SABBATH SCHOOLS. AMONG the many institutions of the present day for improving the character and condition of the inhabitants of our country, the Sabbath Schools are not the least important. The number of these schools has been greatly multiplied within a few years, in several of the United States, as, well as in Great Britain. We hope the plan will become universal throughout Christendom, and indeed throughout the world-not only in cities and populous towns, but in every town and neighborhood, in every country.

The schools have already become so numerous in Philadelphia as to comprize 5970 scholars, superintended by 556 instructers. Many of these children would probably have grown up in ignorance, vice and irreligion, but for the advantages they derive from the sabbath schools. If the schools should be conducted with proper regard to decorum, virtue and religion, they will doubtless be a means of saving millions from perdition, as well as of rendering them more happy and useful in the present world. These schools are adapted not only to improve the minds of the pupils but the minds of the multitude of instructers who are employed m these institutions. For there is perhaps no way in which young people advance more rapidly than in the business of teaching. They not only increase their own stock of knowledge by the practice of communicating to others, but the more faithful they are in the discharge of the duty, the more advantage they derive to themselves, by acquiring a facility in communicating, and by having the instructions which they impart to others impressed on their own minds. Such of these instructers, whether male or female, as shall become heads of families, will be the better qualified to teach the children which a gracious providence shall commit to their care; and the more likely they will be to perform this duty with fidelity and advantage. While they are employed in bestowing favors on the children of others, they are, laying up treasures for their own posterity.

Moreover, a great portion of the children who attend sabbath schools have ignorant parents, and many of them have vicious parents. The religious instructions, and indeed any useful instructions which the children shall receive, they may be the instruments of communicating to their par ents at home. Many striking and important instances have already been recorded of benefits which par ents have derived from sending, their children to sabbath schools.

Another consideration worthy of notice is this Children require some exercise on the Sabbath as well as on other days, and they are gratified with novelty, variety and change. The Sabbath Schools add to the variety of useful, virtuous and entertaining exercises suitable for that day; and if properly managed they may contribute much towards rendering "the Sabbath a delight" to children and young people.

A REMARKABLE CONTRAST RELATING TO SLAVES.

"THE following intelligence has been recently received and may be relied on as authentic:-The legisla ture of Antigua, having held a conference with the missionaries of the Moravian brethren, to induce them to extend their missions there, and finding it out of their power, voted them one thousand pounds to build a church and house, and three hundred pounds per annum for the support of missionaries at one station; granting and offering as much crown land as should be wanted for that or other stations; and in the despatch to Lord Bathurst, from the Government of Antigua, it is stated, that the legislature lamented their limited finances prevented their doing more, as they were persuaded, that to the labours of these missionaries they were mainly indebted for a state of profound tranquillity, while other islands had been exposed to revolt and insurrection. The brethren have about twelve thousand negroes in their congregation in that island." Phila, pap. Now behold the contrast:

“AFRICAN CHURCH, Charleston, June 9. "One hundred and fifty Negroe

and Slaves, belonging to the African Church were taken up on Sunday af ternoon by the city guard and lodged in the Guard-House. The city Council yesterday morning sentenced five of them, consisting of a Bishop and four Ministers to one month's imprisonment, or to give security to leave the stare. Eight other minis ters were also sentenced separately, to receive ten lashes, or pay a fine of five dollars. Patriot.

The account from Antigua is truly gratifying; it evinces a spirit of wisdom and humanity. The account from Charleston is the reverse; it evinces a spirit of folly and barbarity. "Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad." Oppression has this ef<fect both on the oppressor and on the oppressed. The barbarous course a dopted by the city Council is the "Road to Ruin," as truly as the course adopted at Antigua tends to conciliate the slaves and to prevent revolt and insurrection. Multiplying the oppressions of the slaves, and prohibiting their meeting for religious and moral instruction, are but treas uring up wrath against a day of wrath which will assuredly overtake the oppressors. The cries of these Africans cannot fail to "enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth ;" and although he bears long with oppressors he will not bear always.

In the United States much has been said of the tyranny and oppression exercised in other countries. Loud ly have we boasted of our republican institutions, our liberty and equal, rights; yet in this land of freedom there is perhaps, a greater number of fellow beings held in absolute slavery than in any other nation on which the sun is suffered to shine.

Of this

we may be very certain, that, in this world, the sun has no opportunity to shine on another nation so palpably inconsistent as ours. If but an indi vidual of our white citizens is deprived of his personal rights in a foreign land, our country is filled with clamor and threatenings of war from one end to the other. But as a nation, we can tamely behold a number of black and colored people, greater than the whole population of NewEngland was in 1800, degraded to the condition of slaves, liable to be

bought and sold as property, and a great portion of them denied the means of education and religious instruction! In what other region does Heaven behold such a mass of oppression and iniquity!

