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the flag of the United States is hereafter to protect every person and every thing over which it waves. No right of search, no impressment of English seamen, no examination as to the contraband nature of the cargo or its hostile character, is hereafter to be allowed. The American merchantman on the high seas is to be as sacred as the altars of old, which served to screen the criminal from the hand of justice. The intimation of such extravagant expectations on the part of the American Government, assuming it to express the mind of the Government, proves incontestably the inveterate hostility of that miud towards Great Britain, and the entire coincidence of its views with those of Bonaparte. They now adopt his language, and urge his extravagant pretensions in regard to maritime rights, as the gage for which they are to continue a war, avowedly begun on grounds which have since been removed by the concessions of Great Britain. If, then, we must have war with America, notwithstanding the revocation of those Orders in Council which had long been proclaimed by America, and by the triends of America in this country, as the only obstacle to the return of a state of perfect amity between the two nations; if we must have war with her solely in the defence of those maritime rights on which our very existence as an independent power is allowed by all our political parties to depend; we shall at least have the satisfaction of thinking that there will not be one dissenting voice in our senate as to the justice on our part of such a contest. On this ground the language of Mr. Pon

sonby, Mr. Whitbread, and Mr. Brougham, has been as strong as that of Lord Liverpool, Mr. Canning, and Mr. Stephen. All are equally convinced of the vital importance of the question which now seems to be at issue; and here, if ever, they will all agree that

Toto certandum est corpore regni.

Hostilities have feebly commenced on the part of America, by the advance of a body of troop within the Canadian lines. The details of their operations are somewhat ludicrous. They vaunt their entrance into Canada, as if it had been achieved by the most brilliant victories; and yet the facts turn out to be, even on their own shewing, that all the losses incurred have been incurred by themselves, and that their army has been in great peril of starvation. They have been several times repulsed in an attack on Fort Malden. On the other hand, Mi chillimakinac has surrendered to our troops. A number of captures continue to be made American sloop of war has been captured by at sea by the ships of both countries. An the Shannon frigate; and an English sloop of war is said to have been taken by the Ame rican frigate Essex. A great many American privateers have also been taken. We presume, as soon as it is ascertained that the United States are not to be propitiated by the sacrifice of the Orders in Council, that our Government will deem it incumbent on them to pursue a more vigorous system of warfare than they have hitherto thought it right to adopt.

GREAT BRITAIN.

THE only point in our domestic policy which it is necessary for us to notice at present, is the expected dissolution of Parliament. We believe that there is now little doubt of the Bear approach of that event; and in the view of it, we cannot but feel anxious that all who bear the Christian name should acquit themselves on that occasion as becomes their sacred profession. We need not now enter on the various obligations which belong to the situation of British electors. We have often adverted to them. At the present moment, however, it seems peculiarly incumbent on them to fix their choice on men of uprightness and independence; on men who, unbiassed by the warmth of political animosity, will consider only how they can best discharge their duty to God and to their country, in the exercise of their delegated trust. Nothing can be added to the recommendation which was given, on a similar occasion, to the leader of God's chosen people

by his judicious relative: "Thou shalt provide out of all the people ABLE MEN, SUCH AS FEAR GOD, MEN OF TRUTH, MATING CoVETOUSNESS," except it be, that they should also be men who have time to give to the discharge of their parliamentary duties. If the electors cannot every where find men who exactly correspond to this standard, they should at least look for them, and prefer those who approach to it the most nearly. We assume, that all who have any claim to the title of Christian, will strenuously set themselves against every kind and degree of im morality, whether it take the shape of intemperance, or undue influence; of misre presentation, or outrage; and that, however such things may have the sanction of the world's ordinary practice, they will shey themselves in this, as in other respects, not to be of the world.We have often endeavoured to expose to our readers the insidious • Exod. xviii. 21.

pretensions of certain candidates for popular favour, who flatter but to mislead, and whose recorded profligacy agrees ill with their public professions of purity; and we are desirous, on this important and critical occasion, to repeat the warning: Those will prove but indifferent national reformers, who neglect the work of reformation at home. Besides, there is a much fairer prospect of correcting what is amiss in the administration, by a temperate, conciliating, and loyal, yet firm and Immoveably upright conduct, than by inflammatory harangues, or by bitter and contemptuoits treatment of the government.

