Chapter XXVI.

by James Fenimore Cooper

　　Behold, O Lord! the heathen tread The branches of thy fruitful vine, That its luxurious tendrils spread O'er all the hills of Palestine. And now the wild boar comes to waste Even us, the greenest boughs and last. That, drinking of its choicest dew, On Zion's hill in beauty grew. --MILMAN.The change in Peter had been gradually making itself apparent, eversince he joined the party of the bee-hunter. When he entered theKalamazoo, in the company of the two men who had now fallen thevictims of his own designs, his heart was full of the fell intentionof cutting off the whole white race. Margery had first induced himto think of exceptions. He had early half-decided that she should bespared, to be carried to his own lodge, as an adopted daughter. Whenhe became aware of the state of things between his favorite and herlover, there was a severe struggle in his breast on the subject ofsparing the last. He saw how strongly the girl was attached to him,and something like human sentiments forced their way among hissavage plans. The mysterious communication of le Bourdon with thebees, however, had far more influence in determining him to spare sogreat a medicine-man, than Margery's claims; and he had endeavoredto avail himself of a marriage as a means of saving the bride,instead of saving the bridegroom. All the Indians entertained aspecies of awe for le Bourdon, and all hesitated about laying handson one who appeared so gifted. It was, therefore, the expectation ofthis extraordinary being that the wife might be permitted to escapewith the husband. The effect of The Weasel's cunning has beendescribed. Such was the state of Peter's mind when he met the bandin the scenes last described. There he had been all attention to thedemeanor of the missionary. A hundred times had he seen warriors dieuttering maledictions on their enemies; but this was the firstoccasion on which he had ever known a man to use his latest breathin asking for blessings on those "who persecuted him." At first,Peter was astounded. Then the sublime principles had their effect,and his heart was deeply touched with what he heard. How far theHoly Spirit aided these better feelings, it might be presumptuous,on the one hand, to say; while, on the other, it will be equallypresuming to think of denying the possibility--nay, the probability--that the great change which so suddenly came over the heart ofPeter was produced by more than mere human agencies. We know thatthis blessed Spirit is often poured out, in especial cases, withaffluent benevolence, and there can be no sufficient reason forsupposing this savage might not have been thus signally favored, assoon as the avenues of his heart opened to the impulses of agenerous humanity. The very qualities that would induce such a beingto attempt the wild and visionary scheme of vengeance andretribution, that had now occupied his sleeping and waking thoughtsfor years, might, under a better direction, render him eminently fitto be the subject of divine grace. A latent sense of right laybehind all his seeming barbarity, and that which to us appears as afell ferocity, was, in his own eyes, no less than a severe justice.

　　The words, the principles, the prayers, and, more than all, theexample of the missionary, wrought this great change, so far ashuman agencies were employed; but the power of God was necessary tocarry out and complete this renewal of the inner man. We do not meanthat a miracle was used in the sudden conversion of this Indian tobetter feelings, for that which is of hourly occurrence, and whichmay happen to all, comes within the ordinary workings of a DivineProvidence, and cannot thus be designated with propriety; but we dowish to be understood as saying, that no purely human power couldhave cleared the moral vision, changed all the views, and softenedthe heart of such a man, as was so promptly done in the case ofPeter. The way had been gradually preparing, perhaps, by the meansalready described, but the great transformation came so suddenly andso powerfully as to render him a different being, as it might almostbe, in the twinkling of an eye! Such changes often occur, and thoughit may suit the self-sufficiency of the worldling to deride them, heis the wisest who submits in the meekest spirit to powers thatexceed his comprehension.

　　In this state of mind, then, Peter left the band as soon as the fateof the missionary was decided. His immediate object was to save thewhites who remained, Gershom and Dorothy now having a place in hisgood intentions, as well as le Bourdon and Margery. Although hemoved swiftly, and nearly by an air-line, his thoughts scarce keptcompany with his feet. During that rapid walk, he was haunted withthe image of a man, dying while he pronounced benedictions on hisenemies!

