conclusion, as to the constitutional right of the Legislature, unques. tionable. As to the expediency of such a law, we think it is very clearly shown by Mr. Wells. And we are glad that a bill, substantially the same as the one in question, was passed by the Massachusetts Legislature at their last session, and has now become a law. Maine had before passed a similar law; and in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, the like changes have either been made, or had under discussion. We trust that similar changes will be made in all the States. The frequent spectacles of military trainings and reviews contribute nothing to the respectability of the militia, or to the security of the country; while as an element in the education of the young, their influence is decidedly bad in more respects than What we have principally in view, we may indicate in the words of Mr. Ware: "The boy's first playthings are the drum and the sword, his first amusement to march in company with a feather in his cap and an ornamented coat. Thus the very atmosphere of society, through which the child breathes his way into manhood, is tainted with this corrupting ingredient, and every successive generation is made to inherit the prejudices of the preceding.'

one.

Now beyond doubt, among a Christian people, war should at least be regarded as the last sad and awful resort. All military arrange. ments should at least be considered as purely defensive. So far, therefore, from being surrounded with any false splendour, and contributing to delude the moral sense, every thing should be done to impress upon the minds of the young, that a resort to arms is a calamity always to be deprecated and deplored. Arms and the preparations for national defence should be connected in the imagination of the young with the same solemn and awful associations, as the last inflictions of penal law. There should be no more glory about them than about the executioner and the gallows.

4.-The Promise of Universal Peace.-A Sermon, by the Rev. Henry Ware, Jr. Professor, &c. Cambridge, Mass. Pub. lished in the Liberal Preacher, for January, 1834.

pp. 23.

This is an excellent discourse, marked by clearness, good sense, justness, and often eloquence of thought, with the same quiet and simple elegance of style, for which most of this writer's productions are distinguished. There is nothing exaggerated or out of propor tion in Mr. Ware's turn of thinking, or style of expressing himself. This discourse is, therefore, admirably calculated to do good, and produce conviction in minds of the most cultivated and thoughtful order. The object of the discourse is to show, that "the evils of War are such as to demand that the efforts of all good and patriotic men be directed against it; while the weakness of the principles which sustain it, and the strength of the principles which oppose it, give en. couragement to believe that they shall not labour in vain."

5.-An Essay on War, and on its Lawfulness under the Christian Dispensation. By Joseph John Gurney. Providence, 1834. pp. 24.

This tract was published at London by the "Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace," as the 12th of their series. It is re-printed in this country for the trustees of the fund established by the late Obadiah Brown, of Rhode Island, for the purpose of publishing such works. It contains a pretty full examination of the Scriptural argument concerning war, as drawn from the Old and New Testament.

6.-Argument of Thos. S. Grimke' in the case of the State, ex relatione McCrady vs. Hunt, April, 1834. Charleston, S. C. J. S. Burges, pp. 28.

The violent proceedings in South Carolina, growing out of the Tariff law of Congress, are probably fresh in the recollection of our readers, as well as the serious apprehensions of civil war and bloodshed, entertained by many persons. Happily these fears have not been realized: we believe that the influence of recent events has been to establish more firmly the true doctrine concerning the Constitution, the relation of the States to the General Government, and the foundations of the Union. The following statement of the case will put the reader in possession of the occasion and scope of Mr. Grimke's argument.

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS.

MONDAY, MARCH 31, 1834.

PRESENT, JUSTICES JOHNSON & HARPER.

The State, Ex Relatione Edward M'Crady,

VS.

