nada provides for the disposal of them by the Provincial Legislature.
Wide-spread, secret dissatisfaction exists in the country; a majority of
the new Assembly (which has not yet met) are friends of the people, but
many are afraid to move, or to say what they think. My own apprehension
is that, notwithstanding all exertions to the contrary, under the
present system of things the morals and intelligence of the people will
be on a level with their liberties. Whether my continued silence in such
circumstances is a virtue, or a crime; or whether I should retire from
the country, or remain and make one Christian, open, and decisive effort
to secure for my fellow-countrymen a free constitution and equal rights
among their churches, is a perplexing question to me, as well as to my
brothers. It is believed by some intelligent men, who have talked on the
subject, that if I would come out as the advocate of the country, there
would be no doubt of success, from my knowledge of the subject, from a
general, and, as I think, overweening confidence on the part of my
friends in my powers of concentration, perseverance and energy, and from
the feelings of the country. It is also thought that, if there should be
a failure of success, I could then honourably retire to the United
States. I am no theorist, but I hate despotism as I do Satan, and I love
liberty as I do life; and my thoughts and feelings flow so strongly in
favour of the religious and civil freedom of my native country, that
with all my engagements and duties, I cannot resist them, at least half
of the time. I would be most grateful to you for your opinion on this
general matter, irrespective of details, with which, of course, you
cannot be acquainted.

To this letter Rev. Dr. Bangs replied as follows:--

I feel much for my Canadian brethren, and I can never be
indifferent to their weal or woe. I have never had but one opinion
respecting your separation from us, and that is, that it was an
erroneous step at the time, originating with the ambition of one
man--Henry Ryan. (See page 87.) Regrets, however, are useless now.
The die has been cast; but from that unhappy moment you have been
tossed about from one point of the compass to another. What a sad
condition the people are in, according to your representation! And
who shall right them? I suppose you cannot do it, although you
cannot be indifferent to their interests, temporal