ential American
citizen has lately written me from an oriental country where our
requests have received little attention, saying: "If our government
proposes to do nothing for American citizens they should say so and turn
us over to the care of the British embassy."

Such language as that makes one's blood tingle and stirs us to ask
afresh, not alone as friends of missionaries, but as American citizens,
what policy will our nation adopt to secure the rights of all our
countrymen of whatever pursuit who are dwelling under treaty guarantees
in China and Turkey? The friends of missions ask no exceptional favors
from the government. They simply seek for such protection as their
fellow-citizens need.

It is, of course, for our government to say at what time and by what
methods it shall act. It is sometimes wise and even necessary for a
government to postpone seeking a settlement of difficulties with a
foreign power, even when it is clear that a settlement is highly
desirable. Great exigencies may require delays. We must exercise the
patience which patriotism calls for. But we may be permitted without
impropriety to express our desire and our opinion that our government
should find some way to make it absolutely clear to oriental countries
that it intends to secure the protection for all our citizens, including
missionaries, to which they are entitled by treaties and by
international law.

AMERICAN SLAVERY

JOHN BRIGHT

Slavery has been as we all know the huge, foul blot upon the fame of the
American Republic. It is an outrage against human right and against
divine law, but the pride, the passion of man, will not permit its
peaceable extinction. Is not this war the penalty which inexorable
justice exacts from America, North and South, for the enormous guilt of
cherishing that frightful iniquity of slavery for the last eighty years?
The leaders of this revolt propose this monstrous thing,--that over a
territory forty times as large as England the blight and curse of
slavery shall be forever perpetuated.

I cannot believe that such a fate can befall that fair land, stricken as
it now is with the ravages of war. I cannot believe that civilization in
its journey with the sun will sink into endless night to gratify the
ambition of leaders of this revolt, who seek to

"Wade through slaughter to a throne,
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind."

I have a far other and brighter vision before my gaze.