THE

FRIEND OF PEACE.

Vol. II....No. XII.

WASHINGTON'S LEGACY FOR THE ABOLITION OF WAR.

In a letter recently published, dated " April 25, 1788," written by General Washington, to a friend in Europe,* congratulating him on his marriage, we observed the following paragraphs :

"While you have been making love under the banner of Hymen, the great personages of the North have been making war under the inspiration or rather infatuation of Mars. Now, for my part, I humbly conceive you had much the best and wisest of the bargain; for certainly it is more consonant to all the principles of reason and religion-natural and revealed to replenish the earth with inhabitants, rather than depopulate it by killing those already in existence. Besides, it is time for knight-errantry and mad heroism to be at an end

"Your young military men, who went to reap the harvest of laurels, don't care, I suppose, how many seeds of war are sown; but, for the sake of humanity, it is devoutly to be wished that the manly employments of agriculture and the humanizing benefits of commerce, should supersede the waste of war, and the rage of conquest; that the swords might be turned into ploughshares and spears into pruning-hooks, and, as the scripture expresses it, the nations learn war no more.”

These observations on war seem to have been the fruits of mature reflection. We hope they will have a proper effect on the numerous admirers of General Washington, and be the means of convincing them, that the spirit of war

Supposed to be the Marquis de la Fayette, though his name was not given in the paper from which the extracts were taken.

is the spirit of "infatuation ;”—that "it is time for knighterrantry and mad heroism to have an end;"-that "it is devoutly to be wished that the manly employments of agriculture and the humanizing benefits of commerce should supersede the waste of war and the rage of conquest.”

These sentiments perfectly accord with the objects of Peace Societies, and afford reason to believe, that had General Washington lived to the present time, he would have given a still more direct approbation of the efforts for the abolition of war.

The suggestion that "young military men" in pursuit of "a harvest of laurels, care not how many seeds of war are sown," deserves special notice, as it brings to view one of the principal causes of the frequency of national contests. Those, who "care not how many seeds of war are sown," will be very apt to sow them, and to employ their influence to bring them to maturity. Men of such a disposition should be watched with care. Every instance of their conduct, by which they violate the rights of another country, should receive a decided mark of public disapprobation; also every exertion, by which they attempt to involve their own country in the flames of war, should be repelled as the work of an incendiary. With the lovers of war, a profession of patriotism is but a cloak for crimes.

"The manly employments of agriculture and the humanizing benefits of commerce," if duly encouraged, will have a powerful tendency to "supersede the waste of war and the rage of conquest." The exertions of Agricultural Societies, in this age, are among the most promising means for diverting public attention from the barbarous and delusive glories of war, and to fix it on objects more humane and praiseworthy. How much more deserving of esteem is the man who employs his energies for multiplying the means of human subsistence and comfort, than the military conqueror, who destroys thousands of his brethren, and exposes millions to want and misery! Let the various occupations of men be honoured according to their respective tendencies to augment

the happiness of man: then the lover of war, the vaunting military destroyer, will behold his "mounted scale aloft," when weighed against the honest, peaceable, diligent and enterprising farmer.

The prophetic language referred to by General Washington affords reason to suppose, that, when men shall become truly enlightened, the dreadful occupation of the warrior will sink into disrepute; and that the business of agriculture will acquire such renown, that swords and spears will be transformed to ploughshares and pruning-hooks. Then "the nations will learn war no more." Those, therefore, who exert their influence to blast the pernicious reputation of war, and to advance the glory of agriculture, are acting in conformity to the revealed designs of Providence, and the best interests of their species.

Alas! how shocking the thought, that the "profession of arms" and the butchery of men are now deemed honourable among christians.

REMARKABLE REFORMATION OF A PRINCE.

THE" Scots Magazine," for Jan. 1761, contains a Review of a work, entitled, "Introduction to the Art of Thinking." The following account is an abstract of a narrative quoted from that work.

"Henry, Duke of Saxony, was by nature fierce and haughty, eager in his pursuits, impatient of disappointment or controul.-The outrages committed by this prince were without end; every thing was sacrificed to his lust, cruelty, and ambition; and at his court, beauty, riches, honours became the greatest misfortunes. His horrid enormities filled him with suspicion. At enmity with every one, and least of all at peace with himself-feeling the agonies of reproving' conscience, which haunted him when waking, and left him not when asleep.

"In a melancholy fit, under the impression of a wicked action recently perpetrated, he dreamed that the tutelar an

gel of the country stood before him with anger in his looks, mixed with some degree of pity. Ill-fated wretch! said the apparition, listen to the awful command I bear. Upon this the angel reached a scroll of paper, and vanished. The scroll contained the following words—After six.

"Here the dream ended; for the impression it made broke his rest. The prince awaked in the greatest consternation, deeply struck with the vision. He was convinced that the whole was from God, to prepare him for death-which be concluded was to happen in six months, perhaps in six days; and that this time was allotted him to make his peace with his Maker, by an unfeigned repentance of all his crimes.

"Thus, in the utmost torments of mind, six days, six weeks, and six months passed away; but death did not follow. Now he concluded that six years were to be the period of his miserable life. Hitherto the supposed shortness of his warning had not left it in his power to repair the many injuries he had committed, which was the greatest load upon his mind. Now he resolved to make the most ample reparation.

"In this state of mind, when hope prevailed and some beams of sunshine appeared breaking through the cloud, he addressed his Maker"-in a solemn and fervent prayer. "His first endeavours were to regain the confidence of his nobles, and love of his people. With unremitting application, he attended to their good; and soon felt that satisfaction in considering himself as their father, which he never knew while he considered them as his slaves. After tasting such misery, how did he bless the happy change! Now always calm and serene, diffusive benevolence gilded every thought of his heart, and action of his life. It was his delight to be seen, and to lay open his whole soul, for in it dwelt harmony and peace.

"Fame blazed his virtues all around; in distant regions was the good prince known, where his vices had never reached. In all disputes, he was the constant mediator between sovereigns, and betwixt them and their subjects; and