Then Avarice spread her store, And boundless wealth was mine; mine eye but still For one bright treasure more. Gifts of this world in vain For me ye glitter, transient as ye are, Ye cannot save from death; Ye cannot lengthen man's appointed hour, Saviour! Thou hast alone The words of life eternal; though hast trod Through love, and prayer, and faith! Thus, Son of God! 'twas thine to rise on high; BULFINCH. INTELLIGENCE. SLAVERY IN FREE AMERICA. To-morrow (we quote from the Liberator) is their "glorious" fourth of July, and they will clang the bells in all their spires, they will cause the earth to tremble at the thunder of their cannon, they will kindle bonfires and illuminations throughout their borders, they will form public processions, they will exhaust the powers of declamation in honour of liberty, and as devout worshippers at the shrine. Their orators will descant upon the insupportable despotism of Europe, and the perfect equality which reigns in this “free” republic! With their patriotic shouts will go up to heaven the shrieks and groans of their lacerated bondmen, and with their songs will be mingled the clanking of chains and the bay of the bloodhound in full chase of the fugitive slave! The subjoined paragraphs from the American press, illustrate the truth of this blasphemy. For instance; the Charleston Courier contains a list of criminals recently sentenced by the City Court in Charleston for various crimes. Among them we notice that one man, for a highway robbery, was sentenced to a few months' imprisonment and a slight fine, while another, William Smith, for negro stealing, is to be imprisoned until the first Friday in September next, and then hung by the neck until he is dead. The Shawnetown (Ill.) Gazette of the 9th ult., mentions a disgraceful occurrence which took place at Vienna near that place. A man named Kersey, from Marion, stopped at Vienna over night. The next morning he stated that he had been robbed of over 100 dollars. Suspicion fell upon a negro man; they endeavoured to make him confess his guilt, but without success. At length it was determined to take him out and whip him. Accordingly he was taken out, tied up, and the lash laid on by Kersey and others. After several places had been named by the negro as to where he had concealed the money, and each found to be false, the whipping was repeated. At length some of the bystanders interfered, declaring that the negro could not bear any further punishment, and forcibly cut him down. He was then conveyed towards the gaol, but before reaching that, and within fifteen minutes after he was cut loose, he dropped down dead. We have rarely met with a more revolting instance of inhumanity and hypocrisy, than the one recently related at a public meeting at Cincinnati, by the Rev. Mr. Boucher, a methodist minister, who formerly resided at the south. While he was on the Alabama Circuit, he spent a Sabbath with an old circuit preacher, who was also a doctor, living near the "Horseshoe," celebrated as Gen. Jackson's battle ground. Early one Monday morning he was reading Pope's Messiah to Mr. Boucher, when his wife called him out. Mr. Boucher glanced his eye out of the window, and saw a slave man standing by, and the husband and wife consulting over him. Presently the doctor took a raw hide from under his coat, and began to cut up the half-naked back of the slave. Several inches of the skin turned up, perfectly white, at every stroke, until the whole back was red with gore. At first the lacerated man cried out in his agony; at which the doctor and divine cried out at every stroke, "won't ye hush; won't ye hush!" Till finally the slave stood still, and bore his tortures with only a groan. As soon as he had completed his task, the doctor came in, panting, and almost out of breath, and addressing Mr. Boucher, said, "Won't you go to prayers with us, sir ?" The amazed circuit rider fell upon his knees and prayed, uttering he hardly knew what. When he left the house, the poor creature of a slave had crept up and knelt at the door during the prayer, with his body gory down to his very heels.-Congregational Journal. ANTI-SLAVERY LEAGUE. Several meetings have lately been held in London, which have resulted in the formation of an association, of which the following are the principles and rules, agreed to at the last of the meetings referred to, held at the Crown and Anchor, Strand, on Monday evening, 10th of August, after an animated discussion, in which Messrs. Lloyd Garrison, H. C. Wright, Frederick Douglass, from America, George Thompson, London, James Haughton, Dublin, Dr. Hutton, London, Dr. Massie, Manchester, Henry Solly, Shepton Mallet, Francis Bishop, Exeter, William Logan, Rochdale, Sydney Morse, editor of the New York Observer, Messrs. Henry Vincent, William Shaen (London), and others, took part: "Whereas there are in the United States of America three millions of the human race