As the writer would not by any means excite party feelings, he is bound to premise, that he does not here wish even to hint at the justice, or injustice of any particular war, so far as relates to one party engaged in it rather than the other. All men admit, that no war can be justifiable on both sides. Every war must therefore, be owing to the wickedness of man; and the whole expense, on both sides, must be charged to that cause. To all reflecting Christians, then, it must appear a melancholy, a bitter, a lamentable thing, even in regard to any war which they may deem just and inevitable, that so enormous a tribute should be paid to human deprav ity; that millions after millions should be raised by professcd Christians to hire men to engage in the unhappy employment of killing their fel low men; that the Sabbath should be broken down, vice and immorality become awfully prevalent, and thousands after thousands of immortal beings, be driven away in their wickedness; while it is so difficult to support the fainting cause of virtue in the world, and to bear any extraordinary expense incurred by the endeavor to make mankind, wiser, better, and happier. I now proceed to shew, that the greatest charitable expenses are very small compared with the expenses of war. The British and Foreign Bible Society is one of the noblest charities, in the promotion of which Christians have ever united. It has received a very extensive patronage; so extensive, that Christians have very generally been astonished at its magnitude; a patronage of which it is perfectly worthy, and which could be usefully em. ployed if increased twenty-fold. This Society expended, during the year which ended in May 1813, about three hundred and nine thousand dollars. This sum sounds large; but it is not quite the fifteen hundredth part of the war expenses of the British empire, exclusive of the war cxpenses of the British colonies, for the last year. In other words, it would not pay the war expen ses, as they accrue on an aver age, for a single quarter of a day. It would not replace the arms and ammunition expended by a single advanced guard, at the battles of Leipsic. It would scarcely furnish lint to bind up the mangled limbs of the wounded in those battles; it would scarcely grease the wheels of the waggon and artillery train; it would scarcely feed the sur geons of the army on bread and water, while actually employed in amputating limbs and trepanning fractured skulls; it would scarcely repair the damage done to a ship of the line, in a hard fought battle; it would scarcely give a morsel of brown bread to each of the widows,and fatherless children, whom a single campaign has reduced to that situation. Some few generous souls may give more to the Bible Society, than they pay towards the expenses of war; but a great proportion, even of the annual subscribers, do not give a hundredth part so much, as falls to their share of these expenses, To cross the Atlantic and return to our own country:-From the best computation, which I am able to make from the documents before me, I suppose the missionary Societies in the United States expended 25,000 dollars the last year, and the Bible Societies will spend the current year about 20,000 dollars. Supposing our war expenses to be $45,000,000, which is generally considered as a pretty low estimate, it appears that the peoof the United States, which is a professedly Christian Country, and in which many thousands of real Christians are to be found expend one thousand dollars in war for a single dollar laid out in supporting missionaries and distributing of Bibles. In other words, the money expended for these purposes would sup. port our war expenses only nine hours and thirty seven minutes. It would scarcely load the guns, In all our forts and vessels, for a general salute on account of one of our victories; it would scarcely afford pine coffins for our young men who have died in our army hospitals. Some individuals among us, (I record it for the honor of the Christian name,) make pecuniary sacrifices for the cause of their Redeemer with as much zeal, as those, whom the world calls patriots, ever made sacrifices to support a popular war, The number is small but increasing; and it will continue to increase. The time is coming, when the opinions of mankind are to be changed on these subjects; when the real interests of A WRITER in your number for March, p. 114, has advanced some sentiments on Praise and Blame, which are, I believe, ve- · ry erroneous. He thinks, "that holiness deserves praise to as great a degree, as sin deserves blame; and, "that holiness will, in every sense, bear to be weighed against sin." It is not my design to enter into an examination concerning the gross mistake which he supposes I committed some time ago in writing on this subject; nor to endeavor to show, particularly, the fallacy of the arguments which he has used. If there can be found some short and easy method to prove clearly, that the question, Are men deserving of as much praise for their holy actions, as blame for their sinful ones, should receive a negative answer, my present object will be accom. plished. I would now ask those, who hold that as much praise and consequently, reward, are due to a holy creature, as censure and punishment to one that is sinful, whether they believe, that the wicked deserve on account of their iniquities, to be forever fixed in a state of sin and misery? If they allow this, I would inquire, whether accor ding to their principles, angels and our first parents before their fall, did not, for their holiness, deserve to be forever continued in a state of sanctity and bliss? SIR, and whether the Deity, by not POETRY. To the Editor of the Panoplist. You will oblige a reader, if, consistently with the object of your work, you can insert the enclosed. If otherwise, will you con sign it to the flames? BUCHANAN. Several years since, it was reported, and believed, that the Rev. Dr. Buchanan intended visiting the Holy Land. The following lines were written in consequence of that belief. WHENCE Comes yon bark that ploughs the watʼry plain, There sails a hallow'd ship from Britain's isle, By angels led, and cheer'd by heav'n's own smile; And there Buchanan quits his native strand, And points his course to Palestina's land. Late came the sacred sage from India's shores, To Juggernaut, (where frantic myriads raise, There thou hast seen the Inquisition's fire; Heard the shrill shriek, the groan of pale despair There 'twas a sin to doubt, a crime t' inquire, O sacred Salem! daughter of the skies! On distant shores, thy sons thy misery mourn; Fall'n from the skies, from peerless greatness torn; They weep for joys long past, to come no more; And breathe their sighs where western oceans foar; Or in thy mould'ring walls to bondage giv'n, But lo! Buchanan on thy strand appears Though scorn assail, though rancor blast thy name, "Thou, thou hast freed the captive wretch from pain, With thine compared, how poor the Warrior's fame, Compar'd with thine, how poor the Poet's praise, |