Newspaper Page Text
v- vi.]
‘ ”
“ot •bethought, the re
|J|B", ’' on '’ I know that, if a verdict of
f IMsrand system of universal benevolence,
must come in for such share
j. and contempt as belongs to an ac-
I -flpry- 1 hasten, however, to the special
ianfet of your attention, and will endeav
■ atone by the brevity of my conclu
for any departure from what may be
djfced the legitimate sphere of my obser
-Bir forefathers, together with a rich in
|M®nce -°* mora * anf * political advantages,
Sslsß! to ou f s y ra P al hi es and our piety,
charge of an exotick popula
Jpllflpnrighteously introduced amongst us,
Hkexistence is the worst foe to our
! and whose rapid multiplication
proprietors
■’ *'®who, from their earliest intercourse
jglSßthe European race, have been ha
■ .Bg to destruction with a swift and on-
Ifppi’ut'ted’ tendency. For the former
IgHB ofyersons, humanity has already done
M*h, and is still active in their behalf.
Bnaoy instaoce®, they enjoy all the tie
pßaries'aml many of the conveniences of
Religion freely admits them to h<-i' :
ftKhes, her rattrac'ions, and her sacra
; and we may fonfidently hope that
Ugnperinnce shall gradually remove those
r frßlices which still .unfortunately exist,
till® condition will receive all ‘hot im-
Picßment which is comp&'iblt; with the
‘ -. **■!•*
welfare.
h B the Aborigines of our country • IBtle
S? !*d done and XHtle attempted. * l. ,f 'e ir
<■'■•■ [peg*. their wrong* and (heir
i: B| re u ' ( hout a parallel in the history *
BUB?* 1 - Brave and independent, their
HHKbr planted them in this fair continent.
gPMßeir dominion spread abroad on every
nSftnnd their right tva? undisputed. The
h. ; Bpid valleys, the beaten shores and the
; tmßlaiD torrents, were all their own, and
breezes which shook the
their wild forests, were not more
huntsman who re
mm>ewh >beir shade'. Unhidden and
■ JBp° r * z ed, our ancestors came to their
infill .home. By contract or by force,
1 1 Sh oaubles of tra.flick or the sword of
pj&jHjbey got possession of their land*.
I dih-Kpoured into their unsuspecting bos
contaminating vices of civiliz and
itfgHtaccompanied by a single safeguard
<ui,3®redeea)iug principle, which educa
|twßd religion have invented to counter
wftir destructive ifijluence*. Ai their
the Indian population melted
• #'ike the snow upon their own moun
ifi-aKliefote the zephyr* of spring. L’mai
jpfrßprlfc of the Atlantick, where they
J|s',ltHhd life chase and marshalled ihe ho-is
Rtlic, they have tied successively, for
hjggHttiori to the Alleghany mountains, to
BBB.hu>'Slid the Mississippi- At the pre
IpHtiy only a homhie remnant is leltup
iir-tbeir wonted attitude of
Hrd of suffering, and still pursued hv
persecution,, they are slowly pa
9k|> to,where another wave of civiliza
the remotest west, may-ere long,
Rh|B their progress, and dasii them hack
RHMbe :av.ft- they are vainly attempting
till’ the buffeted wreck of tbti>
-‘jJ. jH&ioWtfe people shall be swallowed up
fto contenrplafe (he bright pages
■HPb'o<iiifrV A s-history. I dwell with rap-
the rich scene* of her prospeii
f^^^Prbapsilgrowth in arts and in power;
Hpelligence of her citizens ; the tip
fj&rHtess of tier general policy and the
jgg n ?' i <vfProstitution.*, which have lifted
H|H£ I''Wgbts 1 ''Wgbts and the dignity of man from
over and trodden under foot
|||||’.-ediury pride, to their legitimate
security and dominion. I rejoice
trophies our heroes have won in
of righteous combat, although
and bereavements by which tiiey
ifWchieved, throw over the contempla
gHpH&tllne of a sable melancholy. But
P§® *hitik of the poor Indians ; of their
rights and unmerited sufferings ;
to he, considered intruders
|P|lHpreigners in the land which God had
fjPSßtbern for their dive I ling place ■. and
;■ : were driven from their beloved
ijraflßßarid burying grounds of their fathers,
,* distant wilderness, the rapacity
men pursued them there; ami be-
were unwilling to share this last
i’?iet<i#R'of their calamities with their unfeel
’ r ■? Spiders, they were held to he aggrrs
*-i%!fHtf)d slaughtering armies were sent.
