to embark in revolutions-they weigh the grounds of discontent, estimate coolly the prospect of relief, and ultimately rally to the side of reason and justice. However weak and credulous minds may be moved by artful misrepresentations to repine at imaginary discontents, the great body of the American people, so long as they continue to be an educated people, must see and feel what no other nation has ever before realized, that no change can improve their condition, and that therefore every one is concerned to maintain the cause of law and order.

These exhortations to speed the march of reason and improvement address themselves with peculiar force to such of our youth as enjoy the privileges of collegiate instruction. Upon the soundness of their views, and their fidelity to the cause of learning the literary reputation of our country almost wholly depends. If they imbibe just notions of moral and intellectual philosophy; if they carry into society a taste for the elegancies of literature and the arts; if they inculcate by example a zealous esteem for the institutions of learning, their combined influence will operate with powerful and salutary energy upon the public mind. Before such a concentrated light the mists of ignorance and the delusions of prejudice will melt away, and our country will find in her ingenious and accomplished sons more safety than did Thebes from the armed hosts that issued from her hundred gates.

To realize these auspicious results is no slight achievement; to qualify himself to guide and direct the taste of others, the student must by patient labor first purify his own. The course of study in our universities, if diligently prosecuted, is sufficient to give to the judgment sound direction through life. But whatever aids experience may supply to smooth and facilitate the rugged paths of study, they avail little, unless seconded by the closest application, and the most persevering attention. The imagination, spreading its flight over the intermediate gradations of labor and diligence, is too prone to revel in the anticipation of that goal which can only be reached by slow and arduous steps. This impatience so natural to youth is often augmented by that stern necessity which prematurely forces the American student upon the theatre of active life, and requires therefore the greater vigilance to restrain it within the bounds of reason. The effects of hasty and superficial culture are the more serious, because they are irreparable, especially when accompanied with the self-complacency which cannot discover its own deficiencies. Happy, thrice happy is he who sees in the preliminary stages of education, only an introduction to the highest enjoyments which this world affords, who rejoices each day in the acquisition as it were of new senses, and new capacities; who feels his moral and intellectual power dilate, his dignity and value in the scale of created beings augment, and can reflect with proud satisfaction that these are the trophies of his own exertions.

To you, gentlemen, and to your fellow students the path of science is opened under circumstances which are equally a subject of felicitation to this community, as to yourselves. Filling the place of an ephemeral institution which exemplified one of those popular, but delusive innovations upon the established system of education, to which allusion has been made, the Wesleyan University is destined to imitate its predecessor neither in its premature prosperity, nor its swift decline.

Without any ostentatious claims to superiority, it is silently but steadily winning its way into public. confidence, fixing its foundations for future usefulness slowly, but durably, and exhibiting in its annual public examinations the fruits of excellent discipline, and a thorough system of instruction. Every department of science taught in other colleges is filled by able professors, who to the ordinary sense of responsibility superadd the ambition of giving an honorable name to their infant university. To these gentlemen it is but rendering a just tribute of praise, to remark with commendation the tone of manly sobriety which characterizes the manners of their pupils, and commands the respect and confidence of society.

The religious denomination under whose immediate auspices this institution has been founded, having ever been remarkable for energy and perseverance, not less than for their fervent piety, it is not unreasonable to expect that the same zeal which has planted the cross in the remotest confines of civilization, softened and subdued the wild and fierce manners of the farthest west, and illustrated every where, by the most shining examples, the Divine precepts of the Gospel, will not fail to distinguish itself by equal efforts in the cause of learning. Their simple habits and sound practical sense peculiarly adapt them to the purposes of republican education; and with the support of its numerous friends, and its own meritorious titles to public patronage, the day cannot be distant when the Wesleyan University must take rank with the first institutions of our country.

