nerous and commanding eloquence of their orators; or the magnanimous spirit of the people;-their love of freedom and antipathy to tyrants and slavery. Their demoralization commences with the conquest by the Romans and the introduction of Christianity. What are they now? What conquests and religions have made them-wretches unworthy to live yet afraid to die. Unworthy of freedom; for they care little about it and are with great difficulty made to understand what it means. Born and bred in slavery, they feel no desire to be free. The law of the Koran and the law of the gospel are here on a par. They both inculcate the most slavish principles, and teach resignation to tyranny and imposture. Arts and science are equally obnoxious to both. As science advances, superstition and the concomitant evils of religion will recede. Greece must and will struggle for an age or two, in the schools of war, science, and adversity, before she can be free, unless some very extraordinary change in human affairs should take place, which is not at all improbable.

As Greece boasts a high antiquity, so Ireland lays great claim to a very remote civilization. We are informed by historians of great erudition and research, men of great professional merit, deep learning, and unimpeachable veracity, that Ireland, two thousand years ago, or, as some say, three thousand, was the seat of arts, the mistress of science, the academy of Europe and of a part of Asia. Her schools were the cradles of genius, their universities the receptacles of sages. However this may have been we care not; the revolution of ages has thrown a dark cloud over the fields of Erin's ancient fame: but from numberless vestiges of antique fabrics, those stone records of art, industry, union, and taste, we may safely conclude, that all said about that forlorn country is not fable. Their alphabet, that sterling proof of remote antiquity, learning, and genius, vouches for the existence of advanced science and persevering study, application, and consummate skill.

. Their aphabet, which has little or no claims to improvement for a period of two thousand years at least, is equal to the ancient Greek and far superior to the Hebrew or Chaldaic, is much above the Saxon; and, in short, yields to none except the Roman character. A nation must labour long at the oar of science before it is capable of constructing the emblematic signs of a language, and much time must elapse before these are perfect and established. Hence we may conclude, that Ireland at a period long prior to the invasion of Strongbow, in the reign of Henry II., was in possession of arts, science, and learning, or even centuries before the Christian superstition overwhelmed and prostrated the

• Vide O'Halloran's history of the antiquities of Ireland and the authorities which he quotes.

country. When or where, or how it obtained this learning is a matter of doubtful speculation, equally useless to know and vain to enquire. All unaccountable changes seem to imply at least unimportant conditions; for what was not thought worthy of record will never repay the trouble of investigation. How it has fared for a period of nearly seven hundred years under British oppression is much easier elucidated, and those who undertake and perform the task must experience feelings of pity and throbs of strong indignation,

To decry the national character of at least a brave and hospitable people has been the constant and invidious labour of almost all the English historians, and while the government has been plundering, degrading, and depopulating the country, their hireling writers have been employed to vilify the very name of an Irishman. Yet, who considers of what infinite service religion has been in aiding these efforts, in promoting their misery, forwarding their subjection, and perfecting their slavery? This, indeed, requires no intuitive powers to demonstrate. What the Koran and Turkey have been to Greece, the Holy Bible and England have been to Ireland; and Christianity must account to both for a catalogue of evils too numerous to mention. They who find a solace in religion for all the ills of life: who find in it a salve for every sore had better stand forward directly and distribute their panacea to Ireland and Greece, taking care not to exhaust their whole stock on those two first of forlorn countries, but preserve a moderate quantity for the use of about-to-be starved England; for here, too, misery and starvation are making desperate inroads. Perhaps they may be fed on manna and quails, let them not think so: for was the miracle of the descent of both to take place, they would certainly be taxed beyond the power of any one under an aristocrat. It appears very plain, that these two countries have laboured under the hideous pressure. of the Priest-Mare for more than one thousand years, and under the spirit breaking power of ecclesiastical dominion. And nothing else can be expected than its regular consort, a despotical government. For the first duty of religion is, by subduing the mind, to prepare the body for irremediable slavery. The priest with the word of God in his hand, goes forth to beg, rob, and preach resignation. The tythe-man succeeds, and the tax-man follows. The governors or statesmen bring the science of algebra to bear upon the produce and population of the country; and from their calculation extort up to the starving point of existence, and to the last particle of human patience. And this is done with more fraud, duplicity, cunning, and cruel perseverance in "merry old England," than in any other nation on the face of of the earth. Nor can I think that the Greeks under the Ottoman yoke were ever worse off than the Irish under the production of the British laws and government. Others may search for re

mote causes, for so much misrule, misery, and mischief, 1 shall content myself with finding them in the pure source of religion, which contains within itself the principles and seeds of every vice under the sun.

Indeed, the religees of all sects seem to be aware of this, and are beginning to grow ashamed of the practices formerly pursued and deeds performed for the love of God, at the command of divine religion. Once the dreadful massacre of Saint Bartholomew was a proud boast, and he who had slain his tens of thousands was ten times a better man and greater Saint than he who only barely slew his thousands. Now, they want to reduce the capital of 100,000 heretics down to a few political delinquents, punished or killed by accident. However, these successive days of fierce! general, cold-blooded murder, seem a good deal like design, and exhibit a tragedy which nothing but the demon of religion could perform. In a little time, they will deny the performance of the tragedy altogether, for such is the brazen impudence of the infatuated religee and the hypocrite, that they will say and swear to any thing; and tell you with no small degree of acrimonial confidence, that you will be damned if you do not believe what they fabricate, or dare to contradict their assertion. But the massacre of Saint Bartholomew is on record, fixed, an indelible mark and horrid stain on the very principles and practices of Christianity. Besides, the dragooning system in France, the roasting and broiling in Spain and Portugal, and the slaughter of 42,000, heretics in Ireland, in another three days general massacre, make sensible, well-meaning men shudder with horror, to view them only in contemplation.