　　There was little in common between the natural objects of thatplacid and rural scene and the fell passions that were so activelyat work among the savages. The whole of the landscape was bathed inthe light of a clear, warm summer's day. These are the times whenthe earth truly seems a sanctuary, in spots remote from the hauntsof men, and least exposed to his abuses. The bees hum around theflowers, the birds carol on the boughs and from amid their leafyarbors, while even the leaping and shining waters appear to beinstinct with the life that extols the glory of God.

　　As for the family near the palisaded hut, happiness had not, formany a month, been so seated among them, as on this very occasion.Dorothy sympathized truly in the feelings of the youthful andcharming bride, while Gershom had many of the kind and affectionatewishes of a brother in her behalf. The last was in his best attire,as indeed were the females, who were neatly though modestly clad,and Gershom had that air of decent repose and of quiet enjoyment,which is so common of a Sabbath with the men of his class, among thepeople from whom he sprung. The fears lately excited weremomentarily forgotten. Everything around them wore an air so placid;the vault above them was so profoundly tranquil; the light of daywas so soft and yet so bright; the Openings seemed so rural and somuch like pictures of civilization, that apprehension had beenentirely forgotten in present enjoyment. Such was the moment whenPeter suddenly stood before le Bourdon and Margery, as the youngcouple sat beneath the shade of the oaks, near the spring. Oneinstant the Indian regarded this picture of young wedded life with agleam of pleasure on his dark face; then he announced his presenceby speaking.

　　"Can't sit here lookin' at young squaw," said this literal being."Get up, and put thing in canoe. Time come to go on path dat lead topale-face country."

　　"What has happened, Peter?" demanded the bee-hunter, springing tohis feet. "You come like a runner rushing in with his bad tidings.Has anything happened to give an alarm?"

　　"Up, and off, tell you. No use talkin' now. Put all he can in canoe,and paddle away fast as can." There was no mistaking Peter's manner.The bee-hunter saw the uselessness of questioning such a man, at atime like that, and he called to Gershom to join him.

　　"Here is the chief, to warn us to move," said the bee-hunter,endeavoring to appear calm, in order that he might not needlesslyalarm the females, "and what he advises, we had better do. I knowthere is danger, by what has fallen from Pigeonswing as well as fromhimself; so let us lose no time, but stow the canoes, and do as hetells us."

　　As Gershom assented, it was not two minutes ere all were at work.For several days, each canoe had been furnished with provisions fora hasty flight. It remained only to add such of the effects as weretoo valuable and necessary to be abandoned, and which had not beenpreviously exposed without the palisades. For half an hour leBourdon and Gershom worked as for life. No questions were asked, norwas a single moment lost, in a desire to learn more. The manner inwhich Peter bore himself satisfied Boden that the emergency waspressing, and it is seldom that more was done by so few hands in soshort a period. Fortunately, the previous preparation greatly aidedthe present object, and nearly everything of any value was placed inthe canoes within the brief space mentioned. It then becamenecessary to decide concerning the condition in which Castle Mealwas to be left. Peter advised closing every aperture, shutting thegate, and leaving the dog within. There is no doubt that theseexpedients prevented the parties falling early into the hands oftheir enemies; for the time lost by the savages in making theirapproaches to the hut was very precious to the fugitives.

　　Just as the canoes were loaded, Pigeonswing came in. He announcedthat the whole band was in motion, and might be expected to reachthe grove in ten minutes. Placing an arm around the slender waist ofMargery, le Bourdon almost carried her to his own canoe, Gershomsoon had Dorothy in his little bark, while Peter entered that to theownership of which he may be said to have justly succeeded by thedeaths of the corporal and the missionary. Pigeonswing remainedbehind, in order to act as a scout, having first communicated toPeter the course the last ought to steer. Before the Chippewaplunged into the cover in which it was his intention to concealhimself, he made a sign that the band was already in sight

　　The heart of le Bourdon sunk within him, when he learned how nearwere the enemy. To him, escape seemed impossible; and he nowregretted having abandoned the defences of his late residence. Theriver was sluggish for more than a mile at that spot, and thenoccurred a rift, which could not be passed without partly unloadingthe canoes, and where there must necessarily be a detention of morethan an hour. Thus, it was scarcely possible for canoes descendingthat stream to escape from so large a band of pursuers. Thesinuosities, themselves, would enable the last to gain fifty pointsahead of them, where ambushes, or even open resistance, must placethem altogether at the mercy of the savages.