held in chains and slavery by a power which sacrilegiously usurps the proprietary right of the Creator; and whereas these three millions of slaves, in their utter helplessness and degradation, make their appeal to the friends of humanity throughout the world; and whereas the cause of humanity is not bounded by country or clime, nor moral obligations and duties circumscribed by geographical limitations or governmental restrictions; and whereas the God of the oppressed, who hath never left himself without witness, hath raised up for the slave population of the United States, friends who are nobly and faithfully struggling to obtain liberty for the captive by the prosecution of moral and peaceful measures : 6 "Therefore we, the undersigned, desirous of showing our 'remembrance of those in bonds, as bound with them,' and believing that we can essentially serve the cause of those in bondage by acting with the uncompromising abolitionists who compose the American Anti-slavery Society,' do form ourselves into an association, to be called the Anti-slavery League,' based upon the following principles: "Art 1. That slave-holding is, under all circumstances, a sin of the deepest dye, and ought immediately to be abandoned. "Art 2. That the members of this league shall consist of all persons subscribing to the foregoing principles, without respect of country, complexion, or religious or political creeds. "Art 3. That the sole object of this league shall be the overthrow, by means exclusively moral and peaceful, of slavery in every land, but with special reference to the system now existing in the United States." A public meeting in connexion with the league has been held at the Crown and Anchor. THE WORLD'S TEMPERANCE CONVENTION. On Tuesday, August 4th, the delegates appointed by the temperance associations throughout the world to attend the Convention arranged by the National Temperance Society of England, assembled in the theatre of the City of London Literary Institution, Aldersgate-street. There were about 250 delegates present, including, in addition to those from English, Irish, and Scotch towns, representatives from the United States, the East Indies, and France. The object of the Convention is, to ascertain the state of the temperance cause in all parts of the globe, to receive suggestions as to the most effectual method of extending the temperance reformation. and to effect the formation of a temperance union throughout the world. Samuel Bowly, Esq., of Gloucester, having been appointed chairman, rules for conducting the business were agreed upon. The speakers, from whom reports of the state of the temperance movement were received, were the Rev. Dr. Marsh, of Massachusetts; Dr. Benher (described as the father of the movement in America), from Connecticut; the Rev. Thomas Skinner, of Bath; Mr. Thomas Swindlehurst, of Preston; Dr. Grindrod, Mr. Clapp, Mr George Johnson, of Edinburgh; and Mr. E. Smith, of Sheffield. The Rev. Dr. Marsh said, as an instance of the esteem in which the Temperance cause was held in Massachusetts that at an entertainment given in honour of the inauguration of the President of the University, at which 600 citizens attended, not a drop of strong liquor was drank. In the course of the proceedings, a man, called "Dickey Turner," and described as the author of the word "teetotal," was introduced to the meeting, and loudly cheered. On Wednesday several gentlemen addressed the meeting, proving by statistical returns the progress of temperance principles, and the necessity of perseverance.-The Rev. T. Spencer said the following details had been calculated by a gentleman, well-known as the author of "Mammon,"-that in this metropolis there are at present 12,000 children training in vice; 3,000 persons receivers of stolen goods; 4,000 annually committed to prison for crime; 10,000 living by gambling; 20,000 by beggary; and 30,000 practising theft and fraud. To feed all this depravity, three millions' worth of spirituous liquor was employed, producing in one year 23,000 drunkards reeling about the streets, 150,000 drinkers of spirits, 5,000 temples of debauchery, and innumerable Sabbath-breakers. The whole of this vice he attributed in a greater or less degree to the use of spirituous liquors. The reformation which he urged he intended to apply, not only to the lower classes, but to every class! He proposed to go into the Houses of Parliament, and ascertain how many of the members were teetotallers, and how many were not. He would even go to the Bishops with the same inquiry. ("Oh, oh, and laughter.") The Secretary read a letter from the Committee of the South Indian Union on the subject of temperance, congratulating the society on their progress. A resolution was afterwards proposed by Mr. Joseph Spencer, of York, expressing the satisfaction of the meeting at the progress of the temperance cause among seamen. MEETING AT COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. Mr. Alexander, of the Society of Friends, was chairman. He addressed the meeting at some length, and congratulated them upon the progress which the temperance movement had made during the last two years. He then read a letter from Mr. Joseph Sturge, announcing that in consequence of sudden indisposition Elihu Burritt, better known as "The Learned Blacksmith," would not be able to attend.