Col. B. F. Hunt, Commanding 16th Reg't So. Ca. Militia. S

The members of the Legislature, who were elected on the 5th of Octo. ber, 1832, at an extra session, on the 26th day of October, passed an Act to provide for the calling of a Convention of the people of this State; the preamble and first clause are as follows:

Whereas, the Congress of the United States hath, on divers occasions, enacted laws laying duties and imposts for the purpose of encouraging and protecting domestic or American manufactures, and for other unwarrantable purposes; which laws, in the opinion of the good people of this State, and the Legislature thereof, are unauthorized by the Constitution of the United States, and are an infringement of the rights reserved to the States respect. ively, and operate to the grievous injury and oppression of the citizens of South Carolina. And whereas, to the State assembled in Convention, it be longs to determine the character of such acts, as well as the nature and extent of the evil, and the mode and measure of redress:

Be it therefore enacted, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, now met and sitting in General Assembly, and it is hereby ordained by the authority of the same, That a Convention of the People of the said State, shall be assembled at Columbia, on the 3d Monday in No vember next, then and there to take into consideration the several Act of the Congress of the United States, imposing duties on foreign imposts for the protection of domestic manufactures, and for other unauthorized objects; to

determine on the character thereof, and to devise the means of redress; and further, in like manner, to take into consideration such acts of the said Congress laying duties on imports, as may be passed in amendment of, or substi. tution for, the act or acts aforesaid; and also all other laws and acts of the Government of the United States, which shall be passed or done, for the purpose of more effectually executing and enforcing the same.

The Convention at Columbia, on the 18th of March, 1833, passed an Ordinance entitled An Ordinance to Nullify an Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled "An Act further to provide for the collection of duties on imports," commonly called Force Bill, containing a separate clause in the following words:"We do further ordain and declare, that the allegiance of the citizens of this State, while they continue such, is due to the said State; and that obedience only and not allegiance, is due by them to any other power or authority, to whom a control over them has been, or may be dele. gated by the State; and that the General Assembly of the said State is hereby empowered, from time to time, when they may deem it proper, to provide for the administration to the citizens and officers of the State, or such of the said officers as they may think fit, of suitable oaths or affirmations, binding them to the observance of such allegiance, and adjuring all other allegiance; and also to define what shall amount to a violation of their allegiance, and to provide the proper punishment for such violation.

By an Act passed on the 19th day of December, 1833, entitled, "An Act to provide for the Military organization of this State," it was enacted as follows: In addition to the oaths now required by law, every officer of the Militia, hereafter elected, shall, before he enters on the duties of his office, take and subscribe, before some person authorized by law to administer oaths, the following oath ;-I, A. B., do solemnly swear, (or affirm, as the case may be,) that I will be faithful, and true allegiance bear to the State of South Carolina.""

On the 28th of February, 1834, Edward M'Crady was elected Lieutenant of the Washington Light Infantry, a military corps in the city of Charleston, and applied for his commission, which Colonel Hunt, the commanding officer of the Regiment, refused to grant, unless he would take the above oath ; which he refused to do, and applied to Judge Bay, for a rule to show cause why a Writ of Mandamus should not issue, to require the said Colonel Hunt to deliver to the plaintiff his commission.

His Honor, upon hearing the case, dismissed the rule; and from his judg. ment the relator appeals, and moves the Court of Appeals to reverse the order made by Judge Bay, and to make the rule absolute, and takes in support of his motion the following grounds:

First, That it is a violation of the Constitution of this State, to require the appellant to take the oath contained in the Military Bill. Because the 4th article of the Constitution declares, that " All persons who shall be chosen or appointed to any office of profit or trust, before entering on the execution thereof, shall take the following oath :-" "I do swear or affirm, that I am duly qualified, according to the Constitution of this State, to exercise the office to which I have been appointed, and will, to the best of my abilities, discharge the duties thereof, and preserve, protect and defend the Constitu. tion of this State, and of the U. States." And that so much of the Military Bill as goes to add to or alter the foregoing oath, or to impose any other oath of office, is, therefore, unconstitutional and void.

Secondly, That the authority of the Legislature to enact the oath contained in the Military Bill, cannot be derived from the ordinance of 1833, for the following reasons:

1. That the terms of the Ordinance are not pursued, nor its authority referred to, in the enactment of the said oath; nor does it appear, with certainty, that the oath contained in the Military Bill, is an oath binding the citizens to the observance of such allegiance as the Ordinance defines.

