graphic and pregnant delineation from the pen of the sacre historian:-"For all the Athenians, and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear, some new thing." (Acts xvii. 21.) Demosthenes, in one of his Orations, delivered three centuries earlier, speaks of them in the same manner. Ingenious, tasteful, but volatile, and ignorant of the principles of true wisdom, they were easily moved by impassioned oratory, and led into either right or wrong, without any clear view, or serious conviction, of the character of either. Socrates was condemned because Aristophanes had taught the people to laugh at him, and because the Sophists, whose profitable trade he spoiled, ingeniously argued against him; enlisting, for the moment, popular prejudices in their own favour. Whether Socrates were not too severe and unbending, is another question. In setting falsehood at defiance, he was offensively rugged. He does not seem to have known with St. Paul how to yield in things indifferent, that he might secure things important and necessary. It belongs to Christianity to teach how to speak the truth in love. But to truth in the abstract he was attached; and for this he lost his life. How far human nature, lovingly obedient to the truth, could proceed, and what the limits are beyond which it cannot pass, his example demonstrates; and that this example may teach the reflecting reader all the lessons really included in it, it must be correctly understood. We have endeavoured to set aside the misrepresentations which we think obscure it: we shall now proceed to show it as we think it really was. We shall first notice the substance of his "Defence" (or Apology") as given by Xenophon and Plato; and then the closing period of his life, as described by Plato in his Crito and Phædo.

66

(To be continued.)

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

WE recollect the time when our streets, which under the régime of the old oil-lamps, which really looked like "nolight, but rather darkness visible,"-became, by the power of gas, brilliant

as noon-day. Then came railroads, and steam-carriages, with their thirty miles an hour ordinary speed, instead of the four miles, on the average, of the old stages; and the fifty miles an hour express trains, instead of the ten or twelve miles an hour express coaches. We once thought it wonderful travelling, over Salisbury Plain, driving along at full speed, some fourteen miles an hour, so as, with all stoppages, to get to Exeter, from London, in about eighteen hours: and we have left London a little before ten, and heard the old Cathedral at Exeter strike two, sitting all the way, and reading, as comfortably as if we had been at our own table and desk. All this is very wonderful, and we thought we were at last at the top of wonders, on the very summit of the hill. But no: higher and higher still. The old tragedian who wrote,

"Ye gods, annihilate both time and space,

To make two lovers happy,"

was thought to have fallen into sad ranting bombast. But what are time and space to electric telegraphs? And that, not for purposes of romance, or even for carrying on the exciting cry, which makes all the idlers in the street run, as though for their lives, "Stop thief!" No, but for the most unromantic, unexciting task of orders in trade. Time and space annihilated for dealers in cotton and calico, sugar and molasses, rice and tobacco! Surely we are now at the top of the hill, and are to look for no rising Alps still before us. Really, we dare not say so. The wonderful has become so ordinary, that even elderly scribes cannot do better than to shut themselves up in their oracular wisdom, and say, as though uttering some Delphic response, "Them as lives longest 'ill see

th' most!"

An American paper gives the following account of one of the feats of the telegraph, which completely puts down Euclid, reducing a line to a point, and showing that the definition of the latter, so far as one dimension is concerned, is equal to the former. Whatever thickness a railroad line may have, it has come, at length, to have no length at all.

"An extensive store-keeper of Milwaukie, on the western shore of Lake Michigan, was at New-York in November, and

gave a large order for goods to his merchant there, and left town on his return home the same day. The order was laid on the desk; and, in a few days, the merchant inquired if it had been executed, and sent off. None of the clerks knew anything about it: they had not seen the order. After the most diligent search, it still could not be found; and there was no time to write to Milwaukie and obtain a reply, as the navigation of the lakes and the canal would soon close. Much annoyance was felt at the circumstance, as the order had been given by an old and valued customer, and included the articles for his whole winter stock. One of the partners, however, recollected that the orderer had a brother living at Buffalo; and thought he might probably have remained with him a day or two, on his route home. He at once went to the telegraph-office, sent a message to the brother at Buffalo, to inquire if his Milwaukie brother were there. In a few minutes there was a recorded answer,-'Yes; but he is about embarking on the steam-boat for home. His luggage is aboard already.' 'Send for him to the telegraph-office,' was the next message. In three minutes came the answer that he had come. He was then informed that his order had been mislaid, and was requested to send it again. He had a copy of it in his pocket, and at once transmitted its contents. In thirty minutes after the New-York merchant entered the telegraph office there, he left with a copy, verbatim, of the original order in his pocket. In that time he had sent three messages, and received three replies, the last being the order itself. The distance between New-York and Buffalo is four hundred and fifty miles. In twelve hours the goods were packed, and put on board the steam-boat in their way to Albany, and arrived at their destination before the winter closed."-New-Orleans Bulletin.

