van, issued from June, 1775, to Nov. 1779, was $241,552,760. Here was an aggregate of nearly $400 for every man, woman and child in the land, or of perhaps $400 for every family, constituting nearly the whole currency. But mark its speedy and rapid depreciation. For one dollar in gold or silver, in Jan. 1777, a year and a half from the first issue, $1.05 in paper of the United States was received; in Jan. 1778, $3.65; in Jan. 1779, $7.45; in Jan. 1780, $29.34; in Feb. 1781, $75,00; a reduction in six years of more than seven hundred and fifty per cent.

The State currency in Massachusetts, and probably not less in other States, was equally depreciated. In 1780, four years before the close of the war, what was known as the new emission was made in Massachusetts; but this fell so rapidly in value, that no computation could keep pace with its decline. A bushel of wheat was at one period worth $75,00, and other articles of common use in like ratio. This currency continued at an enormous discount, till Hamilton's funding system was adopted, and most of the States' currency was not redeemed so late as 1808.

A little reflection will show what a severe, universal pressure this must have brought upon the people. Every dollar of the original $242,000,000 probably went into circulation among them, and consequently somebody must have lost more than $200,000,000; an average loss of several hundred dollars for every family in the land, fifty times as much in this way as the colonies had ever paid annually in the shape of taxes or duties. It was causes like these that occasioned the Shay Rebellion in Massachusetts; a rebellion justified by the principle of our Revolution, and put down just as the mother country attempted to put down the colonies. So from that day to this, we have crushed in this country rebellion or insurrection only by contradicting the very principle on which we based the war of our Revolution; and in all these cases it would have been incomparably wiser to bear the present evils until moral, legal, peaceful measures could have cured them.

THE MOORISH WAR.-Few readers have as yet any full or distinct idea of this war, of its origin or its object. It is waged with the coast-tribes, descendants of the Riff-pirates, and the people of the northern slopes of the mountain district lying between the Mediterreanan and the Great Desert. They are a wild, unmanageable race. In a tour made last year, the Emperor of Morocco, though travelling with a strong escort, yet went a hundred miles out of his way to avcid contact with them; and it is evident, though they are a part of his own subjects, his authority over them is little more than nominal. The cause of the war is thus stated by a writer in London:

"It is with these tribes that Spain has had cause of quarrel. They were perpetually attacking, assaulting, and otherwise annoying the few Spanish troops by which the two or three points of the Spanish territory on the African side of the Straits of Gibraltar were held. Remonstrance made in due diplomatic form to the Emperor's Government, whatever it may be,

had only produced the answer that the Emperor really could not help it; and a threat of hostilities elicited an intimation that, if Spain could exterminate the whole of the rascally population of the region, the Central Power would rather feel obliged by the transaction than otherwise.

Spaniards regard it as a kind of holy war, and it is certainly favored by the Catholic clergy. The money for it has been obtained, indirectly, at the expense of the English creditors of Spain. By abstaining from all payment of its bondholders for many years past, the Spanish Government has gradually, as things settled down after the civil war, found itself in funds. The English creditors grumble naturally at seeing their long overdue dividends fired away in this useless manner."

A letter from Gibraltar says, "In all the engagements thus far, the Moors, although generally repulsed, have displayed a bravery which their adversaries had deemed them incapable of manifesting. They have frequently marched intrepidly up to the very mouths of the cannon, and plunged their lances or poignards into the hearts of the gunners while at their pieces. Their tactics consist in mustering in large numbers, under cover of some object that screens them from observation, and singling out some apparently vulnerable place in the ranks of the enemy, making a Zouave dash for it, inflicting great injury on the strongly entrenched adversaries, but generally still greater on themselves.

When forced to retreat, they retire to their mountain fastnesses, carrying whatever booty acquired by the sally with them. In fact the warfare they wage is of that guerilla order so successfully practised by some of the tribes of North American Indians. and by the Circassians of the East. If by some chance they are surrounded, disdaining to sue for mercy, they at once put an end to their existence. They ask no quarter, and they give none. Scarcely a Moor has been taken prisoner by the Spaniards; but numerous instances are recorded of their placing their espingardas against their heads, and blowing out their brains to escape being made a captive. Indeed, the accounts of the courage they display in the war read as wild and chivalric as those of their ancestors hundreds of years ago, when the exploits of the famous Riff-pirates carried terror to the most distant lands in Christendom, and furnished exhaustless themes for romantic tale and minstrel song.