In Charleston, it appears, a military guard is employed to interrupt the religious meetings of the oppressed Africans on the Sabbath; and their compassionate teachers are doomed by the city Council to imprisonment, or banishment, corporal punishments or fines! Thus the state of society advances in the capital of South Car olina! What will be their state at the end of the present century, if they continue to advance in this direc tion?

We know that the plea for this outrageous persecution is, that "by sundry acts of the legislature, it is positively forbidden that slaves or free people of color should assemble for the purpose of mental instruction, unless a majority of the assembly be composed of white people." Such are the republican laws of South Car olina! What law of Spain, Portugal, or of the Pope, or of the Inquisi tion, is more repugnant to the rights of man? We do not wonder that these oppressors of the Africans are afraid of their lives, nor that they think a military guard necessary for their protection. But the time will come when a military guard will not defend them, either from the upbraidings of a self-comdemning conscience, or from the anger of a righteous God. And, on the whole, it is hard to determine, whether the slaves are entitled to a greater share of our concern than their unrelenting oppress

ors.

ORDINATION.

No. 8.

Vol. VI.

THE melancholy account now to be exhibited is copied into Proud's History of Pennsylvania from a pamphlet which was printed immediate ly after the events occuredentitled, "A Narrative of the late Massacre, in Lancaster County, of a number of Indians, friends of this Province :"

"These Indians were the remains of a tribe of the Six Nations, settled at Conestogoe, and thence called Conestogoe Indians On the first arrival of the English in Pennsylvania, messengers from this tribe came to welcome them, with presents of venison, corn and skins; and the whole tribe entered into a treaty of friendship with the first Proprietary, William Penn; which was to last as long as the sun should shine, or the waters run into

As their lands by degrees were mostly purchased, and the settlement of the white people began to surround them, the Proprietary assigned them lands on the manor of Conestogoe, which they might not part with. There they have lived many years in friendship with their white neighbours, who loved them for their peaceable, inoffensive behaviour..

"It has always been observa ed that Indians, settled in the neighborhood of white people, do not increase but diminish 'continually. This tribe accordingly went on diminishing, till there remained in the town or manor, but 20 personsseven men, five women and eight children, boys and girls.

"Of these, Shebaes was a very old man, having assisted at the second treaty, held with them by William Penn, 1701; and ever since continued a faithful friend to the English; he is said to have been an exceeding good man, considering his education, being naturally

of a most kind,

temper.

benevolent

"This little society continued the custom they had begun when more numerous, of addressing every new Governor, and every descendant of the first Proprietary, welcoming him to the province, assuring him of their fidelity, and praying a continuance of that favour and protection which they had hitherto ex. perienced. They had accordingly sent up an address of this kind to our present Governor, John Penn, Esq. on his arrival; but the same was scarce delivered when the unfortunate catastrophe happened, which we are about to relate.

"On Wednesday the 14th of December, 1763, fifty seven men, from some of our frontier townships, who had projected the destruction of this little commonwealth, came all well mounted, and armed with firelocks, hangers and hatchets, having travelled through the country in the night to Conestogoe manor. There they surrounded the small village of Indian huts, and just at break of day, broke in upon them all at once. Only three men and two women' and a young boy were found at home the rest being out among the neighbouring white people. These poor defenceless creatures were immediately fired upon, stabbed and hatcheted to death! The good Shebaes among the rest, cut to pieces in his bed. All of them were scalped, and other wise horribly mangled. Then their

huts were set on fire, and most of them burnt down!

"The magistrates of Lancaster sent out to collect the remaining Indians, brought them into the town, for their better security against any farther attempts; and, it is said, condoled with them on the misfortune which had happened, took them by the hand and promised them protection. They were put into a work-house, a strong building, as the place of greatest safety.

"These cruel men again assembled themselves; and hearing that the remaining 14 Indians were in the work-house at Lancaster, they suddenly appeared before the town on the 27th of December. Fifty of them armed as before, dismounting, went directly to the work-house, and by violence broke open the door, and entered with the utmost fury in their countenances. When the poor wretches saw they had no protection nigh, nor could possibly escape, and being without the least weapon of defence, they divided their little families, the children clinging to their parents; they fell on their faces, protested their innocence, declared their love of the English, and that in their whole lives they had never done them injury; and in this posture they all received the hatchet! Men, women and children were every one inhumanly murdered in cold blood!

"The barbarous men who committed the atrocious fact, in defiance of government and