　　Peter knew all this, as well as the bee-hunter, and he had nointention of trusting his new friends in a flight down the river.Pigeonswing, with the sententious brevity of an Indian, had made animportant communication to him, while they were moving, for the lasttime, toward the canoes, and he now determined to profit by it.Taking the lead, therefore, with his own canoe, Peter paddled up,instead of down the stream, going in a direction opposite to thatwhich it would naturally be supposed the fugitives had taken. Indoing this, also, he kept close under the bank which would mostconceal the canoes from those who approached it on its southernside.

　　It will be remembered that the trees for the palisades had been cutfrom a swamp, a short distance above the bee-hunter's residence.They had grown on the margin of the river, which had been foundserviceable in floating the logs to their point of destination. Thetops of many of these trees, resinuous, and suited by their natureto preserve their leaves for a considerable time, lay partly in thestream and partly on its banks; and Pigeonswing, foreseeing thenecessity of having a place of refuge, had made so artful adisposition of several of them, that, while they preserved all theappearance of still lying where they had fallen, it was possible tohaul canoes up beneath them, between the branches and the bank, in away to form a place of perfect concealment. No Indian would havetrusted to such a hiding-place, had it not been matter of notorietythat the trees had been felled for a particular purpose, or hadtheir accidental disposition along the bank been discerniblyderanged. But such was not the case, the hand of Pigeonswing havingbeen so skilfully employed that what he had done could not bedetected. He might be said to have assisted nature, instead ofdisturbing her.

　　The canoes were actually paddling close under the bank, in theCastle Meal reach of the river, when the band arrived at the grove,and commenced what might be called the investment of the place. Hadnot all the attention of the savages been drawn toward the hut, itis probable that some wandering eye might have caught a glimpse ofsome one of them, as inequalities in the bank momentarily exposedeach, in succession, to view. This danger, however, passed away, andby turning a point, the fugitives were effectually concealed fromall who did not actually approach the river at that particularpoint. Here it was, however, that the swamp commenced, and theground being wet and difficult, no one would be likely to do this.The stream flowed through this swamp, having a dense wood on eachside, though one of no great extent. The reach, moreover, was short,making a completely sheltered haven of the Kalamazoo, within itslimits.

　　Once in this wooded reach, Peter tossed an arm, and assumed an airof greater security. He felt infinitely relieved, and knew that theywere safe, for a time, unless some wanderer should have taken to theswamp--a most improbable thing of itself. When high enough, he ledthe way across the stream, and entering below, he soon had all thecanoes in their place of concealment.

　　"Dis good place," observed the great chief, as soon as all werefast; "bess take care, dough. Bess not make track too much on land;Injin got sharp eye, and see ebbery t'ing. Now, I go and talk widchief. Come back by-'em-by. You stay here. Good-bye."

　　"Stop, Peter--one word before we part. If you see Parson Amen, orthe corporal, it might be well to tell them where we are to befound. They would be glad to know."

　　Peter looked grave; even sad. He did not answer for fully a minute.When he did, it was in a low, suppressed voice, such as one is aptto use when there is a weight felt on his mind.

　　"Nebber know any t'ing ag'in," returned the chief. "Both dem pale-face dead."

　　"Dead!" echoed all within hearing.

　　"Juss so; Injin kill him. Mean to kill you, too--dat why I run away.Saw medicine-priest die. What you t'ink, Blossom?--What you t'ink,Bourdon?--Dat man die asking Great Spirit to do good to Injin!"

