activity. The Indians on the Florida frontier had begun their massacres Jackson marched against them; they fled into the Spanish province; he followed them there; he found them protected; he did not hesitate, but attacked and captured the Spanish forts, and sent the governor and garrison off in transports, which he hired to receive them. At the same time he told the governor that when the king of Spain should send a sufficient force to quell the Indians and keep them in subjection, the province should be restored to him.' pp. 120-122.

The following remarks are highly important and seasonable, and we readily give them all the circulation in our power.

It has been observed by Talleyrand, that there was a natural connexion between England and America, which must operate in favour of the former, and against France. This I believe to be strictly the case: and wars between Great Britain and America can only arise from an astonishing ignorance in the British ministry, of the feelings and habits of this country. The more I see of America, the more I am convinced, that instead of an absurd jealousy of the growing power of this country, we ought rather to promote it. It has been very correctly observed, by one of our statesmen," that not an axe falls in an American forest which does not put in motion some shuttle, hammer, or wheel, in England." This is truly the case The amount of British manufactures consumed even in this place, so lately established, is wonderful. In the village of Montrose are already six or eight shopkeepers. One of these lately sent off nine waggons to bring in goods from one of the maritime cities: and these goods are principally of British manufacture, and to be consumed by backwoods-men! It is usual for the store-keepers to supply themselves twice a year, spring and autumn; therefore, it is probable that this storekeeper sells eighteen loads of goods in a year. Multiply eighteen by six, and you have one hundred and eight loads of goods sold in the village of Montrose alone; besides shops in other parts of the country. Instead of prohibiting the emigration of farmers and mechanics to this country, an enlightened ministry would urge it. A man who for want of employment with you, is a burthen to the parish, here purchases a lot of new lands; his labour supplies his family with food and raiment, and the latter is principally British manufacture. As his children increase, his wealth increases, and his demand on the shops, or, as they are here called, stores, increases with it. These stores are supplied from Great Britain with the articles he consumes. The result is obvious; the man who is a weight on his fellow subjects at home, when abroad, becomes one of those who enhance the prosperity of his native country, by the consumption of its manufactures. These things are too plain to be mistaken; and a British minister must shut both his eyes and his ears, who does not perceive that the increase of population here, is of the utmost importance to the interest of the mother country. The concourse of idle and expensive paupers in England, if sent to this country, would become a fountain of wealth, pouring its fertilizing stream on you from a lavish urn. It is mortifying to know, that these sources of prosperity should have been prevented from flowing upon our country by the sneering letters of

Canning, or the unbending pride of Castlereagh, and a host of others of the same character.

When the French decrees denationalized the vessels of America, for suffering the search of a British cruiser, what a fortunate time it would have been for our country, had our minister been sufficiently wise to have seen that his true policy should have led him to protect and guard the American vessel; to do every act of kindness, and to afford every protection in his power, while our enemy was absurdly provoking the hostility of the nation, whose agriculture was at the very moment affording him the most important aid. What would have been the result of such conduct? Undoubtedly a war between France and America; and a league between the latter and Great Britain; between the parent and the child, as it ought to have been. In monarchical governments, if an injury is done by one to another, a calculation may be made coolly and deliberately, of the sum necessary to quiet all animosity. This is not the case in a government of the people. Here their voice is heard; it is all powerful: and if such a case had happened, as I have supposed, the people would have compelled the government to declare war against France. The flow of the heart of these people is naturally towards their English relations. An Englishman, if he behaves himself, has a thousand advantages, which no other countryman possesses; and if he is conscious of proper feeling towards the country of his adoption, he may at once consider himself at home among its citizens; by whom he will be received with every attention which cordiality and kindness can bestow.' pp. 122-125.

Should not Great Britain,' says the Writer in concluding the chapter, look with exultation on the gigantic growth of her offspring-at the extent to which her language and her code of laws are carried by Anglo-Americans ?

Art. VII. A Mother's Journal during the last Illness of her Daughter, Sarah Chisman. With a Preface, by Jane Taylor. 12mo. pp. 172. Price 4s. London. 1820.

To those persons who regard the principle of religion, as, in every instance of its real existence, the production of the Divine Spirit, there will appear nothing extraordinary in the degree of maturity with which it sometimes develops itself in the infant mind. At how early a period of incipient reason, the child is capable of religion, capable of being the moral subject of Divine influence, it would be the highest presumption to determine. That would be a very erroneous way of judging of the matter, which should make the degree in which the reason has unfolded, the measure of that capacity. We believe that the education of the heart, may have advanced to a point far higher than is generally deemed practicable, long before the intellect has fully developed itself. And so soon as the child is capable of the ordinary methods of moral education, it would be

impiety to deny that its spirit is susceptible of a higher influ ence. The necessity of a Divine change, is a doctrine which has no tendency to discourage the attempt to train up our chil dren in habits of piety; but we fear that it operates on the minds of some religious parents, as an undefined excuse for a very languid discharge of their duties in this respect, as if they were less responsible than they really are, for the future cha racter of their offspring. There is too much room still to address many individuals who are themselves disciples, in the language of our Lord's rebuke: "Suffer the little children to 66 come unto me." They would seem either to disbelieve or to forget, that "of such is the kingdom of Heaven."