These hasty reflections, gentlemen, which require so much of your indulgence, cannot be more appropriately concluded than by invoking for our now happy and beloved country the continuance of that Divine favor which has ever signally attended us; which having saved us from foreign oppression, can alone by the inspiration of wisdom and virtue save us from self-destruction. So far as human means can influence human fortunes, ours are emphatically in our own hands. With every variety of climate, soil, and production, remote from external enemies, and enjoying the protecting smiles of Heaven, what but our own folly can prevent the fulfilment of the highest destinies for which man has ever yet been reserved! While we cultivate in our domestic policy a spirit of justice, moderation, and wise forbearance, may no hostile foes disturb the repose of our eagle as he surveys the boundless scene of grandeur that bursts upon his view; may he long behold the star-spangled banner waving in peace from the frozen regions of the north to the glowing climes of the south, and prepare to wing his exulting flight from the rising to the setting sun.

AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Nineteenth Annual Report of the American Bible Society. WE gladly avail ourselves of the privilege of submitting to our readers a condensed view of the doings of this society, during the nineteenth year of its existence. At a time when every secret spring is set in action-every motive which prompts to individual and social effort-every argument which can be addressed to the understandings

or passions of the people, are resorted to for the purpose of keeping up an excited action in the public mind, it is no less cheering than profitable to behold the charitable institutions of our country silently pursuing the even tenor of their way,' shedding on all who come within the circle of their influence rays of light and heat, and conducting them onward in the paths of peace and pleasantness.'

Though the political horizon be overspread with portentous clouds which seem to threaten us with a destructive storm-though there are 'shakings and tremblings' in different parts of our republic, particularly in some of our large cities,-we trust the God of the Bible will overrule these things for our good, and that those dense clouds, instead of pouring down the hail-stones of destruction, will yet distil as the dew upon the tender herb, and as the rain upon the grass.'

Antagonist principles are indeed, as they always have been, at work. Each is emulous to obtain the preponderance. Which shall eventually prevail is known only to the God of Providence. We have reason however to believe, from numerous declarations of the spirit of prophecy, that righteousness shall yet cover the earth'-that idolatry shall be crumbled to the dust-that superstition shall be banished from among men and that the arm of Jehovah shall be made bare in the sight of all nations,' and that

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Among other causes now in operation which are likely to contribute to the consummation of this grand prophetic period, the general circulation of the Holy Scriptures without note or comment,' is not the least. This is the sword of the Spirit.' And wherever the Spirit Himself is present to use His own sword, it shall do execution. The living ministry must be present to wield this Divine sword, with hearts filled with the 'unction of the holy One,' and then both together shall 'pull down the strong holds of Satan.' We are glad to find in the introduction of the report before us, such a distinct and marked recognization of the Divine hand as is expressed in the following words :

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." This inspired counsel, so proper for individual observance, is no less worthy of regard by those who act in an associated capacity. The conductors of the American Bible Society perform a most obvious as well as cheerful duty, when they acknowledge a Divine hand in the origin of this institution, and ascribe to the same source all the success which has attended its subsequent operations. They and their predecessors have acted under the abiding impression, that "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." It was the kind providence of God which brought together Christians of different religious names, and united them in this happy confederacy, and which has since preserved unbroken harmony among the managers, and among their fellow laborers throughout the land. The same overruling

Providence has raised up liberal contributors, prepared the way for the extensive circulation of the Scriptures at home, and opened for their reception many entire nations, which were wholly inaccessible to the Bible distributor when the Society was formed. In all this the managers would distinctly recognize the agency of Him who inspired the sacred volume, and designed that it should be diffused among every people and tongue. They would at this time specially acknowledge the kind providence which has been over the Society during the year now closed, and which has permitted them to meet so many of their respected brethren and fellow laborers on this anniversary occasion.' The following is the amount of the receipts during the year :'In the course of the year there has been received into the treasury from all sources, the sum of $100,806 26, being an increase of $12,205 44 over the receipts of the preceding year.