Talk of Indian cruelty and the barbarity of savages, indeed! The principles of religion are such, that it is impossible for any two to agree directly in their opinion concerning them, hence the eternal schisms, contradiction, and strife. The cause is plain, the nature of the thing to be believed is always beyond human comprehension, and none can explain what no one understands. They all tell us that religion is a divine revelation, intended for our peace and benefit, to make us good and happy on earth and ensure our eternal salvation hereafter. Yet the only result we find from it on earth is the most deadly and implacable hatred between man and man; and a certainty of damnation hereafter, unless we can believe in all their creeds at once; for if one will not consign us to hell, another will. What a predicament! O holy and divine religion! All religions or any religion is a sensible benefit to priests, kings, and governors, for this simple reason, it distracts and divides the people. Cast your eyes over the civilized habitable globe, where any religion is established, and you perceive at first sight the people divided into desperate sects, each one contending for power enough to destroy all the others, whom they reciprocally stigmatize with the name of infidel, here;

1

tic, unbeliever, &c., and deem each unworthy of any thing short of death and eternal perdition. Thus then religion produces without any trouble Machiavel's rule, and by it the prince can govern with ease and safety. And while Greece and Ireland abide by their creeds, they may lay down their arms and submit their necks to the yoke without murmuring. The Turks may build pyramids with the heads of the Greeks; and British clemency may permit the one-half of the Irish to be starved to death, and send ship-loads of the other to colonize Terra Australis, and perhaps graciously allow the rest to live to keep up the name and sing Te Deum.

SHEBAGO.

P. S. I beg leave to submit to your pleasure the following extracts from a book called "The Christian's Journal," written by a Minister of Haddington. The aim of which is to extract a religious feeling from every object which may meet a Christian's eye-as for instance :-" Now the butcher shaves the neck of yonder sow, that he may give her the killing stab; so Satan tickles and flatters my soul, that he may murder her. Yonder feed a flock of geese; a covey of ducks: let me never resemble the first, in being heady and high-minded; nor the last, in speaking much and doing little, in walking slow, &c. Yonder are two kilns, one for drying corn or malt, the other for burning bricks : think, my soul, Jehovah's Son was dried, roasted, and burnt amidst his Father's indignation."

The following must be the soliloquy of a female devotee :"How filthy is that stable; but stop, my soul, with wonder stop! was Jehovah born in a stable for me? Did he lie in a manger, that he might lie for ever betwixt my breasts, and I for ever in the embraces of his love?" Fellow me that in the Koran.

Again: "There stands the naked cabbage, chiefly valuable for its large solid heart; as my heart is before God, so much am I and no more. Here come persons in coaches, and others on horses; for thou, my soul, ride in the chariot of the wood of Lebanon, and on the white horse of the Gospel." Better again.

Yonder is a crowd of people who attend the neighbouring spa, to drink or bathe in it. Blessed Jesus, mineral well, great apa, let us daily bathe in thy blood. Here they make glass; its origin is stones and kelp, and such briny minerals, by what grinding, melting, and polishing, they transform it into transparent substance! Think, my soul, on the tremendous grinding and melting of the Son of God, in the likeness of sinful flesh, to prepare the glazen sea of righteousness, and a bottle for God to put my tears in." What think you of that fancy?

Again: "Here is plenty of cloth well dyed, and I hope well made; here is fine linen, strong and thoroughly whitened: sad

memorials of our sin. Had not Adam made us naked to our sin, we should have no need of this to cover us."

One more, sanctification by grace. "Here lieth one who reckons himself the chief of sinners, and yet boldly claims Jesus for his own, and firmly expects salvation by the covenant of grace."

So much piety and fine moral reflections, I thought should not be thrown away. Now, what could induce a man to write and print such stuff as this? And yet let me tell you, this is a Sunday book. Ought we to leave off our efforts to destroy such idiotic, sickening trash? I could send much more, but this is enough-a taste of Christian contemplation in the true style.

S.

ON CHARACTER.

The man who has a good character cannot have it taken from him by slander; nor will praise bestow that which the individual has not in reality obtained by his actions. We often hear a cry of character being injured by calumny; but it is an erroneous imagination. Calumny cannot stain; falsehood does not deprive merit of its due. The effects are momentary and when the rumour is discovered to be calumnious and false, the virtue of the sufferer is but made the more apparent. Under this view of things, I feel a pleasure from the attacks that are made on my character and proceedings, and read them, when printed, with as much glee as any of my opponents can feel on the occasion. The Lord Mayor lately made an observation to Mr. John Wilks on this head, which contained more wisdom than his attack upon the members of the Christian Evidence Sociery. Mr. Wilks complained to the Lord Mayor, that the newspapers were depriving him of his character. The Lord Mayor replied, that if he had a character to lose, the newspapers could not deprive him of it, or in words to this effect. This was a correct morál view of character; but whether accidental or studied, on the part of the Lord Mayor, I do not presume to decide. Let him who has a good character hold no fear of losing it by slander: let the slanderer learn that his efforts are nugatory, where his words are false, and that the odium recoils upon himself; that, to use an old proverb, the real slanderer makes a rod for his own back. This moral hint is intended particularly for half a dozen readers of "The Republican," who have asked for a lesson of this kind.

R. C.