　　"I can believe it, Peter, for he was a good man, and such are ourChristian laws, though few of us obey them. I can easily believethat Parson Amen was an exception, however."

　　"Yes, Peter, such are our Christian laws," put in Margery,earnestly. "When Christ, the Son of God, came on earth to redeemlost men, he commanded his followers to do good to them that didevil to us, and to pray for them that tried to harm us. We have hisvery words, written in our bibles."

　　"You got him?" said Peter, with interest. "See you read him, of'en.Got dat book here?"

　　"To be sure I have--it is the last thing I should have forgotten.Dolly has one, and I have another; we read in them every day, and wehope that, before long, brother and Bourdon will read in them, too."

　　"Why, I'm no great scholar, Margery," returned her husband,scratching his full, curling head of hair, out of pure awkwardness;"to please you, however, I'd undertake even a harder job. It was sowith the bees, when I began; I thought I should never succeed inlining the first bee to his hive; but, since that time, I think I'velined a thousand!"

　　"It's easy, it's easy, dear Benjamin, if you will only make abeginning," returned the much interested young wife. "When we get toa place of safety, if it be God's will that we ever shall, I hope tohave you join me in reading the good book, daily. See, Peter, I keepit in this little bag, where it is safe, and always at hand."

　　"You read dem word for me, Blossom: I want to hear him, out of disbook, himself."

　　Margery did as he desired. She was very familiar with the NewTestament, and, turning to the well-known and God-like passage, sheread several verses, in a steady, earnest voice. Perhaps the dangerthey were in, and the recent communication of the death of theirlate companions, increased her earnestness and solemnity of manner,for the effect produced on Peter was scarcely less than that he hadfelt when he witnessed a practical obedience to these sublimeprinciples, in the death of the missionary. Tears actually startedto this stern savage's eyes, and he looked back on his late projectsand endeavors to immolate a whole race with a shudder. TakingMargery's hand, he courteously thanked her, and prepared to quit theplace. Previously to leaving his friends, however, Peter gave abrief account of the manner of the missionary's death, and of thestate in which he had left the corporal. Pigeonswing had told him ofthe fate of the last, as well as of the eagerness with which theband had set out in quest of more white scalps.

　　"Peter, we can count on you for a friend, I hope?" said the bee-hunter, as the two were about to part, on the bank of the river. "Ifear you were, once, our enemy!"

　　"Bourdon," said Peter, with dignity, and speaking in the language ofhis own people, "listen. There are Good Spirits, and there are BadSpirits. Our traditions tell us this. Our own minds tell us this,too. For twenty winters a Bad Spirit has been whispering in my ear.I listened to him; and did what he told me to do. I believed what hesaid. His words were--'Kill your enemies--scalp all the pale-faces--do not leave a squaw, or a pappoose. Make all their hearts heavy.This is what an Injin should do.' So has the Bad Spirit beenwhispering to me, for twenty winters. I listened to him. What hesaid, I did. It was pleasant to me to take the scalps of the pale-faces. It was pleasant to think that no more scalps would be leftamong them, to take. I was Scalping Peter.

　　"Bourdon, the Good Spirit has, at last, made himself heard. Hiswhisper is so low, that at first my ears did not hear him. They hearhim now. When he spoke loudest, it was with the tongue of themedicine-priest of your people. He was about to die. When we areabout to die, our voices become strong and clear. So do our eyes. Wesee what is before, and we see what is behind. We feel joy for whatis before--we feel sorrow for what is behind. Your medicine-priestspoke well. It sounded in my ears as if the Great Spirit, himself,was talking. They say it was his Son. I believe them. Blossom hasread to me out of the good book of your people, and I find it is so.I feel like a child, and could sit down, in my wigwam, and weep.