2. Because the Convention did not authorize, and in fact could not author.

ize, the Legislature to overrule the Constitution, by changing one of its articles, without conforming to the rule, by which all amendments to the Constitution must take place. And for this proposition, the appellant has the authority of the same Legislature, who, by bringing in and passing a Bill to change the Constitution in this behalf, have confirmed and ratified this construction.

3. Because the Convention, in undertaking to define allegiance, and to establish a Test Oath, exceeded their powers, as those matters are not within the objects for which they were called.

4. Because the Ordinance itself is clearly repugnant to the Constitution of the United States, and therefore null and void. p. 1, 2.

The argument is able and learned. By decision of the Court of Appeals in this case, the former judgment was reversed, and the Nullifying Ordinance of the Convention, and the Test Oath enacted by the Legislature of South Carolina, were declared to be contrary to the Constitution of the U. S. and therefore null and void.

Entelligence.

PEACE SOCIETIES.

The American Peace Society held its sixth annual meeting in New York, on the sixth of May last. The Report was highly interesting, and proved that the cause is advancing.-Within the past year, most of the large ecclesiastical bodies of New England have passed resolutions favorable to the ob jects of the Society; and 216 clergymen of various denominations have en. gaged to preach on the subject at least once a year.-A prize of $1000 has been offered for the best Essay on a Congress of Nations; the time for presenting them is extended to the 20th of June.-Addresses were made by the Rev. Messrs. Galusha, of Utica, Hicock, of Litchfield, Conn., Rev. Dr. Cogswell, of Boston, A. Stewart, Esq. of Utica, and R. M. Chipman, Esq. A letter from William Ladd, Esq. of Minot, Me., was read, excusing his absence on account of ill health, and offering $300 a year toward the support. of an Editor and Agent, provided the remainder of the sum requisite should be subscribed by others. Mr. Ladd was chosen President of the Society, in place of S. V. S. Wilder, Esq. resigned; and the Rev. Professor Bush, of the New York City University, was chosen Secretary.

The Connecticut Peace Society continues its labors in printing and distributing tracts, and procuring the delivery and publication of addresses. The annual address during the session of the legislature, was this year delivered at New Haven, by the Rev C. C. Vanarsdalen, of Hartford, who has consented to repeat it at Norwich and other places.-There are county Peace Socie ties in every County in the State.

The Massachusetts Peace Society was one of the earliest formed. It is now auxiliary to the American Society. The Rev. Dr. Lowell is President. The annual meeting was held in February last, and to judge from the tone of the addresses, was attended with high interest.

Before the publication of our next number, we hope to receive communica. tions and intelligence from the London, Paris, and Geneva Societies. The latest accounts prove that the progress of correct principles and a pacific policy, though slow, is sure.-Count de Sellon has successfully applied the principles of the Geneva Society to the pacification of Switzerland.—We hope in a future number to be able to give a complete list of Societies for the promotion of Peace in this and other countries.-Proposals have been issued for publishing by subscription, Dymond's Essay on War, with a dedication to Sunday School teachers and scholars, and notes, by Thomas S. Grimke', an appendix containing several of the writings of Mr. Grimké. 12 mo., 300 pages, 75 cts. Subscriptions received by L. D. Dewey, 130 Nassau street, New York, and William Watson, Hartford.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

and

Our country for a few years past has been the scene of great political agitation. Some of the causes of excitement have been allayed, and we hope for the peaceful adjustment of the rest.-In surveying the aspect of the nation, two things force themselves on the attention, the licentiousness of the party press, and the state of suffrage. The public press is an engine of tremendous power. In the hands of unprincipled demagogues, it can do more than all other causes to corrupt the moral sense, and mislead the judgment of a people, by disregard of truth, and administering provocatives to the worst passions of the populace. The virulence of the party press in this country is alarming. "It is the iniquity of men," says Jeremy Taylor,