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was lost through negiect. Vessels having good ground tackle need have no apprehensions for their safety. We remained in the port forty-two days, and had two strong gales in September, which the vessel rode out well. There are generally one or two gales every year; but they are not regular as to time. The settlers look for bad weather in May and October. The sea yields a good supply of fish, and plenty of green turtle during the proper season. It would be a great safeguard to the settlers, should government deem the place of sufficient consequence to induce them to send out a person vested with authority, who would put a stop to the masters of ships leaving any of their crews behind, as they have done hitherto. There are twenty-six Europeans on the islands, English, American, and Portuguese, exclusive of the Sandwich islanders, mentioned above. The tree, to which a sheet of copper was nailed by H. M. S. Blossom, in 1827, stating that the islands had been taken possession of on behalf of his Britannic majesty, having been cut down, the copper is now affixed to the house built by Wittrein and his companions, after the loss of the William, in 1826.”

ART. V. Universal peace: obstacles to it in the character and government of nations, particularly of China and Japan; with remarks on the means best fitted to remove these obstacles.

On the second return of Louis XVIII, marshal Ney and count Lavalette were sentenced to death. Ney was shot; but the count made his escape from prison, and fled from his country. After a few years, he was permitted to return to Paris, where he died in 1830. His memoir was published the next year, and contains the following "image of war," which appeared to him while in prison: "I dreamed," says Lavalette, "that I was standing in the rue St. Honore, at the corner of the rue de l'Echelle. A melancholy darkness spread around me; all was still, nevertheless a low and uncertain sound soon arose. All of a sudden, I perceived at the bottom of the street, and advancing towards me, a troop of cavalry ; the men and horses, however, were all flayed. The men held torches in their hand, the red flames of which illuminated faces without skin, and bloody muscles, Their hollow eyes rolled fearfully in their vast sockets; their mouths opened from ear to ear, and helmets of hanging flesh covered their hideous heads. The horses dragged along their own skins in the kennels, which overflowed with blood on both sides. Pale and disheveled women appeared and dis-appeared alternately at the windows in dismal silence; low, inarti-culate groans filled the air; and I remained in the street alone, pet

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rified with horror, and deprived of strength sufficient to seek my safety by flight. This horrible troop continued passing in a rapid gallop, and casting frightful looks at me. Their march, I thought, continued for five hours; and they were followed by an immense number of artillery, wagons full of bleeding corpses, whose limbs still quivered; a disgusting smell of blood and bitumen almost choked me." (Calumet.)

It is not surprising that the count, who had followed Napoleon as his aid de camp through Europe, Egypt, and Syria, should in the solitude of a prison have been haunted by images of war. For often on the field of battle he had witnessed scenes no less horrible than those which passed before him while he was standing in the rue St. Honore. With the narrative of these bloody conflicts, the people of Christendom are familiar. But while the western world is known to have been, from time immemorial, the theatre of a continued series of wars 'offensive and defensive,' the eastern nations, it is supposed by many, have enjoyed the most profound peace and the most unbounded prosperity: and China and Japan, in particular, by excluding foreigners from their dominions, have in a great measure prevented the occasions of war, and secured for themselves the highest blessings of civil society. Those, however, who are acquainted with the true history of these countries, know that this is a wrong view of the case; and we think that any one who carefully compares the character and governments of the eastern nations with those of the west, will be led to this conclusion. For the moral qualities which give rise to wars are not less prevalent in the eastern, than in the western, hemisphere.

Into whatever form the government of a nation is moulded, if its principles are just, and the character of the rulers and people is marked by intelligence, probity, kindness, and industry, it can hardly be otherwise than good. On the other hand, if wrong principles predominate, and ignorance, idleness, mendacity, injustice, cruelty, and the like, gain the ascendancy, the government-no matter what may be its form-will be bad. In the government of a nation, therefore, we have a criterion by which we may estimate those moral qualities, which as they are either good or bad will tend to promote peace or war. It sometimes happens, moreover, that in the government there are collected and combined nearly all the intellectual energies of a nation. When corrupt, therefore, instead of being an organ of good to the people, it becomes a most fearful engine of destruction; and to the establishment of universal peace, it presents an obstacle exceedingly difficult to be removed or overcome. "Of all the plagues which have visited the family of man," says a late writer, "not one, nor all combined, have been so fully charged with mischief and malignity, as those which have fallen upon it under the specious name of government, at least as civil government has been hitherto conducted. And yet strange as it may appear, to no species of calamity are men in general so insensible; from none are they so slow in speaking themselves free. They are so accustomed to