Although the design of such a publication as the present, is the benefit of the young, rather than that of older readers, it is well adapted to open the eyes of those persons who think that a child may be too young to be religious, or that piety in a child. must of necessity be childish. Exclude the aid of Divine teaching, indeed, and the task of accommodating Revealed Truth to the apprehensions of a child, becomes hopeless. It is, however, in fact equally hopeless to attempt to make the welleducated adult perceive, independently of such teaching, spiritual truths. Exclude Divine illumination as the source of the intelligent views and elevated feelings to which childhood has, in numberless instances, proved to be capable of attaining, and we will allow the phenomenon to be, not merely extraordinary, but inexplicable. A child may have by heart its catechism and its favourite hymns, and, like older formalists, be destitute of any intelligent notion of religion. But as we do not call that, religious education, which consists merely in cultivating the memory, so, we do not call that infant piety, which displays itself by no other marks than the recital of lessons. Where this is all the effect produced, we are, however, always apt to suspect a deficiency in the means which have been employed. At the point at which education stops short, it is no wonder if the child stops short also. But where the mind itself is cultivated, a child will not be a parrot; instinctive curiosity will of necessity operate; the feelings will be interested; and, under such circumstances, religion will be found in itself a most efficient means of forwarding the growth of the faculties. To this, its natural tendency, we are disposed to attribute in part what may seem the precocity of intellect sometimes attendant upon youthful piety; especially in cases where long or severe affliction has tended to fix the mind more attentively upon the objects of faith. A considerable maturity of mind is, indeed, the natural effect of early suffering, and its influence cannot but extend to the religious character.

Frequently, if a child is thought likely to die, its parents will

then be anxious that it should exhibit symptoms of piety; as there is then no room for apprehension that its natural vivacity, its delightful juvenility of feeling, will be destroyed, or repressed, or overcast by the gloom of religion, or that it should exhibit the formality of a little old man.' But is there really any tendency in religion adequately felt, to produce this baleful effect upon the temperament of a child? The most perfect artlessness, the most rampant boyishness, have been found compatible with all the ardour of youthful piety. Why are they not found more frequently in combination ?

It has been suggested,' says Miss Taylor, in her Preface to this very interesting record of maternal affection,

whether more might not be done than is generally attempted in early education, in rendering the first impressions of religion cheerful and encouraging, rather than gloomy and apprehensive. Instead of a reluctant acknowledgement of the necessity of preparation for death, might not the young be taught, as their first lesson in Christianity, to exult in the thought of being born to an endless existence; and in the fact, that boundless happiness is freely offered to their acceptance? Perhaps the fascinations of the world would be more successfully counteracted, if, instead of unsympathizing lectures on its vanity and danger, the great objects of our faith and hope were more frequently, and more cheeringly exhibited, as in themselves infinitely desirable, and worthy of every sacrifice-if their attention were particularly invited to those passages of scripture which bring Immortality to light; and they were taught to contemplate as words of wondrous and mighty import-" the promise that he has promised us,-ETERNAL LIFE."

The volume itself presents a lovely specimen of confidential 'intercourse between a pious mother and a hopeful child.' In this view, it affords, as Miss Taylor remarks, an instructive

and an encouraging lesson both to parents and children;' and on this ground, were there no other, we could not but expressour satisfaction that this Mother's Journal has been suffered at length to meet the eye of the Public.

A fear, on the part of a sorrowing parent, of obtruding her grief and her joy on the attention of strangers, has for five years confined this brief narrative to private perusal. In consenting, at length, to its publication, her design and desire are obvious.

To young readers this affecting record may be more particularly interesting; and to them it is affectionately and solicitously presented; with an earnest hope that they will not suffer the only effect of its perusal to be a languid and solitary wish, that their last end may be equally happy.'

Religious readers will know what to expect in the unadorned narrative, which professedly contains little more than the artless expressions of a child during her last illness, but of a child who

was well able to give a reason of the assured hope which was in her. The simplicity of the relation, its freedom from technicality, the conspicuous prudence with which the conversations were sustained on the part of the parent, the careful abstinence from leading questions, and the discrimination and firmness which characterize the replies, will in their view amply justify the propriety of the publication. It is needless to add that the Journal, commenced under the prospect of the fatal termination of the disorder, was drawn up without any view to its appearing before the Public. We shall subjoin a short specimen.

1 read to her the "Memoirs of Mr. Russell:" in one place he says I am afraid I am a hypocrite:' she abruptly stopt me, and said

"That is what I fear sometimes."

"My Sarah, do you doubt that you love me?”

"Oh no."

"Then if you know this, is it not possible, think you, to know whether you love God or hate him?"

"Oh, I am sure I do not hate God; 1 know I love him better than any thing else."

I read another expression of Mr. Russell's "I would not be without religion for ten thousand worlds." She lifted up her hand, and with great earnestness exclaimed

"Neither, I am sure, would I.”

• I remarked to her that she seemed more comfortable than she had been the day before.

"Yes mamma, I am very happy."

Instead of repeating expressions which I may have put down before, I may say that my beloved child very frequently evinced a deep and unfeigned conviction of sinfulness and unworthiness, and of her unfitness to appear in the Divine presence, except as freely justified, through the imputation of that righteousness, which is upon them who believe. She often referred to the 32d Psalm as a source of much comfort to her-"Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven; blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity;" and she was fond of repeating Dr. Watts's version of it.

April 27th. In the morning, Mr. Bristow brought her Clark's Collection of the Promises: he pointed out to her those under the head of sanctified affliction; telling her at the same time, (alluding to the expression of his which had occasioned her some uneasiness, as mentioned above,) that there were more promises to Christians under affliction, than to those who attended public worship. She began to read the book with great delight; marking certain passages, and inserting papers at the heads Sickness; Justification;' Pardon,' and Reconciliation. Whilst reading to her, she remarked this verse- Having predestinated us to the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ.' I said, "But, my love, do you understand what is meant by being predestinated?"

"Why mamma, I think I know what it means, but I fear I cannot explain myself; but is it not, thought of before'-there is another