincible fortitude. It was not the 40

The REV. DR. WILLIAM M'MURRAY of New-York, of the Reformed Dutch Church, on seconding the fourth resolution, viz. That the thanks of the Society be given to the Vice Presidents, for the continuance of their patronage and support, observed;