The number of the Spanish army is estimated at eighty thousand, and accessions are being made to it daily. Their situation, however, is by no means pleasant. They are not only perpetually harassed by the foe, but sickness, resembling the cholera, is busy in the Spanish camp, and hundreds die weekly."

THE MISSIONARY'S TRUST IN GOD.

Some years ago a Christian Missionary at Nablous, Syria, while riding on horseback with a loaded gun, accidently shot an importunate beggar. The Mahommedan population, already in a state of excitement against the Christians, immediately flew to arms, and vented their anger in acts of violence towards their persons and property. One Christian was killed, another dangerously wounded, and all were placed in such imminent peril of their lives that they fled for safety to Jerusalem. It is not stated for purpose the missionary was provided with the gun; but, as it is common for Christians, as well as others, to travel in those countries with arms for defence, if may be presumed that it was for this purpose. The uncongenial association of a gun with a messenger of the Prince of Peace is at all times to be regretted; and it is probable that on this occasion, but for the gun, none of these disastrous circumstances would have occurred.

what

Some events in the life of the late Anthony Norris Groves, the Bagdad missionary, afford a comment on these transactions, and a beautiful illustration of the safety of peace principles amongst a people of martial and thievish propensities. Previous to his leaving England, Groves was intending to be ordained as a clergyman, when an acquaintance one day asked him, if he did not hold war to be unlawful. He replied, "Yes." How then, said his friend, can you subscribe that article which declares 'it is lawful for a Christian man to take up arms at the command of the civil magistrate?' Till that moment it had never occurred to him; but on reading it, he said, 'I never will sign it;' and from that moment he gave up his intention of being ordained a clergyman of the Church of England.

His peace principles were before long put into practice. He and his companions travelled from Petersburg to Bagdad unarmed. On the way they met an English officer in the Persian service, who advised him not to proceed on the road they were then going, on account of the unsettled state of the country, and, expressing his wonder at their being unarmed, said he hardly ventured with two battalions of soldiers. "We told him," says Groves, " our confidence was in a higher power than such weapons." In describing some parts of the country through which they passed, Dr. Kitto, who was one of the the party, says, "We have scarcely seen a man unarmed, that is, without a gun and dagger, and often a sword and pistols besides. Not only the shepherds and cowherds were armed, but those engaged in agricultural labor were seldom observed without arms at hand." Yet, after all their exposure to these dangers, Groves was able to say, "having finished our long and perilous journey from Petersburg to Bagdad, we can say that we have not lost from a thread to a shoe-latchet; but we have all, with our goods, been brought hither in safety."

During his residence at Bagdad, the city was besieged, and the inhabitants subjected to great sufferings. On this occasion, he says, "We heard the cannons and small arms begin to fire, which informed us that the contest had begun in the city. The report of wars without, and robberies within, kept the inhabitants in constant alarm. The Lord has hitherto extended his sheltering wing over us, though without sword, pistol, gun, or powder in the house; and the only men, besides myself, are Kitto, who is deaf, and the schoolmaster's father, who is blind; but the Lord is our hope and our exceeding great reward." Shortly after he writes, "Our house has just been attacked by a band of lawless depredators, asking for powder and offensive weapons; but I told them I had none. Seeing a carpenter whom I knew, I told him I would let him in, if they promised that no more should come in. They entered, were very civil; and when I forbad their passing over the roof of my house to enter that of a rich neighbor, they did not press it, but took the money I gave them and went away."

While Christians so seldom manifest faith enough thus to carry out the principles of the Gospel, and trust their property and their lives in the hands of Him who has promised to care for those who love and obey him, it is refreshing to meet with an instance of this kind. Yet examples have been exhibited sufficient to warrant obedience to our Lord's commands in these respects, and to trust the consequences to his wisdom. Till Christians entirely give up their swords and guns, can they reasonably expect to have any great influence in inducing the heathen to come under the government of the Prince of Peace?-Herald of Peace.

CORRESPONDENCE.

COLD WATER, MICH., JAN. 6, 1860.