Of these receipts there have been

In payment for Bibles and Testaments,

From legacies,

For distribution in foreign countries,

Unrestricted donations,

Bibles and Testaments printed.

There have been printed in the course of the year,

Bibles,

Testaments,

Spanish Gospels,

$34,918 23

3,877 26

31,821 02

27,973 78

16,000

8,000

10,000

Who has not felt for oppressed Greece? Her moanings have come up before God, and we hope it may be said in truth that the set time has come to visit her' in mercy. The Turkish yoke has been broken; and though her young men have been slain in the streets,' and her maidens exposed to the rapacious destroyer of their innocence and though a foreigner rules over them,' because of the oppression of the many-yet we trust God has mercy in store for her children. Both the civil and Christian world have turned their attention to this interesting portion of our race; and who knows but the efforts which are put forth in their behalf may be crowned with success? British and American missionaries have visited their shores, and are now assiduously employed in watering their soil with the water of life; and the American Bible Society is lending its aid to scatter among them the 'bread which shall endure unto everlasting life.' The following is the account given of this laudable work :

Modern Greek Testament.

'It was stated in the last report, that 1,305 copies of this book had been forwarded to the Rev. Messrs. King, Temple, Robertson, Brewer, and others, in Greece and vicinity. From all these gentlemen named, letters have been received, though neither of them had as yet given the work a thorough investigation. As the translation, however, is familiar to readers in the Testaments formerly distributed in that country by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and as your plates were read by competent modern Greek scholars, little doubt can

be entertained that the book will prove a blessing to many ready to perish. From a very recent letter from the Rev. Mr. Brewer, at Smyrna, the following extract will show how the work was received in that quarter :

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Agreeably to your intimations, I have received two boxes of Greek Testaments, which I found to contain, the one 231, the other ́ 200 copies-in all 431. A few dozens of these remain not disposed of, only because we are uncertain when our stock or Mr. Baker's depot will be replenished. With very few exceptions, these have been gratuitously distributed in the schools of Smyrna and its vicinity. In determining the proportions, I have acted chiefly in conjunction with the Rev. Mr. Jetter, of the British Church Missionary Society, who, as well as myself, has been especially devoted to the department of schools. Fifty copies were sent to the school in the neighboring village of Cookhijah, on the suggestion of Mr. King, and a few others have been given on the recommendation of Mr. Temple, with the offer of dividing the whole stock with him if he chose. Twenty copies have been sent to the schools in Magresia, forty to the schools of Mr. Jetter in the neighboring schools of Boujah. His and our schools in town, and six or seven others of the public schools have shared the remainder, in different proportions, from ten to seventy; and I can assure the friends of the Bible cause that it has been most refreshing within a few days past, on attending their annual examinations, to see the rows of these red-edged volumes intermingled with the brown and black borders of Testaments and Psalters, heretofore liberally presented by the agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society." ›

The total number of copies of the Holy Scriptures issued the last year, including the entire Bible and parts of it, is 123,236, and the aggregate number since the formation of the Society in 1816, is 1,767,736.

The blind shall see.' Among other improvements of the agewhile the deaf and dumb are taught to read and write, and to converse, an experiment has been made to enable the blind to read. The report gives the following facts:

New Testament for the Blind.

A short time before your last anniversary a donation of nearly two hundred dollars was received, contributed at a public meeting in Boston, to aid in preparing the Scriptures for the blind. During the year now closed, the attention of your board has again been called to this subject by Samuel G. Howe, M. D., principal of the "New-England Society for the Education of the Blind." After having spent some time in England, France, and Germany, pursuing investigations connected with the humane object to which he is devoted, Dr. Howe has commenced the preparation of books with raised letters, which his pupils easily trace and comprehend by the touch. Numerous experiments have been made, and great pains taken to reduce the letter to the smallest palpable form, as only one side of a sheet can receive raised letters. Having determined as to the size and form of letters, having obtained a press suitable for this species of printing, this gentleman, on behalf of the institution with which he is connected, and of