"In the meantime, the defenceless Indians at Gnadenhuetten were suddenly attacked and driven together by the white people, `and, without resistance, seized and bound. The Salem Indians now met the same fate. Before they entered Gnadenhuetten they were at once surprised by their conductors, robbed of their guns and even of their pocket-knives, and brought bound into the settlement. Soon after this, the murderers held a council, and resolved, by a majority of votes, to murder them all the very next day. Those who were of a different opinion wrung their hands, calling God to witness that they were innocent of the blood of these harmless Christian Indians. But the majority remained unmoved, and only differed concerning the mode of execution. Some were for burning them alive, others for taking their scalps, and the latter was at last agreed upon; upon which one of the murderers was sent to the prisoners, to tell them that, as they were Christian Indians, they might prepare themselves in a Christian manner, for they must all die

to-morrow.

"It may be easily conceived how great their terror was, at hearing a sentence so uhexpected. However, they soon recollected themselves, and patiently suffered the murderers to lead them into two houses, in one of which the brethren, and in the other the sisters and children, were confined like sheep ready for slaughter. They declared to the murderers, that though they could call God to witness that they were perfectly innocent, yet they were prepared and willing to suffer death. But as they had at their conversion and baptism made a solemn promise to the Lord Jesus Christ, that they would live unto him, and endeavour to please him alone in this world, they knew that they had been deficient in many respects, and therefore wished to have some time granted, to pour out their hearts before him in prayer, and to crave his mercy and pardon. This request being complied with, they spent their last night here below in prayer, and in exhorting each other to remain faithful unto the end. One brother, called Abraham, who for some time past had been in a lukewarm state of heart, seeing his end approaching, made the following public confession before his brethren: Dear brethren, it seems as if we should all soon depart unto our

Saviour, for our sentence is fixed. You know that I have been an untoward child, and have grieved the Lord and my brethren by my disobedience, not walking as I ought to have done. But yet I will now cleave to my Saviour with my last breath, and hold him fast, though I am so great a sinner. I know assuredly, that he will forgive me all my sins, and not cast me out.' The brethren assured him of their love and forgiveness, and both they and the sisters spent the latter part of the night in singing praises to God their Saviour, in the joyful hope that they should soon be able to praise him without sin.

"When the day of their execution arrived, namely, the 8th of March, two houses were fixed upon, one for the brethren, and another for the sisters and children, to which the wanton murderers gave the name of slaughter-houses. Some of them went to the Indian brethren, and shewed great impatience that the execution had not yet begun; to which the brethren replied, that they were all ready to die, having commended their immortal souls to God, who had given them that Divine assurance in their hearts, that they should come unto him, and be with him for ever.

Immediately after this declaration the carnage commenced. The poor innocent people, men, women, and children, were led, bound two and two together with ropes, into the above-mentioned slaughter-houses, and there scalped and murdered.

"According to the testimony of the murderers themselves, they behaved with uncommon patience, and went to meet death with cheerful resignation. The above-mentioned brother Abraham was the first victim. A sister, called Christina, who had formerly lived with the sisters in Bethlehem, and spoke English and German well, fell on her knees before the captain of the gang and begged her life, but was told, that he could not help her.

"Thus ninety-six persons magnified the name of the Lord, by patiently meeting a cruel death. Sixty-two were grown persons, among whom were five of the most valuable assistants, and thirty-four children.

"Only two youths, between fifteen and sixteen years old, escaped almost miraculously from the hands of the murderers.

One of them, seeing that they were in earnest, was so fortunate as to disengage himself from his bonds; then slipping unobserved from the crowd, crept through a narrow window, into the cellar of that house in which the sisters were executed. Their blood soon penetrated through the flooring, and according to his account, ran in streams into the cellar, by which it appears probable that most, if not all of them, were not merely scalped, but killed with hatchets or swords. The lad remained concealed till night, providentially not one coming down to search the cellar; when, having with much difficulty climbed up the wall to the window, he crept through and escaped into a neighbouring thicket. The other youth's name was Thomas. The murderers struck him only one blow on the head, took his scalp, and left him. But after some time he recovered his senses, and saw himself surrounded by bleeding corpses. Among these, he observed one brother, called Abel, moving and endeavouring to raise himself up. But he remained lying as still as though he had been dead, and this caution proved the means of his deliverance; for soon after, one of the murderers coming in, and observing Abel's motions, killed him outright, with two or three blows. Thomas lay quiet till dark, though suffering the most exquisite torment. He then ventured to creep towards the door, and observing nobody in the neighbourhood, got out and escaped into the wood, where he concealed himself during the night. These two youths met afterwards in the wood, and God preserved them from harm on their journey to Sandusky, though they purposely took a long circuit, and suffered great hardship and danger. But before they left the neighbourhood of Gnadenhuetten, they observed the murderers from behind the thicket, making merry after their successful enterprise, and at last setting fire to the two slaughter-houses filled with corpses.

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"It appears from all circumstances attending this massacre, that the murderers did not destroy the believing Indians on account of their being Christians, but merely because they were Indians, and, therefore, they would not even spare the infant children. I will, therefore, not compare them with the martyrs of the ancient church, who sometimes were sacrificed in great

numbers to the race of their persecutors, on account of their faith in Christ. But thus much I can confidently assert, that these Christian Indians approved themselves to the end as steadfast confessors of the truth, and, though conscious of their innocence, were yet resigned to the will of God, patiently submitting to be led as sheep to the slaughter; and having commended their souls to their Creator and Redeemer, delivered themselves without resistance to the cruel hands of their blood-thirsty murderers, and thus in death bore witness to the truth and efficacy of the Gospel of Jesus. The murderers themselves acknowledged that they were good Indians; for,' said they, they sung and prayed to their last breath.' This testimony of the truth will preach to to every thinking mind, as long as the remembrance of this bloody massacre exists."

V.

THE HIGH COURT OF PARLIAMENT.

THE ancient and appropriate title of the Parliament of England was the High Court of Parliament: and it was intended that to the Parliament, as to a Court, every Englishman might appeal for redress who should feel himself injured by a wrong exercise of power, whether it should be legislative, or judicial, or executive power.

In some judicial matters by one or both of the houses of Parliament, there is still exercised even an original jurisdiction. In earlier times this extended to a greater number of cases. It is not desirable that there should now be any more extensive arrogation of original jurisdiction but in those instances in which original jurisdiction exists, and cannot be abandoned, and for all purposes of appeal from judicial decisions, as the last resort in the whole empire, it deserves consideration whether there might not be a more perfect organisation of a permanent court within the body of the Parliament itself.

:

Since the Restoration in 1660, and chiefly since the close of the war in 1783, which established the United States as an independent nation, but still more especially since the vast extension of the colonial system during the war of the French Revolution, a new class of functions and duties has been created for the British Parliament as an appellate legislature. It is in this imperial capacity,