　　"Bourdon, you are a pale-face, and I am an Injin. You are strong,and I am weak. This is because the Son of the Great Spirit hastalked with your people, and has not talked with mine. I now see whythe pale-faces overrun the earth and take the hunting-grounds. Theyknow most, and have been told to come here, and to tell what theyknow to the poor ignorant Injins. I hope my people will listen. Whatthe Son of the Great Spirit says must be true. He does not know howto do wrong.

　　"Bourdon, once it seemed sweet to me to take the scalps of myenemies. When an Injin did me harm, I took his scalp. This was myway. I could not help it, then. The Wicked Spirit told me to dothis. The Son of the Manitou has now told me better. I have livedunder a cloud. The breath of the dying medicine-priest of yourpeople has blown away that cloud. I see clearer. I hear him tellingthe Manitou to do me good, though I wanted his scalp. He wasanswered in my heart. Then my ears opened wider, and I heard whatthe Good Spirit whispered. The ear in which the Bad Spirit had beentalking for twenty winters shut, and was deaf. I hear him no more. Ido not want to hear him again. The whisper of the Son of the Manitouis very pleasant to me. It sounds like the wren singing his sweetestsong. I hope he will always whisper so. My ear shall never again beshut to his words.

　　"Bourdon, it is pleasant to me to look forward. It is not pleasantto me to look back. I see how many things I have done in one way,that ought to have been done in another way. I feel sorry, and wishit had not been so. Then I hear the Son of the Manitou asking HisFather, who liveth above the clouds, to do good to the Jews who tookhis life. I do not think Injins are Jews. In this, my brother waswrong. It was his own notion, and it is easy for a man to thinkwrong. It is not so with the Son of the Manitou. He thinketh alwaysas His Father thinketh, which is right.

　　"Bourdon, I am no longer Peter--I must be another Injin. I do notfeel the same. A scalp is a terrible thing in my eyes--I wish neverto take another--never to see another--a scalp is a bad thing. I nowlove the Yankees. I wish to do them good, and not to do them harm. Ilove most the Great Spirit, that let his own Son die for all men.The medicine-priest said he died for Injins, as well as for pale-faces. This we did not know, or we should have talked of him more inour traditions. We love to talk of good acts. But we are suchignorant Injins! The Son of the Manitou will have pity on us, andtell us oftener what we ought to do. In time, we shall learn. Now, Ifeel like a child: I hope I shall one day be a man."

　　Having made this "confession of faith," one that would have donecredit to a Christian church, Peter shook the bee-hunter kindly bythe hand, and took his departure. He did not walk into the swamp,though it was practicable with sufficient care, but he stepped intothe river, and followed its margin, knowing that "water leaves notrail." Nor did Peter follow the direct route toward the now blazinghut, the smoke from which was rising high above the trees, but heascended the stream, until reaching a favorable spot, he threw asideall of his light dress, made it into a bundle, and swam across theKalamazoo, holding his clothes above the element with one hand. Onreaching the opposite shore, he moved on to the upper margin of theswamp, where he resumed his clothes. Then he issued into theOpenings, carrying neither rifle, bow, tomahawk, nor knife. All hisweapons he had left in his canoe, fearful that they might tempt himto do evil, instead of good, to his enemies. Neither Bear's Meat,nor Bough of the Oak, was yet regarded by Peter with the eye oflove. He tried not to hate them, and this he found sufficientlydifficult; conscious of this difficulty, he had laid aside his arms,accordingly. This mighty change had been gradually in progress, eversince the chief's close communication with Margery, but it hadreceived its consummation in the last acts, and last words, of themissionary!

　　Having got out into the Openings, it was not difficult for Peter tojoin his late companions without attracting observation from whencehe came. He kept as much under cover as was convenient, and reachedthe kitchen, just as the band broke into the defences, and burstopen the door of the blazing and already roofless hut. Here Peterpaused, unwilling to seem inactive in such a scene, yet averse todoing anything that a sensitively tender conscience might tell himwas wrong. He knew there was no human being there to save, and caredlittle for the few effects that might be destroyed. He did not jointhe crowd, therefore, until it was ascertained that the bee-hunterand his companions had escaped.