St them which burnt up their scanty
yic'otjptl their simple habitations, and torn
-<!S*beir women and children into the
jjSp|Myihlcr Storm; aye—and helpless and
H-i Wit as thev were—murdered them all
IjfcSfctterroinatitigcruelty. Oh! my heart
ifeiMfevviihin me at -I ,h recollections, and
ggjßßblo at the thmight-of day of f*tri
||j|||Sßk which i-. appointed for nations as
Rr? individual:.
And what, let- me ask, are theseuthnein?
cherished towards the solitary families of
red men who still linger on the earth, by
the ten millions of people who have turned
their forests into corn fields, and built cities
on their graves! Is it a feeling of resent
ment, because they have proved faithless
in peace and ferocious in war ? Surely it
is too soon to have forgotten the provoca
tions which goaded (hem on to madness and
revenge. If they negociated with our pub
iick authorities, they were met by a grasp
iog policy which swept away their posses
sions, a pro vince at a time. If they traded
with private individuals, their skins and
furs, the fruit of their hard toils, were ob
tained in exchange for worthless trinkets
and devouring luxuries. If they dwelt in
our neighbourhood, wasting corruptions
overspread their land. If they fled from
our contaminating intercourse, avarice and
oppression hunted out their relreats. In
peace and in war, the causes of theif ruin
were always at work, and gloomy antici
pation of coming destruction was forever
pressing upon their hearts. From us they
had learned nothing but craft and perfidy.
With the sanctity of treaties their unenligh
tened souls were unacquainted, but the
God of nature led them to feel, and it is not
strangle that the bravest of them sometimes
burst away from the lethargy of. intoxica
tion and despair, and poured upon their
oppressors, a torrent of desolating fu
ry.
Bat I am aware, that ?ince the Indians
havepeaaed to be the objects of terror, they
.are no longer the objects of resentment.
{Another Sentiment, less guilty, but not less
dangerous, ha? taken place of the spirit of
vengence j an infidel discouragement which
repi esses hope and paralyzes exertion A
persuasion is abroad amongst ns, that the
fetal decree has already gone forth against
tills devoted people; that the elements of
r r ...w v.o.mv -j i
a nature, so incorrigibly savage, are depos
ited in iheir bosoms, a? bids defiance lo
the meliorating influences of civilization,
and we seem to be waiting, in gloomy ex
for the day of their doom. And
ifh„ doctrine's had their foundations in
troth Kiel m experience, what would be the
inference ? Th?t we should remain the
inactive spectator? of their sad catastrophe ?
No : We shouhl Ay l-he more speedily to
their relief, and strew the flowers of celes.
tial hojip along fh*-. dreary pathway of their,
approaching ruin, Wo should cal! upon
our country to atone, .while atonement was
possible, for the’ wrong? has inflicted ;
interpose all (he resourcSC °f * ler power
and her policy, to throw” opposing
dykes of her wisdom and beosyolence, b p
fore the desolating torrent, which sweep
ing away an injured race to where. t^ie >
will unite their accusing voice with IJK ,!,e
who have gone before, in calling down (lit,
vengeance of Heaven upon our encroach
ments and oppressions. We should cry to
the slumbering church to put her mightiest
energies in requisition; to hasten while haste
might be availing, to snatch a few brand?
from this devouring burning; to
the conflagration of sin, with the wafer?
of-salvntion ; to pour through the scorch
ed fragment? the life giving sap of the Go?
pel, and plant them as trees of righteous
ness in the vineyard of God, where, for a
season, they might bring forth Ihe fruits of
holiness, a late but cheeriDg testimonial of
the penitence of earth, and delightfnl fore
taste of the unrevealed blessedness of
Heaven. ‘ -<•>*.