the yoke, that they wear it with servile weakness. The irresistible spell of government steals upon the faculties of infancy, insinuates itself into the opening sentiments of youth, twines itself with the matured conclusions of manhood, and retains its inveterate grasp on the hoary prejudices of age. It is a giant delusion, from which only the genius of Christianity can set its victims free. It comes armed with a prescriptive authority to silence questioning, and to perpetuate its abominations."

In whatever light we look at the Chinese empire, whether we examine the moral qualities of the rulers and people, or the structure of its government, we shall find very serious obstacles to the establishment of permanent peace. These obstacles are not of recent origin, they are coeval with the earliest history of the nation; and in coming down to the present time they have not been diminished, but rather increased, by the change of dynasties, and by the revolutions and counter-revolutions which have almost without interruption agitated and convulsed this empire. Anterior to the Hea dynasty, which (according their own chronology,) arose more than four thou sand years ago, the inhabitants of China were very barbarous and uncivilized, and the government was cruel and despotic. The people lived in a savage state, and groaned beneath the oppression of violent, passionate, and warlike chieftains.

The Heä dynasty occupied the throne four hundred and thirty-nine years, and numbered seventeen monarchs: a brief examination of their successive reigns will show to what a limited extent the country enjoyed peace and prosperity under their administration. Yu, the first emperor of this line, began to reign B. c. 2205. IIe was an adopted heir of the throne, and soon had to contend against the son of the preceding monarch, who endeavored to raise rebellion and expel the stranger. But his attempt failed. The reign of this monarch did not exceed ten years, and is memorable for the introduction of strong drink among the Chinese. "In the time of Yu,”. says the historian, " Eteih made spirituous liquor (tsew); Yu drank of it and liked it; but immediately banished Eteih from his presence, and interdicted its use; saying, if succeeding generations use strong drink they will destroy the empire." The interdict seems to have remained in force but a short time; for we find both rulers and people soon indulging in the free use of the forbidden cup. Teke, the second emperor, had scarcely ascended the throne, when the peace of the empire was disturbed by a war with a tributary prince, who ill-treated his subjects and aspired to supreme authority. The third emperor, at once abandoned the care of the government to weak and wicked hands, and gave himself wholly to irregular passions. His palace was filled with base women. spent whole weeks and months in hunting wild beasts, and allowed his dogs and horses to ravage the country. The people complained bitterly of his tyranny; and at length arose, and having made him prisoner, sent him into banishment, and placed his brother on the throne. The general, who took the lead in these measures, soon

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became incensed against the emperor, and resolved to extirpate him and his whole family. But before he had time to execute this wicked purpose, the emperor died, and was succeeded by his son Seäng. This monarch, with a view probably, to appease the wrath of his father's sworn enemy, placed him at the head of his army. This gave the traitor an opportunity to execute his favorite plan, which he entrusted to one of his creatures, named Hantso. But this ambitious villain' had no sooner dispatched the emperor, than he turned against the traitor, destroyed both him and his family, except the empress, and usurped the imperial authority.

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While the usurper was endeavoring to establish himself on the throne, the empress, who had fled to the mountains, gave birth to a son; who, as soon as he arrived to the age of manhood, was placed at the head of an army by the friends of his father. Hantso was taken prisoner, and put to an infamous death, and Shaoukang, the young prince, was placed on the throne of his ancestors.

