both parties affect to consider themselves as insulted and abused; both parties begin to swagger and bluster about their national honor. In the mean time, they intrigue, and practise every kind of falsehood, to disguise the true state of the controversy. When the passions of the people are sufficiently roused; when the armies are recruited and the na. vies manned; forth issue letters of marque and reprisal, and soon follows a full toned declaration of war, in which an appeal is made to the world as impartial spectators of the conflict, and to God as the righteous umpire. The contest once commenced, national pride is appealed to; and it is seldom appealed to in vain. The people are exhorted to constancy, to perseverance, to heroism, to self-denial; and all the touching motives which can operate on pride and patriotism, are incessantly applied as a stimulus. War always creates food for the evil passions from which it originated. Soon after fight ing commences, there will be occasions of boasting on each side. These occasions will be made the most of; and whatever is unfavorable will be studiously concealed. Each party trumpets its own bravery and skill, and magnanimity; and charges the other with cowardice, with treachery, with barbarity, with Vandalism. Many of these charges are true on both sides; and they afford most fertile topics to keep up and increase national animosities. Thus the business goes on, just as the arch-enemy of man would have it. Battles are fought,cities besieged, provinces overrun. The flowe. of the countries rush into the armies;

they are corrupted in camps; they perish on the field; many a hostile plain is whitened by their bones. One year of misery succeeds another; the savings of preceding years are quickly consumed; the tax-gatherer stands at every cottage door; the income of many a succeeding year is anticipated; the public credit sinks; the rich lose in a month the labors of their lives; the poor laborer, to use the words of Mr. Randolph, "goes supperless to bed." During the latter part of this process, the warlike efforts begin to flag. Without losing any of the disposition to injure each other, both parties have lost nearly all their ability. Their struggle becomes impotent; the people sigh for a change; the rulers are at their wits end; and the only refuge from absolute ruin is peace. Peace is then concluded; and let the terms be what they may, the rulers claim great credit for making peace, when they ought to have been driven into banishment by one unanimous burst of indignation for having made the war. The peace, however, is received with universal joy, and the people thus pronounce unequivocal condemnation on themselves for having ever suffered the commencement of hostilities. They please themselves, however, with the honor they have gained: Yes, though the sword has wasted almost without limit; though treasures beyond computation have been expended; though morals have been depraved; though industry has been blasted; though a flourishing community is transformed into a vast collection of knaves and vagabonds; and though the

lands and houses of the country are all mortgaged, and every poor child must pay a tax on his hat and his shoes, to prevent the government from falling asunder; still the cry is raised, that the people are under infinite obligations to their government for preserving the national honor. Thus I have heard of duels between persons infamous for their vices, notorious liars, totally faithless, and destitute of every pretension to principle or virtue. One of the parties receives a bullet in his body; suffers the long-protracted tortures of a wound, which is nearly mortal; spends all his property on physicians; loses his health; and continues the same abandoned villain as before: and yet, as the poor wretch hobbles about, he consoles himself with the prompt declaration, that he has attained an object worthy of all these sacrifices, for he has preserved his honor.

The foregoing description is, if I mistake not, a just one, of a multitude of wars, which have infested Europe within the reach of history. Other passions, than those which I have stated, have doubtless come in for a share of influence; such as ambition, a desire of conquest, deep revenge, and a variety of passions of the same general character. But a combination of a part or all of these passions cannot make war more reasonable than I have described it.

Do not mistake me, however, to assert, that all wars are of this sort. There is a distinction between the oppressor and the oppressed; there is such a thing as unprovoked aggression; there is such a thing as a righteous VOL. XI.

cause. An impartial perusal of history, however, will convince any man, that in most wars both parties have been flagrantly guilty, and can give but a miserable excuse for blood wantonly shed. A. B.

For the Panoplist.

REFLECTIONS UPON WAR, AND THE LATE REJOICINGS FOR PEACE.

or

WAR is a more terrible judgment than either famine pestilence. It is often the precursor and immediate cause of both. Legion is the proper name of the evils, physical and moral, which it inflicts upon a community. It deranges the best concerted plans of business. It blasts the brightest hopes of thousands of families. It poisons the life-blood of the body politic; agonizes every limb and fibre; and preys, like an insatiable vulture, upon the palpitating vitals. It spreads its gloom alike, over great cities and obscure villages. It enters the cottage and demands the husband, the firstborn, or the youngest son; perhaps all three, in a single year. A stranger to the yearnings of nature, it smiles when thus employed, in breaking the heartstrings of wives, parents, and children.

What is the march of hostile armies, but the sweeping of the besom of destruction? What is the camp, but a scene of filth and disease; a school of profanity, lewdness, and intoxication; an emblem of the bottomless pit? What are fields of battle, but so many human slaughter-yards?