But this despair of which I have spokeo,
is gratuitous altogether, condemned by the
Faith of a Christian and Ihe reason of a
tnan. From the failure of some former
attempts to improve the condition of the
Aborigines, it would be folly and injustice
to infer, that the efforts of the preseut day
will prove like unsuccessful. We are out
making over again an experiment that has
already failed. We are not resting upon
principles, long sioce exploded ; nor seek
ing lo ingraft tne refinements of civilization
upon a savage nature, which uniformly re
coils from their approach. We intrndoce
a process which is to change that nature
and implant new principles. Our reliance
is oot upon a power which has often been
defeated, but which has always been victo
rious; even that same power of the Gos
pel which converted the brutish Goths who
plundered the Capitol, into tbe polished
Italian who built the church of St. Peter ;
that power which turned the 9avage inhab
itants of ancient Britain, who enslaved and
sold tbeir countrymen, in clauish broils, at
home, or murdered them io gladiatorial
shows abroad, into the Nf.wtoss, the How
ards, the Wilberforces, the Wesleys, and
the Carevs of modern England.—The Gos
pel gives us in morals, what Archimedes
wanted in mecbanicks, another world to
plant our eogioes upon, and with this van
tage ground we have nothing to fear from
the most stubborn coalition of sin and bar
barism
It is fashionable to speak of tbe conver
sion of the Indians as a mere utopian hypo
thesis, a scheme more visionary than all
the visions that feed the voracious creduli
ty of a believing generation. Aud yet this
common prejudice is in the face of all ex
perience, which ha* uniformly demonstra
ted that they yield the readiest and the ri
pest fruits to Missionary zeal- The la-
— . -
ora, a. tS,
MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK COUNTY, GEORGIA,) MONDAY. MARCH 7, 1225.
U-;... j Mu .new,
Elliot, Braikard, 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 organi
zed, intelligent and enduring communities,
it was because first successes were not fol
lowed up; because (be whites (bought 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 ; be
cause they were neglected and cheated &
corrupted in peace, and murdered in war;
lor anj’ other cause, I am fully persuaded,
than any incapacity in the Indians them
selves, to be moulf-.'d into all the nbblost
lorms of intellectual and moral excel
lence.
I thank God, better feelings and sounder
doctrines are beginning to prevail. The’
American churches are waking from their
guilty slumbers, and those wretched wan
derers, so long forgotten in the dispensa
tions of our benevolence, are no more to be
‘considered as savage beasts which should
be hunted from the earth ; but as immortal
beiogs who may be tutored for the skies.
The seed has been sowd which is already
bringing forth a plenteous harvest to the
glory of God arid tbe salvation of men ; and
we who have listened to tbe yells of ravage
aud death echoed from invaded forests,
may yet live, till these forlorn outcasts shall
be reclaimed to the Charlies 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.
have done. I thank you for this op
portunity of offering my humble tribute to
the Missionary cause, and my heart res
ponds to the declaration of gratitude which,
lam sure, you will accord to the suppor
ters of your pious undertaking.
—-xx:-:xx**
REPLY TO “ <?,”
In the Christian Register of Dec. 10 and 17.
Dear rim—l do not admit the conclu
sivenesa of “ experimental testimony” on all
.occasions; but it is certainly valid in the in
stant# in which you have adduced it. You
are competent to certify, that you have
“ rejected one principle of the orthodox
fe-.th for a considerable time, and yet firm
ly believe” all the remainder. This fact is
conclusive evidence, that the orthodox sys
tern is not always received or rejected en
tire; a position which l never denied .or
doubted, notwithstanding the remarks which
I made respecting the counexion and sym
metry of all its parts, a9 they are presented
to my own mind
You remark, that you and others “ have
the advantage” of me, on account of Ibis
ability to give “ experimental testimony.”
ppssibly, however, I have had more'expe
rience on the? subject than you imagine. I
mnt decline the office of teaching one, who,
I have reason to believe, is by much my
superiour in age and attainments. I think,
therefore, it may be mo?t proper, and per
haps most satisfactory to you, if 1 relate to
you a portion of my past experience.
