ARTICLE II.

AMERICAN PEACE SOCIETY.

SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY.

THE seventh anniversary of this society was held on Thursday, 14th of May, in the Chatham street Chapel. S. V. S. Wilder, Esq., Chairman of the Executive Committee, presided. Rev. Mr. Dwight of Richmond, Mass. opened the meeting with prayer. William Ladd, Esq., General Agent of the Society, read the Annual Report, accompanying it with felicitous and appro priate comments. Rev. Mr. Norton of New York City, moved the acceptance of the Report, and was seconded by the Rev. Mr. Patterson of Philadelphia. Both these gentlemen addressed the meeting.

Rev. Mr. Chickering of Portland, Maine, presented the following Resolution:

Resolved, That in view of the influence of war upon the estimate of the value of the life and soul of man, and its consequent tendency to diminish the public sense of Divine truth concerning immortality and accountableness, the object of Peace Societies commends itself to the regard and efforts of Christians of every denomination.

Dr. Cock of New York City in seconding the resolution, made some remarks on the benign effects of pacific principles on the state of society, and adverted to the uniform support which had been given them by the Society of Friends, of which he was a member. He regarded the sustaining of Peace Societies as one eminent means of uniting Christians in a closer bond of fellowship. The Peace cause, he said, as well as that of Temperance, required of all its friends that they should act on the principle of total abstinence.

He closed by mentioning the following circumstance relative to the battle of Navarino; When the Turks observed the humane attentions which the English bestowed upon their wounded prisoners, they could not refrain from expessing their wonder that those who manifested so much kindness after the engagement, had shown none before.

Mr. O. Bacheler, of New York City, then presented the following Resolution, which was seconded by the Rev. L. D. Dewey : Resolved, That the establishment of a Congress or Court of Nations, for the amicable adjustment of international disputes, would tend to the prevention of war; and therefore, that the friends of peace should exert themselves for the establishment of such a tribunal.

Mr. Bacheler entered upon an able and elaborate argument in support of the resolution which he had moved. The lateness of the hour, however, compelled him to waive the prosecution of it.

SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT.

BY WILLIAM LADD, ESQ.

The Board of Directors of the American Peace Society, beg leave to submit the following report of the events of the past year, so far as they relate to the cause of Peace; together with an account of their labors, their progress, and their prospects:

DEATH OF MR. GRIMKE'.-While we thank God that so many of us are spared to continue our exertions in this cause, and that some of us have been raised from sickness and debility, we lament, that one of our leaders, on whom all eyes were fixed as the champion of Peace, has been cut off by the hand of death. THOMAS SMITH GRIMKE' was a man whom every benevolent cause claimed for its own; but if any one, more than another, had a right to that claim, it was the cause of Peace. We do not intend here to pronounce his eulogy. We can add nothing to his fame. His memory is embalmed in the heart of every Christian philanthropist. He has gone to his reward, and the blessing pronounced on the peace-maker, rests upon him.

THE NATIONS AT PEACE.-If we look around on the world, we shall see it reposing in an unusual state of peace. With the exception of internal dissensions, a calm every where pre

vails. No where are hostile nations marshalling their forces against each other. The continuance, however, of this calm, is uncertain. How soon it may be interrupted by the storm of war, the wisest cannot foretell.

At our last anniversary, we were congratulating each other on the peaceful termination of the difficulties in the southern states. Little did we then think of a war with the ancient ally of our republic. The danger was sudden and unexpected; but by the blessing of God on the skilful management of the crew, the ship of state has now nearly weathered the danger. When the President's Message made its appearance, if we regarded the character of the parties concerned, war seemed inevitable. Had France laid an immediate embargo on all our vessels in her ports, and sent out her cruisers to detain all with which they should meet on the high seas, she would only have acted up to the character which she has exhibited from her earliest history. But things have changed. France now calculates the cost of war-the injury it would be to her manufactures, commerce, agriculture and fisheries; and more than all, she dreads the impediment it would throw in the way of the progress of liberal principles.