AMERICAN SLAVERY.

THE American Christians in the northern States have a hard battle to fight, and their path is beset with many difficulties. We are glad to find that their "Evangelical Alliance

proposes to refuse all membership to the merely mercenary and voluntary slave-holders, and only to receive to union those who are so unavoidably, and who cannot legally emancipate their slaves. We may perhaps think that, on some points, American Christians should have taken higher ground, and been more practical, in relation to this crying evil. But perhaps we are not able fully to estimate the force of the difficulties in their way. Not only is public feeling not for them, but it is strongly against them. And many who allow the evil of slavery in the abstract, content themselves with doing this, and take not a single step towards its removal. The Wesleyan Episcopal Church, some two or three years ago, took a step that we in England thought timid in the extreme; but we had misjudged their opponents. It has produced a division; so that now there is the Methodist Episcopal Church in the north, still testifying against slavery, and the " Methodist Episcopal Church S.," or south, but which latter letter will seem to indicate character as well as locality. S. stands for slavery as well as for south. The Christian opponents of slavery in America need the sympathy and encouragement of their friends in England. They must keep to the point, and not let their opposition be all comprised in a merely verbal protest. Whence came judgment on unhappy old Eli? He protested, but did nothing else. The slavery cherished in the country whose chosen banner, as if chosen by a sort of predictive self-condemning fatalism, declares her to be THE LAND OF STRIPES, must be kept in full view, as far, at least, as distance will allow. Here, we can only see the outline. Reflection must tell us what the entire reality must be, where, although so diminished by distance, such an outline is seen.

The following advertisements are taken from the "American Beacon of the 21st ult., (April,) a paper published at Norfolk, Virginia:-"Cash for Negroes. I will pay the highest cash prices for likely young Negroes of both sexes, from ten to thirty years of age. All those who have such to dispose of, would do well to give me a call before selling. I will also attend to shipping of Negroes to any of the northern ports, free of charge, when left with me, as I have a private jail for the safe keeping of servants. For further information

inquire at my office, at Union Hotel, Union-street, through the Post-office. G. W. Apperson."—"Negro Repository.—The undersigned has, at a very considerable expense, erected and fitted up, in a style of comfort and convenience, a commodious two-story building in Union-street, second door east of Church-street, for the safe keeping and accommodation of Negroes, both male and female, (the apartments being entirely separate,) which are brought to this market for sale. This building is admirably adapted to the object proposed, having airy and pleasant rooms, and every convenience which could be desired, besides large yards, walled in high, a capacious cistern, &c., which, while they secure the comfort of the Negro, likewise guarantee the most ample security for his safe keeping." What? With all this comfort added to slavery? Safe keeping? Is there any danger of these happy servants, so comfortably provided for, running away? When good stables are provided in the neighbourhood of the London Smithfield market, it may be necessary to guard against thieves. But have the Negroes any notion of liberty? Any more desire for it than cattle? Alas, the truth will out! The Negro is a man, and as much likes to be his own master as any citizen of the "Land of Stripes." "In addition to boarding Negroes for sale, the undersigned purposes keeping on hand from time to time, for sale, such Negroes as may be in demand in this market, embracing every description of house and field hands, male and female, young and old, that may be called for, and upon terms entirely accommodating. Besides the boarding and the selling of Negroes, he will also make exchanges, giving or receiving such boot as the difference in age, character, qualifications, and appearance may justify. The highest cash market prices given for Negroes of both sexes at all times. William W. Hall." When will America wash away this reproach from Christianity, to say nothing of free institutions?

SENTENCES FOR REFLECTION.

EXAMINE every man's talents, a peasant, a bricklayer, a passenger: thou mayest learn something from every one of