Whatever my original inducement was
for adopting orthodox sentiments, 1 am sure
they were not received by tradition; were
not the effect, of education. There was a
time after I became a man, when I thought
nothing, knew next to nothing, respiting
them. There was another period, when I
examined them, but believedjhem not , and
was determined to disbelieve. And there
was a time, long after 1 bad adopted and
prpached these sentiments, when I was
terribly shaken, if I renounced none of
them, I had on one or two points, most die
tressing doubts ; on the same points which
you, Sir, have rejected. I was for a time
“plunged into a labyrinth,” which abound
ed in intricate mazes. This circomstance
I have never before divulged, except to two
or three most intimate friends.
The occasion of this event was the peru
sal ot “ Bible News.” You must know,
Sir, I am rather of a logical turn ; fond of
lucid statements, apposite reasoning, and
clear demonstration. And you are aware
that that book abounds in demonstrations
Besides, the aot'ior had the reputation of
being a pious and devoted man ; bad long
preached the orthodox sentiments; and yet
he had now recodnced tbe doctrines of the
trinity, and the supreme deity of Jesus
Christ, retaining others. • Before 1 perused
tl*e book, I said to myself, “if I meD to
judge candidly and fairly, I must admit in
the ou(9et, that what has appeared so evi
dent to me may be erroneous I read, and
reflected, and trembled. The author prov
ed, that three cannot be one—that three
persons are three distinct independent be
ings—that Christ is lilterally the Son of God
ibe Father, as Isaac was the son of Abra
ham—that bis nature is neither created;
nor uncreated, but derived from the Father,
and therefore he has ihe divine nature—
that (bis spirit could become united to a
human body, without having a human soul;
and thus avoid Ibe absurdity of ascribiogfto
Christ two natures in one person—that such
a beipg could suffer ; and so exalt the value
of his atonement, unspeakably above that
of tricitarians All this nod more was made
very plain. I was half convinced, half con
founded. But the more I read and reflect
ed, the more evident did the correctness of,
the scheme appear. It removed difticut-!
ties; it was easily understood and compre
hended ; if was rational; it seemed to agree
with ail the other doctrines of my faith;
nrivj it solved tbe mysteries of orthodoxy,
*b\h before had given me no trouble, but
now\ippeared great and peiplexing on my
old scheme. And now, you can believe,
came a severe conflict with feeling. Could
I renoonce that Rock, on which I had built
all my eternal hopes? Could I forever re
ject the belief, that he who had become my
salvation |s any thing less than the infinite’
Jehovah ?! If ever 1 prayed for the guidance
of the Sprit, it was in those days of anguish.
My distrels had a peculiarity, to which I
was a stranger at the period when I sank
under guilt and condemnation, and had not
found a Saviour. Then followed” a con
flict with sell-interest. How could I be
come an alien from my Christian and minis
terial brethren, those excellent of tbe
earth, in whom was all my delight? How
could I bear the disgrace iucident to a
change of sentiment? How could I leave a
beloved people; and with a dependant fam
ily, relinquish my means of support ?
At length tbe tumult ceased. I felt
ready far the sacrifice of worldly interests;
my anxiety on that account was gone. I
could not quit my hold of my Rock of sal
vation ; but if I had misconceived its nature
or name, I was willing to correct my views.
Could I but know the truth, I was prepared
to embrace it. At this time, iny conviction
of the truth of the new scheme remained
strong. I did not believe it without waver
ing; but it had a great preponderance iu
my miud. I verily thought 1 should 6oqn
adopt it as an article of my faith, and ao
nonnee to my friends my change of views.