-Mr. Rutter instanced numerous examples in his own knowledge, of the dreadful effects of intemperance.-The meeting was next addressed by Dr. Lyman Beecher, of Massachusetts, who stated that he was in his 72nd year, and reviewed the growth of intemperance in Europe and America, declaring that an experience of more than half a century had fortified him in the coДviction, that if temperance had not sprung up to roll back the fiery wave of intoxication, the most useful and noble institutions of the new and old worlds would have been perverted from their original purposes, and ultimately hurled from their foundations.-Mr. F. Hopwood, a delegate from York, entered into several interesting statistics to show that the amount spent annually in intoxicating drinks exceeded more than one hundred times the sum paid by all the religious societies for the propagation of Christianity, both at home and abroad. In the United Kingdom alone it was calculated that from forty to fifty thousand persons lost their lives annually by a too great attachment to stimulating beverages.-The Rev. T. Kirk said they had to alter the customs and habits of the whole world— to chase from it one of its greatest scourges, and dry up one of its most dangerous fountains. And what did they sec arrayed against them?-The whole array of aristocracy. Fashion, rank, and wealth were against them; every man who owned a brewery or a distillery was against them-yet they felt that they had on their side what was more powerful-Divine Providence was in their favour. The Rev. John Marsh said that there was no more beautiful figure than that contained in Scripture which represented the gospel as at first but a little stream rushing to the ancles, then expanding to the knees, then spreading and rolling into a broad deep river, fertilising the nation. This he likened to the progress of temperance, which had a small beginning, but the end of which would be great. Why, even the true church was once contained in a chamber; the amazing revolution in the 16th century was at one time contained in the breast of a monk.-Mr. Wm. Reid. of Edinburgh, followed, alluding, among other branches of the subject, to the stringent necessity which existed for the education of children, while yet young, in temperance principles, as the impression thus formed would have a double chance of being retained.-Dr. Cox, of New York, and Mr. G. J. Kenrick, of West Bromwich, spoke also to a similar effect. The latter expressed his regret that to any extent the cooperation of the clergy was wanting in the teetotal cause; nay, in some cases it was well known to be the reverse, the fact of a minister entertaining teetotal principles forming a prejudice against him in many congregations.-Professor Caldwell and Dr. Patten, of America, addressed arguments to the same purport; and Mr. Richard Allen, of Dublin, communicated some encouraging facts, in reference to the progress of temperance in Ireland.-Mr. J. Andrews, of Scarborough, and Mr. Beaumont, of Bradford, followed. The latter stated the great difficulty which they had to contend with was not contained in any of the difficulties which had been set forth that evening, so much as in the ignorance of the people as to the poisonous effects of intoxicating drinks.-Frederick Douglas, a man of colour, from Maryland, came forward amidst loud applause. He did not appear on the present occasion as a delegate, for, unfortunately, those who would, if they had the power, delegate him, were in the chains of slavery. They were millions in number, and the American Congress excluded them from their membership, simply on account of the colour of their skins. He called attention to the difficulties that the free coloured population of the United States had to encounter. They numbered something like half a million, the largest portion of which belonged to Pennsylvania and New York. In 1842, when the temperance movement was making such mighty progress among their countrymen, they, being common sense men, saw that by the same instrumentality that the white man was snatched from intemperance, so might also the black man be snatched. In the city of Philadelphia, they called together a number of their coloured countrymen and organised themselves into a temperance society. In the August of the same year, there was to be a celebration; they organized a procession, and walked through the streets in order to encourage others to come into their ranks, but they could not walk far |