The measures, however, to which we have now a more especial reference, are those which involve questions of high moral importance ;-the introduction of Christianity into our Indian dominions; the more general diffusion of Christian education, and a better provision for an efficient establishment of ac tive and laborious ministers of religion, and for the institution of adequate places of religious worship, both in Eugland and Ireland; the mature and dispassionate consideration of the claims of our Catholic population; and Jast, though not least, the rectification of the enormous abuses still existing in our WestIndian Colonies*. Neither our time, nor our space, will permit us to enlarge on these topics. We would anxiously press them, however, on the consideration of our readers,

believed to be practicable, and not for the purpose of exciting discontent or despondency. But since we last touched on this sub

For some farther remarks on the duties both of candidates and of electors, we beg to refer our readers to our volume for 1806, p. 651, and to many other preceding parts of our work. We will a present confine ourselves to reminding them, that the next parliament will not only have many arduous duties to fulfil, arising out of the singular situation of external peril and internal diffi-ject, the evil has most alarmingly increased. culty in which the nation is placed, but many also which unavoidably connect themselves with our best Christian feelings and sympa thies. Our enemies are, indeed, numerous and powerful; our financial embarrassments are great and increasing, and not likely, in our view, to admit of any very efficient remedy, without an entire change in the system of our currency--a change also, which, we admit, it becomes every day more difficult to effect".

We have forborne of late pressing on the attention of our readers, our own unchanged opinions on the vital question of our currency; for certainly we deem it vital; because we were led to believe that people in general were only to be convinced by facts, of the truth which we wished to impress upon them, viz. the growing depreciation of our paper currency and if we were anxious to impress this truth, it was with a view to an efficient remedy, which we also

The price of gold; which ought to be Sl. 178. 10 d. the ounce, and which was 'hen 41. 12s, is now 51. 10s. making an advance on the whole, as compared with our paper, of rather more than forty per cent. Silver has not advanced with the same rapidity; but it is now 6s. 9d. the ounce, which makes the dollar piece equal to 58. 10d. We have no intention of entering into any reasoning on this point at present, otherwise we should say,

that it is inaccurate to call the difference in the nominal value of gold and silver an advance in the price of these articles, when it is neither more nor less than a depreciation in the value of the paper currency to that amount. Is it possible to conceal from ourselves this fact, that the weight of twenty guineas in gold bullion will buy as much of corn, or any other article, as twenty-nine pounds in Bank notes will buy?

* See on this subject our last volame, p. 428.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

T. Y.; A FRIEND TO FAIRNESS; MONITOR; and C. L.; will be inserted.
We very readily comply with Mr. WHYTE's request to be allowed to publish the paper on
Self-examination, which appeared in our Number for July last.

BEILEY; A FRIEND TO THE BIBLE SOCIETY; C. L.; MARY; M-R.; SUBуICECOMES
X. Y.; are under consideration.

It is with great regret that we have been obliged to postpone the insertion of many interesting articles of Religious Intelligence, particularly in regard to the institution of Auxiliary Bible Societies in different parts of the kingdom. The length of the papers, inserted in the early part of this Number, has also obliged us to exclude several communications for which we had hoped to find a place.

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Abassinia is a vast and extensive country, situated on the eastern confines of Africa, where it is bounded by the shore of the Red Sea towards the Straits of Babelmandel. Its extent is computed at a million of square miles. It contains several principalities, subject to the same sovereign, of which one, called Tigri, formerly the seat of the Ethiopian kings, comprehends twenty-four provinces: these principalities are, in reality, so many petty kingdoms. Abassinia, distinguishes Christian from Pagan Ethiopia; which last is considerably more extensive, and comprehends a number

of nations.