If nations would calculate the mere temporal cost of war, they would do much to avoid it. But should they take into the account the deterioration of morals and piety, and the loss of immortal souls, which are always among its consequences, they would never engage in it for any earthly consideration.

But, if France had rushed heedlessly, on the first provocation, into a war with the only well regulated republic in the world, how would the despots of Europe have rejoiced at such a conflict! From the dangers we have passed, we may learn two useful lessons. One is, That military friendships, cemented with blood, are easily dissolved. The other is, That one war generally paves the way for another.

VISITS OF FOREIGN RELIGIOUS DELEGATES.-Among the favorable signs of the times, we deem the visits of the Rev.

Drs. Reed and Matheson, on a message of brotherly love from the Congregational churches of England and Wales, to the churches of the same denomination in this country. Such missions are highly favorable to the cause of Peace. Our general agent sought and obtained several interviews with these gentlemen. He found them well disposed to the cause, as may be perceived by reading their public addresses. He gave them copies of our publications, and a letter to be laid before the Congregational Union of England and Wales, entreating the churches there to unite their prayers with those of the churches of this country in behalf of the cause of Peace.

We are happy to see, that a delegation from this country has gone to England, to reciprocate this demonstration of love and good will between two nations which ought forever to be united in promoting peace on earth, and good will to men. The agent has had a personal interview with one of this delegation, and has written to the others, to engage them to follow up the peaceful measures of our brethren from England.

We are rejoiced to hear that two ministers of the Baptist denomination, have lately come from England to this country, on a similar visit to our Baptist brethren. This continual interchange of Christian sentiments, will so strengthen the bonds of love and good will between us and the land of our ancestors, that the demon of war will find it hard to break them.

The Peace Societies of this country and Europe, also reciprocate the feelings of peace and good will, and so far as they extend, are another strong tie to bind the nations together with the bonds of mutual benevolence.

THE REPORT OF THE LONDON PEACE SOCIETY.-- The eighteenth annual Report of the London Peace Society, has been received. Having been published in the Calumet, it does not require to be particularly noticed at this time. It appears that the friends of Peace in England are steadily advancing in the good work of enlightening their own country and the other European nations, on the evils and the sin of war. Their Home Secretary, the Rev. James Hargreaves, has travelled

and delivered lectures, in consequence of which, and the gra tuitous labors of another gentleman, new Peace Societies have been formed. They have also increased the number of their

tracts.

The Peace Societies in England, are generally, if not always, auxiliary to the national society. It is much to be desired that this should be more the case in this country. Our love of independence is a great cause of our weakness. “United, we stand; divided, we fall,” is an axiom as applicable to the Peace Societies, as to the states composing our Union.

GENEVA PEACE SOCIETY.-We continue to receive from the Peace Society of Geneva, Switzerland, communications of an encouraging nature. The Count de Sellon, who is the founder of that society, in his instructions to the competitors for his prize for the best dissertation on the best means of preserving peace, says, "I hope that the competitors will expose the monstrous incongruity, that Christian and civilized men in general should violently protest against trading in and enslaving the blacks, and yet maintain the lawfulness of the bloody imposts upon the whites, forced at the first signal, to slaughter their fellow creatures. Let us pity then, the blacks; but let us not remain indifferent to the existence of so terrible a grievance a grievance which shocked the primitive Christians-a grievance fatal to man, whatever may be the color of his skin."

SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN MORALS IN FRANCE. Of the Society of Christian Morals, which is the Peace Society of France, we hear but little except through the medium of the London Peace Society. After mentioning our own Society, the Society of Christian Morals adds; "We must hope, that Christianity will, sooner or later, triumph over war; and that this horrible custom will cease from moistening the earth with blood, and from breaking the social ties which unite men with each other." We would hint to the Society of Christian Morals, and to all who expect Christianity to promote peace with out human agency, directly exerted for the accomplishment