Although not regularly working in your cause, I am nevertheless making this the most important theme in all my preaching, and I occasionally deliver a lecture expressly on this subject. I have sold a few books, though most of those sent me last are on my hands. I continue to carry them wherever I go, but generally find the friends of peace supplied, and the enemies pleading poverty. My lecture at Grand Rapids city awoke a deep interest in our cause, and so also a discourse in Cold Water, on "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

No men have more occasion for forbearance and patience than laborers in our cause. When I hoped that the war spirit had died away, up rose the Texas war, and thousands stealthily crossed the Sabine, while millions gloried at the success of that wicked enterprise. Hope revived again for peace and humanity, when lo! the latent war-spirit breaks out again in the Mexican War, and a host from my own State (Michigan) cross the Rio Grande, a large part of whom never returned. When the faces of our best citizens were muffled in shame for so disgraceful a war, Kossuth comes putting back our cause more effectually than all other influences, stirring up the Puritan blood, waking the remembrance of Hampden, and Cromwell, and William of Orange. Great divines who had condemned our south-western conquests and depredations, now beat their drums to muster. An eminent divine, Chief of the Puritan pulpit in America, delivers in person old cannon balls to the warlike Hun.

Nor is this all. An eminent pulpit orator and popular lecturer, addressing the students of Michigan Union College, grew very eloquent, and exclaimed, in view of the Crimean war just then commencing, "Europe is about to boil as a cauldron, and kings and priests will be poured off as scum." Nearly all the audience were ready to rally in the name of Cromwell, to kill one-fourth of the people of Europe in the hope of civil and religious freedom. That drama has been acted - we know the result, a grand abortion, the loss of 750,000 lives, and myriads of money to no serious benefit.

Next comes John Brown. Not satisfied with pronouncing eulogies on his courage, his integrity, his serenity in meeting death, good men grow mad in their zeal, and endorse the whole tragedy at Harper's Ferry. Most of the John Brown meetings show a spirit two hundred years behind the times. It is the spirit of 1640. It is another edition of the most ultra war spirit in Kansas.

But God forbid that we should ever despair of such a cause as ours. If the Apostles could have seen before them the ten dark centuries, their zeal would not have abated; nor will I be dismayed, though all this discouragment comes over our prospects. I stand on the word of Prophecy-man's destiny is progress. I will endeavor to sow the seed of truth, though it do not germinate in a hundred years. WILLIAM W. CRANE.

THE HARPER'S FERRY AFFAIR.

This event, though not coming strictly within our province, still has not few very significant bearings that deserve special attention from the friends of peace. It may be difficult, if not impossible, to touch any of them without stirring prejudices likely, on one side or the other, to neutralize whatever we can say; but we will nevertheless venture a few suggestions, and trust our readers to receive them with candor.

We take leave, then, to say that this affair proves the general mind through the land to be sadly deficient and wrong in its mode of meeting such controversies. It is not Christian, but directly contradicts the gospel. Neither Christ, nor any of his apostles or early followers, dealt in this way with the great evils rooted in society. There is nothing in the principles or spirit of our religion that allows such resorts as we see in this case on both sides, to violence and bloodshed for the reform of social wrongs. We have, under the gospel, no right to attempt the cure of such evils by such means. It is a process subversive of all order, and must, if pushed to its legitimate results, end in utter anarchy. Still worse, if possible, has the South been in her treatment of those who would not forswear their most settled convictions of right and duty in favor of slavery. There is nothing in the alleged fanaticism of philanthropy to match it. It is a strange, unaccountable epidemic of cowardice, vengeance and terror, more inexcusable than auy hair-brained attempt of a score of men under John Brown to overthrow slavery. Both are utterly wrong, and ought not to be tolerated, North or South, for an hour. All such questions must in time be settled, on the principles of the gospel, by the use of only peaceful, Christian means.

Here, then, we see the necessity of educating men into right habits of dealing with such questions. Nearly all of us have been educated wrong in this respect, and hence the reciprocal outrages perpetrated by both the opponents and the supporters of slavery. Had John Brown been trained in the pacific principles of the gospel, or had he not abandoned them for those of violence and retaliation, he would never have drawn the sword either in Virginia or Kansas. It is not the Christian way of preventing or curing wrong. So if men at the South had breathed, in this respect, a particle of Christ's spirit, they would never have dreamed of treating the opponents of slavery in the way they have and still do.

It is more than time to learn the hard lesson of bearing the worst evils until they can be cured by Christian means. It would be wrong to attempt their cure in any other way. Violence and blood are not Christian methods of securing God's ends; and we must wait till they can be attained by such methods. There is no great evil, like war, slavery or intemperance, that can be removed at once; and we must patiently bear it until it can be cured by Christian means. We have no right in any case to "do evil that good may come; and ages of patience will be needed before the great evils of society can be entirely done away. Patience is the crowning grace of the Christian Reformer.