　　"The pale-faces have fled," said Bear's Meat to the great chief,when the last did approach him. "We have looked for their bonesamong the ashes, but there are none. That medicine-bee-hunter hastold them that their scalps were wanted, and they have gone off!"

　　"Have any of the young men been down to the river, to look for theircanoes?" quietly demanded Peter. "If the canoes are gone, too, theyhave taken the route toward the Great Lake."

　　This was so obvious and probable, that a search was immediately seton foot. The report was soon made, and great was the eagerness topursue. The Kalamazoo was so crooked, that no one there doubted ofovertaking the fugitives, and parties were immediately organized forthe chase. This was done with the customary intelligence andshrewdness of Indians. The canoes that belonged to Crowsfeather andhis band had been brought up the river, and they lay concealed inrushes, not a mile from the hut. A party of warriors brought them tothe landing, and they carried one division of the party to theopposite shore, it being the plan to follow each bank of the river,keeping close to the stream, even to its mouth, should it provenecessary. Two other parties were sent in direct lines, one on eachside of the river, also, to lay in ambush at such distant points,ahead, as would be almost certain to anticipate the arrival of thefugitives. The canoes were sent down the stream, to close the netagainst return, while Bear's Meat, Bough of the Oak, Crowsfeather,and several others of the leading chiefs, remained near the stillburning hut, with a strong party, to examine the surroundingOpenings for foot-prints and trails. It was possible that the canoeshad been sent adrift, in order to mislead them, while the pale-faceshad fled by land.

　　It has been stated that the Openings had a beautiful sward, nearCastle Meal, This was true of that particular spot, and was thereason why le Bourdon had selected it for his principal place ofresidence. The abundance of flowers drew the bees there, a reason ofitself why he should like the vicinity. Lest the reader should bemisled, however, it may be well to explain that an absence of swardis characteristic of these Openings, rather than the reverse, itbeing, to a certain degree, a cause of complaint, now that thecountry is settled, that the lands of the Oak Openings are apt to beso light that the grasses do not readily form as firm a turf as isdesirable for meadows and pastures. We apprehend this is true,however, less as a rule than as exceptions; there being variety inthe soils of these Openings, as well as in other quarters.

　　Nevertheless, the savages were aware that the country around theburned hut, for a considerable extent, differed, in this particular,from most of that which lay farther east, or more inland. On thelast a trail would be much more easily detected than on the first,and a party, under the direction of a particularly experiencedleader, was dispatched several miles to the eastward, to look forthe usual signs of the passage of any toward Detroit, taking thatroute. This last expedient troubled Peter exceedingly, since itplaced a body of enemies in the rear of the fugitives; therebyrendering their position doubly perilous. There was no help for thedifficulty, however; and the great chief saw the party departwithout venturing on remonstrance, advice, or any other expedient toarrest the movement. Bear's Meat now called the head chiefs, whoremained, into a circle, and asked for opinions concerning thecourse that ought next to be taken.

　　"What does my brother, the tribeless chief, say?" he asked, lookingat Peter, in a way to denote the expectation which all felt, that heought to be able to give useful counsel in such a strait. "We havegot but two scalps from six heads; and one of them is buried withthe medicine-priest."

　　"Scalps cannot be taken from them that get off," returned Peter,evasively. "We must first catch these pale-faces. When they arefound it will be easy to scalp them. If the canoes are gone, I thinkthe medicine-bee-hunter and his squaws have gone in them. We mayfind the whole down the river."

　　To this opinion most of the chiefs assented, though the course ofexamining for a trail farther east was still approved. The band wasso strong, while the pale-faces were so few, that a distribution oftheir own force was of no consequence, and it was clearly the mostprudent to send out young men in all directions. Every one, however,expected that the fugitives would be overtaken on, or near, theriver, and Bear's Meat suggested the propriety of their moving downstream, themselves, very shortly.