Gondar, or, as it is called, Gondar a Catma; i. e the City of the Seal; is the capital of the empire, and the chief residence of the Emperor, and of the Abuna, or Patriarch, who has a handsome palace contiguous to the patriarchal church. The city is three leagues in circumference, and contains a hundred Christian churches.

Emfras, next to Gondar, from which it is distant a day's journey, is one of the most considerable cities of Abassinia, and the only one CABIST. OBSERV. No. 130.

where the Mahometans are allowed the public exercise of their religion, aud where their houses are intermixed with those of the Christians.

The population and strength of the empire may be inferred from the numerous armies they can raise in a short time, and at a small expense. They wage war with the pagans annually, for the security of their own dominions, and to prevent the growing power of their enemies, especially the kings of Galla and Changalla. Their armies are very large: one commanded by the emperor in 1699, or 1700, consisted of between four and five bundred thousand men.

In Europe, says my author, we have long been in an error about the colour of the Ethiopians; because we have confounded them with the Blacks of Nubia, who are their neighbours. Their natural colour is brown, or rather that of the olive; their stature is tall and majestic; they have good complexions, beautiful eyes, well-set noses, thick lips, and white teeth: whereas the inhabitants of Nubia, or Sennar, have flat noses, thick lips, and very black complexions.

The language of the country is a dialect of the Arabic, called by some the Amharic tongue, and is probably no more than a corruption of the ancient, Ethiopic, formerly spoken in the kingdom of Tigri. The Ethiopic is their learned language; and herein all their ancient writings are extant, and all books of prime note in the religion and laws of the empire continue to be written, because they esteem it a noble tongue. They pretend to have derived it from Chaldea, and therefore

4 L

pretensions of certain candidates for popular favour, who flatter but to mislead, and whose recorded profligacy agrees ill with their public professions of purity; and we are desirous, on this important and critical occasion, to repeat the warning: Those will prove but indifferent national reformers, who neglect the work of reformation at home. Besides, there is a much fairer prospect of correcting what is amiss in the administration, by a temperate, conciliating, and loyal, yet firm and Immoveably upright conduct, than by inflammatory harangues, or by bitter and contemplubus treatment of the government.

For some farther remarks on the duties both of candidates and of electors, we beg to refer our readers to our volume for 1806, p. 651, and to many other preceding parts of our work. We will a present confine ourselves to reminding them, that the next parliament will not only have many arduous duties to fulfil, arising out of the singular situation of external peril and internal difficulty in which the nation is placed, but many also which unavoidably connect themselves with our best Christian feelings and sympa thies. Our enemies are, indeed, numerous

and powerful; our financial embarrassments are great and increasing, and not likely, in our view, to admit of any very efficient remedy, without an entire change in the system of Our currency--a change also, which, we admit, it becomes every day more difficult to effect.

We have forborne of late pressing on the attention of our readers, our own unchanged opinions on the vital question of our currency; for certainly we deem it vital; because we were led to believe that people in general were only to be convinced by facts, of the truth which we wished to impress upon them, viz. the growing depreciation of our paper currency: and if we were anxious to impress this truth, it was with a view to an efficient remedy, which we also