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priety may be overleaped; that many unhallowed passions may usurp the seat of devotion; that innumerable extravagancies may banish Christian sobriety and moderation; and that services, begun in the sanctuary and end ed in the tavern, may bring more wrath upon a people. As little can it be denied, that what may be, has been; "our eyes have seen and our ears have heard it."

It is a most melancholy reflection, but the fact, I apprehend, cannot be denied, that more sin has been committed, in the course of the late celebration throughout the United States, than within almost any period of equal length, since we became a nation. Thousands of sincere prayers, have no doubt been of fered up, and in some places, all the proceedings have been marked with moderation and decorum. But in how many deplorable instances, has the intoxication of joy been followed by brutal intemperance, the stammering and ruling jargon of mock patriotism, and all the horrible abominations of genteel and vulgar profaneness? But to be a little more particular,

First; the late rejoicings for peace, have occasioned a great and unnecessary waste of prop erty, and that at a time, when the country was so much exhausted by the war, as to render economy more than ordinarily necessary. I shall not attempt any thing like an exact estimate of what these rejoicings have cost the United States. A rough calculation, however, may not be entirely out of place. The expense then, of gun-powder and

oil and tallow and ardent spirits and dinners and toasts and balls and transparencies and time, and other items too numerous to be mentioned, cannot have been less, than fifty cents, on an average, for every man, woman, and child in the nation; which would amount to more than three million and five hundred thousand dollars! Now allowing that one half of this expense was justifiable on Christian principles, there has been an actual waste of nearly two millions of dollars: more than enough, to support three thousand missionaries among the heathen, for a whole year! How much more benevolent would it have been, how much more creditable to the character of a Christian people, to have expressed their gratitude by liberal contributions for charitable and religious purposes.

Secondly; it is distressing to know, that the unmerited return of peace to this bleeding country, has been made the occasion of innumerable transgressions of the third commandment; as if the treaty had actually brought a license from heaven, for unrestrained cursing and swearing. I was shocked and astonished, the evening after the news of peace arrived, to hear some of my neighbors, of whom I had thought better, giving vent to the fulness of their joy, in oaths and imprecations. It would be comforing to believe, that such instances were rare. But it is impossible. Facts, notorious facts, almost without number, forbid it. What a tremendous proof of deep and desperate depravity! Who that has a spark of religion or patriotism, can help shuddering

to think, that this is the return which thousands have made, for the blessings of peace!

Thirdly; the late rejoicings have, in many places, been most disgracefully marked by intemperate drinking, in all the degrees of it, from boisterous idiocy to brutal drunkenness. Not knowing what to do with themselves, when the news of peace first arrived, multitudes rushed, as if by instinct, into taverns and dram-shops, to congratulate and treat one another, as long as they could either talk or stand. Even some sober people, seemed to think for the moment, that on an occasion so joyful, it was quite excusable, if not even meritorious, to drink deep. "I never was drunk in my life," said a person in N, who had suffered much from the war, "but I am determined for once, to get intoxicated, upon this glorious news." How many others, either expressed or formed simi⚫ lar resolutions, it is impossible to say; but that a great many celebrated the event, by the most shameful prostration of their rational powers, never can be denied. Is this the proper way for accountable creatures to express their thankfulness? Is it by such returns that the favor of God is to be secured? Let reason, let conscience, let Scripture an

swer.

Fourthly; one of the most painful reflections upon the late rejoicings is, that some professors of religion, (might I not say a great many?) have permitted themselves to be swept away by the current, and have, by their too easy compliances with the caprices and extravagances of

the multitude, brought a re proach upon the Gospel. It is needless to particularize. Suffice it to say, that we are commanded to avoid even the ap pearance of evil; to let our moderation be known unto all men; and to think upon whatsoever things are honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.

But to what purpose, some may be ready to ask, are these animadversions? The rejoicings are over. People have spent their money; and whether they conducted properly or improperly, what is past cannot be recalled. I answer, it may be highly useful to present past sins and follies in their true light, though it be impossible to wipe away the guilt, or the shame. Conviction must precede repentance, and repentance must be exercised before forgiveness can be obtained. Wherein we have done wrong, our duty is to be sorry for it, and do so no more.

"But people will do as they please in such cases, and you cannot help it." Must we then go with a multitude to do evil, because there is no stopping them? Must we be silent because they will not hear? Must we approve of all the waste, extravagance, and intemperance, to which peace has given birth, because these things are popular? I bless God, that I have not so learned my duty. The sin cannot be named, which has not at one time or another been popular. It was not by servile compliance, it was not by consulting with flesh and blood, that the apostles did so much towards reforming the world. It is not