At this critical lime, a friendly hand, as I
believe—a delusive spirit, or some false
reasoning, you perhaps will say—guided
me out of all my perplexities. The means
employed, was a re-penml of the book.
It occurred to me to examine, whether a
scheme which professed to solve all difficul
ties, was itself free from as great embnp
rassments; whether, while professing to
make so much of the Bible plainer than it
seemed before, it would agree with other
parts concerning which there was no doubt;
whether a scheme so well supported by “di
rect reasoning, could beur collateral reason
ing also. I proceeded with a strong expec
tation of finding the affirmative of the
questions supported. But—was I deluded;
or wa* | enlightened? I found the new
scheme itself had its difficulties. I tried to
remove them, but they became absurdities.
The illusion vanished ; the mist cleared up
from my former doctrines of faith; and
they became more evident & precious than
ever. And I urn well persuaded, that this
sitting was the occasion of giving me a more
perfect establishment in the faith, than
could have been effected by any ordinary
means.
1 inquired, what are the attributes which
this book assigns to Christ? It says, he de
rived his existence from the Father ; that
he. is literally the Son of God; and that he
has ibe divine nature, is a divine person, a
God. But what rook does he actually hold
in the scale of being ? I found he is not con
sidered self-existent, or independent, or un
created, or eternal; that he is neither om
nipresent, omniscient, nor almighty, except
as the Father had communicated a great
measure of-bis fulness to him. In a word,
1 found him described as, in himself, infi
nitely inferiour to the Father; no more par
taking of divine attributes than the Messiah
of Arias, or one of the angels. But to pos
sees the human nature, it is necessary that
a Being should have the essential proper
ties of a man: and to have ihe divine na
ture, in the peculiar sense this book pre
tends, it being must have the incommunica
ble attributes and perfections of Jehovah.
Suppose Isaac, (bough descended from
Abraham, had possessed the body and spirit
of a beast only ; we could not'say he bad
the human nature ; it would be absurd to
call him a man. So, it appears to me but a
sophism, to assert that Christ has the divine
nature in that peculiar sense, if he has none
of ihe peculiar attributes of Deity, none of
those which distinguish him from all his
creatures. Again, this author says, and
you say, that the divine nature cancot suf
fer; and therefore tbe atonement supposed
by the orthodox, was made by a mere man.
But ob the new scheme there is a double
difficulty If the phrase divine nature has
a meaning, and the son actually has the
same naiure with Jehovah, I a?k, how could
his divine nature suffer? If this is not tbe
meaning, and Christ has not Jehovah’s na
ture, then the atonement might as well
have been made by an angel or any other
holy creature. The scheme proposes to
obviate tbe necessity of ascribing two na
tures to Christ, by saying he had a human
body, of which tbe soul or spirit of the word
was the soul. Bat the author was obliged
to add, that the infinite fulness of the Fa
ther dwelt in him Now what is tbif, but
two natures in one person ? And did the in
finite fulness of the Father suffer on the
cross ? Or, because this was impossible, did
a being infinitely inferiour make a useless
atonement? Indeed, the scheme evidently
represents the atomtrtent as made by one,
infinitely inferiour tptheDcily; and there
[Price $3 50 per ami.
i fore it is no better alonemeut (him that iu
! which Arms believed. On this scheme,
too, I find it utterly impossible to avoid the
idea, that worship paid to Christ is idolatry.
And do difficulty is removed, by saying if
is done to the glory of God the Father, if
Christ is any other than God himself. In ‘
line, a re-examinatinn of the scheme con- .
vinced me, that it is far more incoherent
than the Socinian; especially when com.
pared with the orthodox doc*riues which it
professed to retain. I could not admit if,
without doing violence to my understand
ing. ‘ ‘/v/;.