　　"When did my brother last see the pale-faces?" asked Crowsfeather."This bee-hunter knows the river well, and may have startedyesterday; or even after he came from the Great Council of thePrairie."

　　This was a new idea, but one that seemed probable enough. All eyesturned toward Peter, who saw, at once, that such a notion mustgreatly favor the security of the fugitives, and felt a strongdesire to encourage it. He found evasion difficult, however, andwell knew the danger of committing himself. Instead of giving astraightforward answer, therefore, he had recourse to circumlocutionand subterfuge.

　　"My brother is right," he answered. "The pale-faces have had time toget far down the stream. As my brothers know, I slept among them atthe Round Prairie. To-day, they know I was with them at the councilof the spring of gushing waters."

　　All this was true, as far as it went, although the omissions werevery material. No one seemed to suspect the great chief, whosefidelity to his own principles was believed to be of a characteramounting to enthusiasm. Little did any there know of the power ofthe unseen Spirit of God to alter the heart, producing whatreligionists term the new birth. We do not wish, however, to beunderstood that Peter had, as yet, fully experienced this vastchange. It is not often the work of a moment, though well-authenticated modern instances do exist, in which we have everyreason to believe that men have been made to see and feel the truthalmost as miraculously as was St. Paul himself. As for thisextraordinary savage, he had entered into the strait and narrow way,though he was not far advanced on its difficult path.

　　When men tell us of the great progress that the race is makingtoward perfection, and point to the acts which denote its wisdom,its power to control its own affairs, its tendencies toward goodwhen most left to its own self-control, our minds are filled withscepticism. The every-day experience of a life now fast vergingtoward threescore, contradicts the theory and the facts. We believenot in the possibility of man's becoming even a strictly rationalbeing, unaided by a power from on high; and all that we have seenand read goes to convince us that he is most of a philosopher, themost accurate judge of his real state, the most truly learned, whomost vividly sees the necessity of falling back on the precepts ofrevelation for all his higher principles and practice. We conceivethat this mighty truth furnishes unanswerable proof of the unceasingagency of a Providence, and when we once admit this, we concede thatour own powers are insufficient for our own wants.

　　That the world, as a whole, is advancing toward a better state ofthings, we as firmly believe as we do that it is by ways that havenot been foreseen by man; and that, whenever the last has been madethe agent of producing portions of this improvement, it has oftenerbeen without design, or calculation, than with it. Who, forinstance, supposes that the institutions of this country, of whichwe boast so much, could have stood as long as they have, without theconservative principles that are to be found in the Union; and whois there so vain as to ascribe the overshadowing influence of thislast great power to any wisdom in man? We all know that perfectlyfortuitous circumstances, or what appear to us to be such, producedthe Federal Government, and that its strongest and leastexceptionable features are precisely those which could not bewithstood, much less invented, as parts of the theory of a polity.

　　A great and spasmodic political movement is, at this moment,convulsing Christendom. That good will come of it, we think isbeyond a question; but we greatly doubt whether it will come in theparticular form, or by the specified agencies, that humancalculations would lead us to expect. It must be admitted that theprevious preparations, which have induced the present effort, arerather in opposition to, than the consequences of, calculatedagencies; overturning in their progress the very safeguards whichthe sagacity of men had interposed to the advance of those veryopinions that have been silently, and by means that would perhapsbaffle inquiry, preparing the way for the results that have been sosuddenly and unexpectedly obtained. If the course is onward, it ismore as the will of God, than from any calculations of man; and itis when the last are the most active, that there is the greatestreason to apprehend the consequences.

　　Of such a dispensation of the Providence of Almighty God, do webelieve Peter to have been the subject. Among the thousand ways thatare employed to touch the heart, he had been most affected by thesight of a dying man's asking benedictions on his enemies! It wasassailing his besetting sin; attacking the very citadel of hissavage character, and throwing open, at once, an approach into thedeepest recesses of his habits and dispositions. It was like placinga master-key in the hands of him who would go through the wholetenement, for the purpose of purifying it.