Choo and Hwae, the seventh and eighth emperors, were but little disturbed by wars and insurrections; the latter, however, soon became effeminate, gathered around him a herd of eunuchs, neglected the government, and passed his whole time in reveling and debauchery. Mang, his son and successor, imitated the vices of his father. The tenth and eleventh emperors, See and Keäng, seem to have maintained their authority without opposition. After a reign of fiftynine years, Keäng at his death appointed his son to the throne; but he was immediately expelled by his uncle, who having reigned twenty-one years was succeeded by his own son. This emperor was distinguished only for his imbecility and vices. He retained the crown, however, till his death; it then reverted to Kungkeǎ, the lawful heir. This was the fourteenth emperor of the Heä dynasty, and one of the most effeminate and debased princes that ever reigned. His successor trod in the footsteps of his father, and made his palace the seat of the most infamous pleasures. The sixteenth emperor occupied the throne nineteen years, and had the misfortune of being the father of Keě, the worst of men and the last of this line of emperors.

Kee reigned fifty-two years. His career was marked by horrible cruelties and bestial excesses. His wife was, if possible, more wicked than himself. Her commands were blindly obeyed; and the blood of their innocent subjects was daily shed to gratify her savage humor. The emperor and his imperial consort both indulged in the most abominable excesses, without the least regard for the welfare of the people. These licentious and tyrannical proceedings produced a general revolt, and fierce and bloody contests ensued. Nor did these cease until Keĕ fled from the empire, and a new dynasty was established under the auspices of Chingtang, its first emperor. Thus, during a period of more than three hundred years, the empire was in constant agitation, the people were harassed by wars, and oppressed by the cruelties of unrighteous rulers.

The two next dynasties occupied a period somewhat exceeding

fifteen hundred years in duration. Their histories abound with descriptions of wars, usurpations, intrigues, and their legitimate attendants. A single one of these descriptions must suffice. Chowsin, the last monarch of the Shang dynasty, ascended the throne B. c. 1143, and reigned thirty-two years. He married the infamous and impious Take, whom he had taken captive in war. They both gave themselves up to wild extravagance and unrestrained sensuality. They laid out extensive gardens; formed menageries filled with horses, dogs, rare animals, and curious birds. To feed these, and the crowds of idle people around them, they caused large granaries to be built. They made also a lake of wine, and surrounded it with trees loaded with provisions. In this retreat they collected vast multitudes of men and women, and allowed them to pass their time in debauchery, drunkenness, and other excesses, of which it is a shame even to speak. "Profligacy to this extent is more than the common sense of mankind, in the worst of times, can approve." The emperor and his court fell into contempt; which Täke, instead of attributing to the right cause, ascribed to the lightness of the ordinary punishments, and to the easy death to which criminals were subjected. Hence new instruments of torture were introduced; and criminals were burnt alive. At length, Woo wang,' the martial king,' and the founder of the Chow dynasty, determined to destroy these monsters. Large armies took the field; the emperor fled to a stage which he had erected for purposes of pleasure, set fire to it, and perished in the ruins; the wicked and unhappy Tǎke, in the meantime, was cut down by the sword of Woo wang.

After the overthrow of the Chow dynasty, seven distinct states, and each with its own chieftain, strove for supremacy; six of their leaders were exterminated, and the other became master of the empire. The cruelty and disorders of this period are without a parallel. Nor did these scenes of confusion cease until the Han dynasty arose. During the reign of this line of monarchs, a period of more than four hundred years, the empire frequently enjoyed peace and advanced in prosperity; but often it was otherwise, and the prosperity enjoyed, only served to prepare more ample materials for the approaching scenes of rapine and human butchery. After the fall of this family, the storm of war raged with greater or less fury till the Tang dynasty was established, A. D. 618. The early part of this dynasty forms one of the most peaceful and prosperous periods in the whole history of China. Though its first monarchs were able to keep the people in subjection, yet their successors were not. The third monarch of this line placed the reigns of government in the hands of the empress, who assumed the title of "queen of heaven." She poisoned several of her own children, and caused others of the imperial family to be cut in pieces. Cruelty and excesses of every kind continued to increase, until the dynasty became extinct. Theu the woo tae, or "five dynasties," arose. These were times of confusion. Luxury, intrigue, and murder, filled the court; discontent, rapine, and bloody wars, the land.

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