I can believe that three can he strictly
one, in one sense, and distinct in another;
that he, to whom the incommunicable per
fections of Jehovah are ascribed, with his
peculiar titles, worship and works, is Je
hovah equally with the Father; that the.
infinite God, when voluntarily manifested
in flesh, was a servant, a messenger, and
one who needed to call on the Father in
prayer. I can believe that the glory of his
nature put an infinite value On his suffer
ing?, even if it be admitted that bis human
nature only felt tbe pang? of crucifixion. I
can believe, and trust', and adore, without
insisting on having a perfect comprehen
sion; for I have been painfully taught thq
tolly ot attempting to find out theA'mighty
unto perfection. And by thi? time you per
ceive how 1 should answer all your partic
ular inquiries, if I thought it necessary to
reply to them iu detail.
This relation may not be precisely in
point; for it may be the scheme advanced
in “Bible News,” is different from yours.
If I understand you, however, the differ
ence cannot be great between them. Ido
not say that I am right inlteturning to Trin
itarian ground, which 1 at one time was
nigh deserfing. The last day will deter
mine; I accept your friendly caution, stilt
to examine and inquire. And, to return Ihe
kindness, I would now ask yon solemnly to
inquire, what could be the reason 1 ree
jected the scheme in question, while you
embraced it ? Why were you “obliged” to
reject the Trinitarian belief, while I was
equally compelled to return to it as a truth
of (he sacred Bible ?
Yours,
The Editor of the Christian Mirror.
MISSION AIIY.
From the American Baptist Magazine.
WAR IN BIJRMAH—BURMAN MISSION.
The following extract of a letter from ao
officer engaged in active operations agaiust
the Burmese, contains the latest informa
tion we have received from that country.
It is dated May 21st.
“ In the affair of Ramoo, the Bunhese
fought well, and lost about 70 or 80 killed;
for no quarter was given, nor do I ’ think it
will be given during the war on either side,
for if you save a Borman’s life, it is ten to
one that be returns the favour by taking
yours. From all appearances, this will be
a bloody and protracted warfare. We are
about to send an expedition against Syrian),
and the undent city of Pegu, in a fpw days.
It is 70 miles up the river, and we shall
have bush fighting all the way. We
now busy in preparing fire.booms, add ar
ranging for boats to go up the river, t’do .
not think we shall be ready for Ihe expedi
tion up the Irawaddy. river io less than a ,
month. The captain of the I.arpe willtbea
hoist hi? pendant on board the steam bdat. \
Sir A. Campbell with the major part of the
forces will join him, sod only a sufficient
garrison will be left to protect Rangoon
If we reach Prome, all will be well ; hut It
isan extremely difficult undertaking to tran
sport in open boat* a force of 6 or 7000 men
up a rapid river, within a stone’s throw of
the beach, and a determined enemy annoy
ing us all the way. It mu9t, however, be
done, and if they do not come to terms, We
must go up to Ummerapoora. The mode
of annoyance on the part of tbe enemy is
by fire rafts and war boats ; and as the
heavy rain season is now coming on, they
will have the advantage of the dark nights;
With these they oblige us to keep a sharp
look out. They also sink large boats to ;
the gunwale, and turn them adrift upon ns.
The force with which they come down,aid
ed by the current, is very great One
nearly came od board of us the other nighti
I* caught a rope,and Ihe rope cot off a bey’s
leg as clean as if it bad been amputated—
We are going to send l2of the Madras ves
sels for 3000 men aid provisions.”
The above is all tbe information, which,
up to the present date, has reached os#-*
peeling tbe mission to Burmab, or state of
•he war between the Borman and Bengal
government.'*. Enough has, however, we
trust been received to awaken* every one
among us to renewed prayer, ants to more
strenuous exertions. A few of bc*o cob
sidernlions we Wilt DOW suggest.
1. The state of our missionaries at Ava
was by the last acceaot* extremely peril
ous. The war seems to be carried on with
unusual ferocity. Should the exasperatjpa
against (be English bo extended to the Mis
sionaries, we cannot but tremble for the re
sult. All cor confidence is in the God of
Missions, who, we hope has said, “ Tench
not mine anointed, and do my prophets nn
AwM-” The present aspect of the cese ;
iv ‘ ..’.’ At-A-: .