The measures, however, to which we have now a more especial reference, are thuse which involve questions of high moral importance ;-the introduction of Christianity into our Indian dominions; the more general diffusion of Christian education, and a better provision for an efficient establishment of ac tive and laborious ministers of religion, and for the institution of adequate places of reli gious worship, both in Eugland and Ireland; the mature and dispassionate consideration of the claims of our Catholic population; and Jast, though not least, the rectification of the enormous abuses still existing in our WestIndian Colonies*. Neither our time, nor our space, will permit us to enlarge on these topics. We would anxiously press them, however, on the consideration of our readers,

believed to be practicable, and not for the purpose of exciting discontent or desponden cy. But since we last touched on this subject, the evil has most alarmingly increased. The price of gold, which ought to be Sl. 17s. 1044. the ounce, and which was then 41. 128. is now 51. 10s. making an advance on the whole, as compared with our paper, of rather more than forty per cent. Silver has not advanced with the same rapidity; but it is now 6s. 9d, the ounce, which makes the dollar piece equal to 5s. 10d. We have no intention of entering into any reasoning on this point at present, otherwise we should say, that it is inaccurate to call the difference in the nominal value of gold and silver an advance in the price of these articles, when it is neither more nor less than a depreciation in the value of the paper currency to that amount. Is it possible to conceal from ourselves this fact, that the weight of twenty guineas in gold bullion will buy as much of corn, or any other article, as twenty-nine pounds in Bank notes will buy?

* See on this subject our last voleme, p. 428.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

T. Y.; A FRIEND TO FAIRNESS; MONITOR; and C. L.; will be inserted.

We very readily comply with Mr. WHYTE's request to be allowed to publish the paper en Self-examination, which appeared in our Number for July last.

BEILEY; A FRIEND TO THE BIBLE SOCIETY; C. L.; MARY; M-R.; SUBVICECOMES . X. Y.; are under consideration.

It is with great regret that we have been obliged to postpone the insertion of many interest ing articles of Religious Intelligence, particularly in regard to the institution of Aux liary Bible Societies in different parts of the kingdom. The length of the papers inserted in the early part of this Number, has also obliged us to exclude several communications for which we had hoped to find a place.

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Abassinia is a vast and extensive country, situated on the eastern confines of Africa, where it is bounded by the shore of the Red Sea towards the Straits of Babelmandel. Its extent is computed at a million of square miles. It contains several principalities, subject to the same sovereign, of which one, called Tigri, formerly the seat of the Ethiopian kings, comprehends twenty-four provinces: these principalities are, in reality, so many petty kingdoms. Abassinia, distinguishes Christian from Pagan Ethiopia; which last is considerably more extensive, and comprehends a number of nations.

Gondar, or, as it is called, Gondar a Catma; i. e the City of the Seal; is the capital of the empire, and the chief residence of the Emperor, and of the Abuna, or Patriarch, who has a handsome palace contiguous to the patriarchal church. The city is three leagues in circumference, and contains a 'hundred Christian churches.

Emfras, next to Gondar, from which it is distant a day's journey, is one of the most considerable cities of Abassinia, and the only one CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 130.

where the Mahometans are allowed the public exercise of their religion, aud where their houses are intermixed with those of the Christians.

The population and strength of the empire may be inferred from the numerous armies they can raise in a short time, and at a small expense. They wage war with the pagans annually, for the security of their own dominions, and to prevent the growing power of their enemies, especially the kings of Galla and Changalla. Their armies are very large: one commanded by the emperor in 1699, or 1700, consisted of between four and five bundred thousand men.

In Europe, says my author, we have long been in an error about the colour of the Ethiopians; because we have confounded them with the Blacks of Nubia, who are their neighbours. Their natural colour is brown, or rather that of the olive; their stature is tall and majestic; they have good complexions, beautiful eyes, well-set noses, thick lips, and white teeth: whereas the inhabitants of Nubia, or Sennar, have flat noses, thick lips, and very black complexions.

1

The language of the country is a dialect of the Arabic, called by some the Amharic tongue, and is probably no more than a corruption of the ancient, Ethiopic, formerly spoken in the kingdom of Tigri. The Ethiopic is their learned language; and herein all their ancient writings are extant, and all books of prime note in the religion and laws of the empire continue to be written, because they esteem it a noble tongue. They pretend to have derived it from Chaldea, and therefore 4 L

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